I tried it so you don’t have to.
Brutally honest, occasionally dramatic, and always snack-obsessed—this is where I spill the tea on what’s worth your cart space and what’s better left on the shelf. No fluff, no filters, just real-deal reviews with a side of sass.
Korma Fish Curry
I saw this on my feed one day and got inspired to try it. I didn’t hate it, but it certainly wasn’t my favorite. The curry flavor was flavorful and paired nicely with the fish. It wasn’t overly fishy smelling at all. In all honesty, it didn’t even stink up my apartment! I took off points because the pieces of fish were extremely small and because it was a tad over cooked. Of course it gets touchy when discussing fish in the microwave, but the fish was dry and not flaky. I’ve also heard some controversy over the type of fish used (swai) which left me a little uneasy.
Overall, the flavor was good and it’s not a terrible option if you’re on the go. I just don’t see myself getting this in the future. If I’m craving fish, I will prepare my own! Have you tried this meal?!
Hatch Chile Mac & Cheese
This is my favorite frozen mac and cheese that Trader Joe’s has to offer! It’s inexpensive ($2.99) and is super convenient to throw in the microwave… or oven if you have the time for it. The hatch chiles add great flavor to the mac without overpowering it. Hatch chiles are not spicy so don’t be scared of this product if you have a lower heat tolerance. If you’re looking for some more heat, one time I added crispy jalapeños on top and it gave some extra chazzle dazzle. Another thing I love about this mac is how large the portion is! Of course it’s labeled as 2 servings, but no one splits a frozen meal in half. No one. I always have this product in my freezer and highly recommend if you’re looking for a jazzed up mac and cheese! Have you tried this?!
Ube Mochi
Behold, the ube mochi!! I finally got my hands on this product after endlessly searching. My local stores were always out of it… always. I ripped the box open in the car and honey, I’m not mad about it. These are phenomenal. I get vanilla meets cotton candy meets little bits of yam vibes. The rice dough was very sweet and chewy. The ice cream was unbelievably creamy. This is definitely a step up from the traditional vanilla mochi and I thought those were great!! Have you tried these yet? Or am I the last person on the planet to try it?!
Vanilla Mochi
Since I’ve failed to get my hands on the new ube mochi, I decided to give these a try. I’ve never had mochi before so this was a fun experience. I really enjoyed the chewiness of the rice dough paired with the creaminess of the ice cream. These are a perfect little treat because you can have one mochi and be satisfied! Or you can be like me and eat multiple because you don’t ever want the goodness to end. I took one point off because I would have loved for the vanilla flavor to be stronger (maybe if it were vanilla bean?). I will definitely get these again and will be trying all of the flavors that TJ’s has to offer! Which mochi makes an appearance in your cart most often?!
Loaded Potatoes
I wasn’t overly impressed with this product. I don’t think it fits the category of side dish or entree. Side dishes don’t normally have meat but at the same time it was mostly potatoes so it’s not filling enough to be a full meal (at least in my experience). Despite that issue, I found these potatoes to have pretty good flavor for being a frozen item. I could easily taste the different components even though there was a plethora of cheese. I wish that the cheese wasn’t so liquidy because the photo on the box makes it seem like a potato casserole whereas the real thing was just potatoes smothered in cheese. I cooked this in the oven as instructed.
I probably wouldn’t get this again. It was flavorful but it wasn’t enough to be a complete dinner and I wouldn’t eat this as a side. I’d rather make my own version of a loaded potato over getting this again. Have you tried this?
Eggwich Sandwich
There’s nothing I love more than using other foods as bread substitutes so I was excited for this! This gluten free breakfast sandwich just hit the shelves last night and is selling for $4.99. I found that price to be pretty high considering how small the sandwiches are and how there’s only 2 in a box. I ate both of them and was still hungry. I was actually pretty impressed with how well the egg held up. It didn’t fall apart and wasn’t oily. The flavor profile was pretty basic but that was to be expected (aka you are just getting that plain sausage, cheese and egg flavor). I’m completely fine with the simplicity of the product, but the 1200+ mg of sodium for both sandwiches is atrocious. For something with that much sodium, you’d expect an explosion of flavor in your mouth.
I personally wouldn’t buy these again but I didn’t dislike the product! I wasn’t a fan of the sodium, price and size of the actual sandwich but the concept is on point. I enjoyed eating a breakfast sandwich with no bread, yet still getting those vibes. Will you be trying this?!
Peanuts for Chocolate Ice Cream
I knew I made a good choice in picking up two cartons at once! This new ice cream is for all peanut butter cup lovers… more specifically, Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups. This ice cream is a decadent chocolate flavor, with swirls of peanut butter and some crushed peanut butter Joe Joe’s. How could you go wrong? I could have easily eaten the whole carton in one sitting, but I managed to have some control. The peanut butter swirls were thick so I wasn’t missing out in any bite.
I took off a point because I feel like they dropped the ball on one aspect of this dessert - the iconic peanut butter cups! I would have much rather had mini cups in there than the Joe Joe dust (because they were crushed so finely, it nearly blended into the chocolate ice cream). I took off another point just because I didn’t find it to be phenomenal like some of my other Trader Joe goers. It was good but if I had an option between this or the wildberry cheesecake ice cream, I’d pick the wildberry. Have you tried this?!
Cheese Empanadas with Cassava Crust
I sadly wasn’t impressed with these. They were bland and mushy. I cooked them in the oven for 25 minutes and they wouldn’t crisp up. While I appreciate the quantity of filling, it had no flavor. All you can taste is the ricotta. These are also so small that the whole empanada fits in the palm of my hand. This may be a good option for those who are gluten free if you’re willing to add your own chazzle dazzle, but I wouldn’t purchase these again. Have you tried this product?
Big Soft Pretzels
I’m missing Disney extra today so I decided to give these pretzels a try and see how they compare to iconic disney ones. These obviously aren’t Mickey Mouse shaped, but they didn’t disappoint. I took me 5 minutes to prepare this which was perfect for a quick snack. These taste great and pretty similar to Disney’s. My only complaint is that the salt didn’t stick very well when I added water. A lot of it fell off! I think next time I’ll try brushing butter on and see how it sticks. This is an inexpensive snack that’ll make you feel like you’re back at the parks… that’s at least how I felt! Have you tried this?!
Hold the Dairy Cones
Behold, the first ever dairy free cones! Everyone has been raving about this product and now it’s time for my review. You may be shocked by my rating given that so many people are obsessed, but this review is factoring in a lot… which is based on my personal preference.
Let me start by saying that the flavor is great! You can’t taste the coconut at all which is nice for those that don’t enjoy the flavor of it. The consistency is more moussey than like an actual ice cream. Six cones is a serving size which you’d think is a massive quantity, but they are really small. Honestly, I burned off the calories of each cone just struggling to unwrap them all. That was inconvenient since they were melting so fast.
You’d think that six cones would leave you satisfied, but they didn’t leave me that way. I eat two Hold the Cones and am content, yet was about to reach for more after consuming SIX! Again, this is all based on personal preference. Another thing that is really hard for me to look past is the saturated fat. Because this is coconut based, it has a high quality of saturated fat.
I apologize for the long review today but I wanted to truly express how I felt! I think this is an amazing option for those who can’t have dairy or are limiting it, but I prefer the regular Hold the Cones. Which do you prefer?
Hot & Spicy Chicken Wings
These wings are perfect if you’re on a budget and don’t want to go to BWW or Wingstop… or if you just love wings. These had a nice kick that left my nose runny by the time I was on my last wing. I baked them in the oven and they didn’t crisp up, no matter how long I cooked them for (I don’t own an air fryer). Another thing I’ve noticed over time is that there’s always a random amount of drums and flats. We (aka me and my boyfriend) never know if we’re going to get a bag full of flats or if we’ll be fighting over them! There’s a decent amount of meat on the wings which is nice. I can eat the whole bag on its own so I’d consider this one serving!
For $5.99, I’d only repurchase these if I were specifically wanting wings but didn’t want to pay the restaurant price. Have you tried these?!
Classic Lemon Bars
Let me start by saying that these are the size of a Costco sample. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I had no clue how small they were until holding the box in my hand! These had a great lemon flavor and weren’t too tart. The powdered sugar added a little hint of sweetness which I enjoyed. Overall, these were good but I don’t think I’d get them again unless they were apart of a dessert spread! Because there’s no way this could satisfy my family alone! What’s your favorite dessert from TJ’s?
Gnocchi al Gorgonzola
I’ve seen so many people rave about this so I knew I wanted to give it a try! While it was delicious, the Gorgonzola flavor was very muted. I love cheese (despite it not loving me) and especially love Gorgonzola. If you asked me what kind of cheese this gnocchi had on it, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. This was super easy to prepare which I love about the frozen pasta options! The gnocchi was cooked to perfection and I felt like I was eating something from a restaurant but if the cheese is supposed to be the star of the show… then it should have a stronger flavor! I added some black pepper on top for some extra chazzle dazzle. Have you tried this?!