The pros: Trader Joe's Stacked Eggplant Parmesan is a gem in the freezer aisle of Trader Joe's.
The cons: Not as cheesy as the picture would lead you to believe. Contents are enough for a single dinner. I probably could have eaten a tray of this.
The verdict: Trader Joe's Stacked Eggplant Parmesan sells for $3.49. I've walked past this item countless times. I honestly have not gotten to many of the single serving frozen items, but hope to soon. I absolutely adored Trader Joe's Eggplant Cutlets. They save time and kitchen mess. While this is not the same type of product and it turns eggplant into a delicious Parmesan for you (and only you).
For once, I opted for the oven method and it was good and hot after 40 minutes. The microwave options would be much quicker if you don't have the time. While there was not nearly as much cheese on the top as pictured, the amount of cheese in the product was more than sufficient. The roasted tomato was a tasty addition instead of just being slathered in sauce. The real surprise here was there seemed to be nice bites of chopped basil in addition to cheese, sauce and most importantly eggplant.
The eggplant texture was neither to soft nor tough. It can be cut mostly with a fork, but the skin is still attached so you might want to have a knife handy. Overall, this is a product that is worth trying. Out of the plastic packaging, it can make for a pretty dinner than you could pass off as your own.
The box of Trader Joe's Stacked Eggplant Parmesan:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How to prepare:
Out of the package you get:
After being cooked you get:
Removed from the plastic container and plated it looks much prettier:
Would I buy this again? For me, this is a yes. It was very enjoyable and made for a nice dinner for one.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
judilyn says
That looks pretty darned good! Like you, I don't like to fool with breading eggplant, although I use it plain quite often. This would be a nice treat. The lack of cheese is easily remedied with one's own supply. I'm thinking maybe a few bits of shaved Romano - the slightly larger bits than grated - for a sparkle of extra flavor without a big pile of additional cheese (extra calories).
Virtual hugs,
Judie
becomebetty says
What the picture didn't show was when I cut it open. While on top wasn't too cheesy there was a sufficient supply. Thanks as always for your thoughts Judilyn!
Fritz says
for $3.50 this is pretty good. It's not homemade or your neighborhood pizzeria quality, but it quite edible.
I don't like them phoney plastic cooking dishes TJ tends to put stuff in. Next time I'd pre-heat with a little stoneware casserole and drop the frozen serving in there and top with loose foil.
becomebetty says
Hey Fritz! Thanks for sharing.