Trader Joe’s SALTED CARAMEL MOCHI


NEW ITEM

Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel Mochi, Ice Cream wrapped in a layer of sweet chewy mochi (sticky rice).

Here’s what they say about it: “Each bite starts with the sweet, tooth-sinking sensations of the outer Mochi layer, which quickly gives way to the rich, full-flavored, and buttery-sweet Salted Caramel ice cream within.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/salted-caramel-mochi-083237

Here’s my honest review. Basically, I love most anything made with Mochi (sticky rice). I love that chewy texture. I’ve really liked most of the Trader Joe’s mochi ice cream combos they have come out with. I think one in particular is a knockout: the BLACK SESAME MOCHI ICE CREAM. I find that one to just be terrific and a bit of an unusual flavor, we don’t see too often in the U.S.

The Green Tea mochi ice cream is also good as well as the Strawberry flavor and the Mango…. So they quite a few flavors of these mochi ice creams. I think with now this Salted Caramel one, they have or had six flavor combos.

This new new Salted Caramel flavor got some buzz on the internet about how great it was. So I wanted to try it and see how it stacks up against all the other ones. Here’s my honest review.

I have to measure it against the other ones. I thought it was OK however I wasn’t terribly impressed with the salted caramel flavor, which lets face it, unlike say a fruit flavor, is a bit harder to compare to the real thing. I mean you know instantly if mango mochi tastes like mango. I think its harder for “salted caramel” which is the natural flavor combo of caramelized sugar plua butter with a bit of salt).

I wanted a second opinion, so I asked my wife to taste it too. She basically had the same reaction and said it was “just OK”. So we both found it just ok. We didn’t think the salted caramel mochi was as good as some of the other flavors, especially say compared to the (great) black sesame mochi, which we both loved as well as many of the fruit ones, like mango.

The outside wrapper is brown and pretty sticky. Usually the wrappers made from white sticky rice look white. So I assume there must be caramel in that as well as the ice cream as per the ingredients on the label. the combo of the white salted caramel ice cream inside and the brown mochi wrapper are a bit Meh and Underwhelming where as I really like many of the fruit ones (mango) and the standout (black sesame) And by the way, I do not see “butter” in the ingredient list. But I do see “miso” listed (??) which I imagine is part of the “salted” flavor?

So I didn’t hate this but I didn’t love it either. Again its OK but I would not buy this again. I would way prefer to buy my favorite, Black Sesame version, which if you havent tried it, I would recommend. Or Mango. Maybe Green Tea.

Of course this is IMHO. Some on Instagram do give this new flavor, high praise reviews of its a “must try”, “addictive” “gotta have it” – so your call.

As per TJ’s let all mochi ice cream treats defrost a bit before eating them to get the full flavor and texture profiles.

$4.99 (6 small ice cream pieces) 6.8 oz

Says GLUTEN FREE

Trader Joe’s Homestyle ANGUS BEEF MEATBALLS


These ready to cook meatballs from Trader Joe’s are a fairly recent item, sold fresh in the meat section. I wanted to try them for while and finally got around to trying these.

Trader Joe’s has this to say: “..Our supplier’s recipe starts with a base of tender, ground 100% Angus Beef, to which they add a bit of panko breadcrumbs…along with onion and garlic purée, a blend of aromatic herbs like basil and oregano, as well as grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/homestyle-angus-beef-meatballs-081242

Cooking: The box has instructions for cooking the meatballs in the oven (400 for 15-20 minutes) as well as for Air Fryer (400 for 10-15 mins)

Funny they don’t say anything about what I would call the traditional grandma way. Brown them and simmer in a pot of tomato sauce. You can just put them into the sauce without browning, which is the way my mom used to make meatballs. I like the flavor you get with browning them. Plus you can get that tasty fond in the pan you cooked them in which you can deglaze and add into your sauce.

Sauce: You could use TJ’s very decent $1.99 jar of their tomato basil MARINARA sauce (24 oz). Or two jars to make a big batch. I would suggest the traditional brown and simmer method but thats your call if you want to bake or Air Fry them and add sauce later depending on how you are serving the meatballs.

If you want something really special for your sauce you could level up and use TJ’s fantastic $5 CARO SUGO tomato sauce which should upgrade it all.

We made them doing the traditional way, browning then simmer in sauce (15 minutes or so). We served them in the classic: Spaghetti and Meatballs.

There are 12 meatballs in a package (1 1/2 lbs) which is now $9.99. Not a terrible deal. We used it to make “Spaghetti and Meatballs” for dinner, eat about 3 meatballs each and had enough left for another meal for later in the week out of the one package.

REVIEW: I would say these were pretty good. Of course I could not compare these to “Grandma’s homemade meatballs” but these were not bad at all. These were pretty tasty served up as spaghetti and meatballs. Flavor wise we did think they could have used a bit more of everything (garlic, seasonings, cheese…) Now I do make meatballs from scratch, which are great, but honestly I have not made meatballs in a LONG TIME! So I would call these the next best thing to home made and pretty easy. They had a good meatball texture, being neither too soft nor too firm. You can fix these up easily for more flavor.

FIXING THEM UP: You can easily improve these by adding a few things such as, Dried Herbs, Garlic. Cheese… I wish these had way more cheese but you can fix that by grating on a ton of Pecorino or Parmesan when you serve them. Fresh basil would be a knockout punch. The sauce you serve them with will help of course.

These would work for making “meat sauce” (break them up). Use them for making Heros or Subs like in the picture (Meatball Sub). Or match with any kind of pasta. I read somewhere that someone even used these to make “Italian Wedding Soup” (he made them into smaller meatballs). So get creative. Overall, pretty tasty even if they will not fool Grandma.

$9.99 (24 oz / 12 meatballs) – (I think they used to be $8 when they came out a year or so back?)

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/90321/meatball-sandwich/

https://www.instagram.com/reels/C2550-UvU2b/

Trader Joe’s “NEW” ROLLED CORN TORTILLA CHIPS RANCH FLAVOR


Ranch Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips

Here’s what Traders has to say: “After the runaway success of our Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips, including their record-breakingly early entry into the Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame, we knew that they needed a companion within the snacks section. Where their Chile Lime cousins are tangy and hot, these Ranch Rolled Tortilla Chips are creamy, herby, and well-rounded. They get their bold, yet markedly mellow flavor via a suite of savory seasonings and spices, including buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/ranch-flavored-rolled-corn-tortilla-chips-083292

The wonderful Chili Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips are among Trader Joe’s most popular snack items they have come out with. Me, I am crazy for them. I adore them. I love spicy. The Chili Lime chips have crazy strong flavors and are quite spicy.

But they are not for everyone. Especially those sensitive to spice or strong flavors. My wife does like some level of spicy but she really doesn’t like the Chili Lime rolled chips at all. She says they are just too strongly flavored and way too spicy ( I”m not complaining as I don’t have to share mine 😉

So as popular as the spicy ones are I imagine Trader Joe’s figured there are people like her who find them too strongly flavorerd. Which must be why they figured lets come out with another version of the Rolled Tortilla Chips. Which is this one. Not spicy. Mild. Ranch Flavor flavor.

My wife likes these more mellow Ranch ones! I will have to share…..

TJ’s gave this variation a buttermilk ranch flavor that includes dried onion, parsley and other seasoning.

On the internet you get that this one is another hit. Some people really like this version. and say things like “the bag didn’t even make it all the way home. i ate the whole thing”!

Not as bold as the original OG Chili Lime these have a mild flavor of course so may appeal to more people, my wife being one. The are great on their own or equally great with a dip or guacamole. I liked them dipped into some DILL CREAM CHEESE SPREAD. They are good with cheese too.

I love the original spicy one a bit more as it’s so zingy spicy and unique but I do like this new RANCH one too, and you may end up buying both kinds!

I would buy it again.

$2.99/9 Oz

On a side note though it doesn’t say Gluten Free, I kind of think they may be? Just corn, no wheat that I can see in the ingredients

Trader Joe’s PIZZA BIANCA


FROZEN

Trader Joe’s Pizza Bianca (Made with Parmesan cheese sauce, Mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, Onion and Rosemary)

Trader Joe’s added this slightly “controversial” pizza to their line of frozen pizzas, many of which are pretty good.

“PIZZA BIANCA” is of course a white pizza, meaning it doesn’t have tomato sauce or tomato.

This pizza is made with three different cheeses which make a rich, creamy and delicious sauce which also includes some onion and rosemary. The description on the box sounded intriguing to me, even though I admit I am a bit of a traditionalist and generally think of pizza having tomato of some kind on it.

However the word from the internet was that Trader Joe’s new PIZZA BIANCA was good. Really good. So I thought I should try it. My honest review?

If you served this to friends and hid the box you could probably fool them that you ordered pizza in.

This white pizza is really tasty! I must say I was impressed at just how tasty this actually is. I found it pretty delicious and my wife loved it as well. So this new pizza is yet another very good frozen pizza you can get from Trader Joe’s, which has a ton of good ones to choose from. And, another great buy for a pizza at just $4.99. Which can feed two.

(right out of the package)

The crust has been partially pre-baked, as you can tell from a few dark spots on it already.

When I was preparing I did have an idea to Hack this Pizza Bianca.

Who says it has to be completely white? I love me some tomatoes, so think “why don’t I cut up a tomato and put some on!?” It’s not a bad idea at all. As a test, on half the pizza I put some sliced Roma tomato.

Guess what? It’s fabulous also that way. We both loved the result. Adding tomato is not a sin. I would say its a terrific hack for you to try as well. Though try it on half to start with, so you can taste it as intended too. It is very tasty “au natural”, but I loved it with some fresh tomatoes (use Roma or cherry tomatoes sliced). Trader’s suggests topping it with some arugula for nice veggie flavor to mix in with the cheesy sauces.

I might recommend trying either after you try it the first time, just “bianca”. Just so you can see this is versatile. You could even add Prosciutto after baking though that would be even richer.

The crust is thick and chewy with a nice flavor. The mix of Parmesan cheese sauce and all the other cheeses are delicious, with the back notes of onion and that rosemary.

(before baking – yes i put some tomato on half!)
(after)

HOW TO COOK PIZZA BIANCA – As per the package: Pre-heat oven to 400 (Give your oven a good 1/2 hr to get to steady temp). Place the pizza on a baking sheet, sheetpan or foil in the center of the oven. Bake at 400 for 14-16 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the pizza is heated thru (bubbly). I turn at the halfway mark as many oven heat unevenly.

“Enjoy pizza as is or top with arugula for a zesty contrast to the rich melty cheese”

TIP: Brush the edge with olive oil

Slice and enjoy!

What’s the best 99 cents item you can buy at Trader Joe’s?


There used to be quite a few items you could find at Trader Joe’s that cost 99 cents. There aren’t many now. There are a few pasta items that still cost 99 cents, though some that used to cost 99 cents went up to $1.29-49 like farfalle/bowties.

Trader Joe’s ORZO, which still costs 99 cents! It’s great and so useful. Orzo is that rice shaped pasta frequently used in Greek and other cuisines. I find orzo just so handy. So here’s my Ode To Orzo.

One thing I love about orzo is how fast it cooks. Its says, “Boil 5 minutes” ?! Yup. Five minutes. It probably will take you longer to boil the water.

Many meals when I realize I don’t have enough stuff for a meal, I will find myself reaching for my package of Orzo. Because it’s ready in no time at all and yes it is a pasta, and I love any pasta.

All I need to do is dump a cup of orzo into boiling salted water. After five minutes just drain it, add it to a bowl and throw in a nice hunk of butter – or olive oil (or mix of the two). Grind on some black pepper. Taste if and see if it still needs a sprinkle of more salt. BOOM; your buttered orzo side dish is ready. Optional; Grate on some cheese. Parmesan, Pecorina, Grana Padano or cheddar or goat for that matter.

You can equally expand on buttered orzo with adding a vegetable to that. Perhaps diced fresh zucchini which is a lovely combination especially with some feta cheese for a Greek dish. The cubed up zucchini can cook in the water along with the orzo and be ready when the orzo is, in about 5 minutes. Or even easier vegetables? Use a frozen vegetable. Maybe French Green Beans? Or frozen peas? The green beans can go in with the orzo (about 5 minutes). Add the peas about the last minute or two before the orzo is cooked as those are ready very fast.

It’s great for adding to soups or stews as well. Chicken soup with orzo is fantastic and very comforting.

Orzo is fantastic to make whole dinners around. For example, a ONE POT dish of Garlic Butter Chicken Orzo; here’s the recipe.

And here’s another recipe, this one vegetarian – Parmesan Garlic Orzo:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228131/parmesan-garlic-orzo/

So this is why I always have some orzo in the cupboard, and suggest you should as well. If not, the next time you are at Trader Joe’s just grab a a package of what I think is one of the handy dandiest items there that only costs 99 cents! The 99 cents pasta (spaghetti, capellini, orzo, etc) and cans of beans there are good ways to stretch your dollar at Trader Joe’s.

Ingredients: Durum Semolina (wheat)

NEW @ Trader Joe’s MORNING BUNS


These are NEW ITEM that recently came out from Trader Joe’s called MORNING BUNS – “Sweet rolls with flakey butter croissant dough, cinnamon sugar filling and sweetened orange zest”

The prep is a bit similar to Trader Joe’s excellent CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS. Meaning the night before, you take them out and let them proof overnight (7-9 hours) at room temperature before baking them for approximately 15 minutes at 375. I haven’t had a chance to try them yet myself but they seem promising based on how good the same type of laminated dough used in the chocolate croissants is.

I think it’s cool that they have even provided the paper cups that you bake them in to save you a few steps. Just put them on a baking tray or in a muffin tin to proof.

A package of 4 is $4.99 – I’m sure at some bakery something like this would easily cost that about four or five bucks each for one!

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/morning-buns-082774

Trader Joe’s says” “Laminated dough (made through an intense process of rolling, layering with butter, folding, and repeating the steps many times) creates the delicate, flaky crust akin to a croissant. In fact, our Morning Buns are made with the very same dough as our Chocolate Croissants and Almond Croissants. The twenty divine layers of dough are then covered with a cinnamon and brown sugar mix that is accented by vibrant orange zest to awaken your sun-up senses. The dough is finally cut, rolled into Buns, frozen, and packaged, leaving just the proofing and baking to you. 

Before you go to bed, place each frozen Morning Bun on a baking tray in the provided paper cup and let rise at room temperature for 7-9 hours. In the Morning, the Buns will have about doubled in size, ready to bake in the oven a 375°F oven for 14-16 minutes. This “muffin” format makes it so easy to take a fresh-baked Bun with you as you rush out the door.”

I did find one Instagram user who has given them a thumbs up with, “I think it’s a winner”

Trader Joe’s Everything But The Pizza Whipped Cream Cheese Spread


$2.79/8 oz tub

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/everything-but-the-pizza-whipped-cream-cheese-spread-081648

“It’s made with a base of rich and fluffy Whipped Cream Cheese that’s been mixed with a tangy sun-dried tomato spread, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and a series of savory seasonings, all of which work together to evoke the taste of cheese Pizza on the palate.”

So here is another one of those Trader Joe’s products that came out and seemed to blow up all over social media.

Sometimes I find the things that go viral worthy of the hype, however sometimes they leave me with the opposite impression, with an “I don’t get it” feeling.

So how does this product strike me? Somewhere in the middle I think.

Everything But The Pizza Whipped Cream Cheese Spread has sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese and spices. Kind of imagine taking some whipped cream cheese, and mixing in marinara sauce. Tasted right out of the tub on a spoon, I would say you might find it tastes kind of “strong”. This definitely needs to go on something or with something.

I tried it on a toasted bagel which one of the things everyone says is Da Bomb. For one thing, if you do that at least toast the bagel so you get some of that crusty chewy effect you want. I thought that combo tasted pretty good. Just not earth shattering as claimed that on a bagel it “tastes like a pizza”. If I was going in that direction, I would prefer the classic muffin pizza. English muffin toasted up with a little tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. I grant you there is slightly more work involved.

I thought the best thing to do with this is to add it to some pasta. Thin it out with some pasta water, milk or cream or even mix in some marinara sauce. You can end up with a nice creamy pink pasta sauce. It did kind of work for me with pasta. What I ended up liking it on, believe it or not, was actually putting it on some pizza!

I had a thought when I was making some pizza from scratch of adding some to my pizza. When it was all toppped, I put a few dollops of this all over with all the other things using two teaspoons. After baking, it came out of the oven with those creamy bits now caramalized a bit. Some creamy bites with lots of flavor. Pretty good!!

I think with pasta, or on a pizza, this stuff is worth trying out. This is one of those you have to try it for yourself and see what you think items. Invent some uses that you like.

All in all I was just a little bit under impressed with this in comparison to all the hype and viral plaudits I saw online about it, however your mileage may vary. Let us know what you think via the Comments

This TikTok’er “hated on it” but discovered she likes it using it to make an open egg sandwich, using toasted sourdough bread:

@danielles_eats

How I’m using the Trader Joe’s Everything but the Pizza whipped cream cheese 🍕 #traderjoes #tastetest #creatorsearchinsights

♬ original sound – Danielle’s Eats

Another TikTok’er suggest eating it on raw bell peppers, as kind of a crudité dip. So try it with other things like carrot sticks, celery sticks and the like….

Trader Joe’s TOMATO BASIL MARINARA SAUCE, a pantry must have


I’m surprised I never got around and actually reviewed this Trader Joe’s standard, which is a kind of a Classic in it’s own right.

I had tried the other one, Trader Joe’s roasted garlic marinara and liked it. So I thought I it was time to give the original flavor a spin.

First and foremost, either of these Trader Joe’s sauces are a great deal. $1.99! A jar still costs less than two bucks. This sauce is a very good what I might call an every day tomato sauce, frankly equal to some big brands that cost more.

You can fix it up easily too. Love garlic? I do. So I added a few cloves of slivered fresh garlic to the pan in a bit of olive oil, let the garlic get a little toasted, then poured in this sauce. Add some more herbs to your liking as well, especially a little fresh basil should you have some. A dash of red pepper flakes perhaps?

Even if you do nothing, this is a very tasty versatile sauce which can not only be used for pasta but for cooking and making other dishes. “Use it as a simmer sauce for chicken breasts or meatballs. Or, let it be the starting point for your own sauce-creation. So many different ways to enjoy this enduring sauce.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/tomato-basil-marinara-sauce-045029

I even like the way this one tasted way better than an organic version I tried a while back and gave a fail.

This would also be a good sauce for making your own pizza, using either fresh dough or a crust (or naan) from Trader Joe’s.

I don’t know if it can go toe to toe with Trader Joe’s frankly fantastic (and upscale) Italian CARO SUGO sauce. However that one costs $5 a jar. You could buy 2 1/2 jars of this sauce for that. When you want a super special dish, the Caro Sugo might be worth it, but this is fine for more everyday level. Especially if you are using a sauce for cooking.

If you are on a tight budget Trader Joe’s can help with dinner. Let’s figure, you buy one of their pastas that still cost 99 cents. Grab a jar of this sauce. You’ve spent three bucks and you have dinner.

If your budget allows that might even leave room for some upgrades to say, one of their “artisanal” pastas ($2) and maybe some leeway to add a bread and salad…. $1.99 for a baguette and maybe a $2.29 bag of arugula.

Ingredients seem fairly natural.

INGREDIENTS: TOMATO PUREE, DICED TOMATOES, SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, SALT, DRIED ONIONS, DRIED GARLIC, CITRIC ACID (ACIDULANT), EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, DRIED PARSLEY, DRIED BASIL, DRIED OREGANO, NATURAL FLAVOR.

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC RADIATORE PASTA


RAVE

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC RADIATORE pasta is a relatively new addition to the pasta shelves there. They were introduced along with the square rigatoni pasta, which I also gave a great review.

Want to know the translation of “radiatore“? Funny enough it means what it sounds like: “radiator”. Because that’s what these look like. Little radiators.

The shape has all those nooks and crannies which are perfect for taking in and holding a lot of sauce. By the way, did you know the Italian government recognizes about 300 different pasta shapes?

A 1 lb package goes for $1.99. It’s a high quality, bronze die cut pasta, imported from Italy and made from organic durum wheat semolina.

I made this pasta for dinner last night with Trader Joe’s TOMATO BASIL MARINARA sauce (a bargain at $1.99 and it’s excellent). OK, as I am a “cook” and can’t just open a jar and be done with it, I did add two cloves of garlic and a 1/2 shallot sauteed in a tablespoon of olive oil then added a 1/2 jar of the sauce (for two portions). Trust me it made it even better but you could go the easy route and just open a jar.

These radiatore cook pretty fast due to shape, in about 9 minutes. I probably took them out a minute before that (ie, pre-al dente) as I would cook them more in the sauce. I dumped the drained pasta into my pan with my sauce, added about a 1/4 of the pasta water, tossed them over and over for about a minute to let them marry and absorb some sauce till al dente.

I was going to serve peas on the side but as I was making this, my wife suggested I just toss everything in together. Which was actually a great idea as the peas add a nice flavor and texture and got into the nooks of the radiatore. Grated on some of my favorite TJ ROSEMARY ASIAGO which I especially love with pasta.

The texture and taste of this radiatore pasta was perfect and we really loved this dish we came up with “radiatore with peas in tomato sauce” which can now go into rotation. Try this combo! Super easy and delicious, not to mention a bit healthier with added vegetable protein. A little salad and bread made it all perfect.

The best thing? Pantry meal. Everything came out of the pantry (and freezer) so a perfect idea for when “you don’t have anything” in the fridge.

Delicious easy dinner for two, which probably cost less than 3 bucks.

Equally good would be the simplest pasta using this radiatore; just Butter and Cheese. Use lots of both.

I would buy these again. — (UPDATE: I looked for them today to buy more and didn’t see them on the shelves…. )

PASTA WITH PEAS recipe (pasta al piselli)

Toss your pasta into salted boiling water. Whatever time it says on the package, you will subract one or two minutes for “pre-al dente”. In a pan or pot, put a tablespoon of olive oil, and a nice pat of butter. (optional) Add 2 cloves of sliced garlic, and cook till golden. You could also add in 1/2 shallot too if you have one, or a 1/4 onion.

Add your favorite jarred (or homemade) sauce to the pan. When the pasta is “pre-al dente” (tests a little hard) add that to the pan and cook, adding in some pasta water (1/4 cup?). Toss in some frozen peas (1/2-1 cup as you wish) Toss everything over and over to mix and cook for about a minute or so, cooking the pasta just till it becomes al dente. That means “to the tooth” just after the pasta is no longer hard to bite and not soft or mushy. Italians hate overcooked pasta.

Plate and top with a nice amount of freshly grated ASIAGO cheese (or Parmagiano or Pecorino) and serve. Bread and a salad will round this out nicely into a dinner

Portions: for two people I usually figure about a 1/2 lb (half the package) pasta, and for sauce about a 1/2 jar but your ratio may vary. Again, Italians like just enough sauce to coat the pasta well but not to have pasta swimming in sauce the way most Americans think you make it.

Trader Joe’s frozen BUTTER CHICKEN With Basmati Rice


PRODUCT OF CANADA

Trader Joe’s BUTTER CHICKEN with Basmati Rice

They say this: “Trader Joe’s Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice is the ultimate #Cookinghacks for this dish. Our Butter Chicken showcases chunks of chicken enrobed in a mild, mouth-watering curry crafted of crushed tomatoes, cream, onions, garlic, ginger, butter…Spiced just so, and partnered with delicate, fragrant grains of Basmati rice, it’s ready to heat and enjoy. Serve it with our other frozen Indian fare – TJ’s Palak Paneer, TJ’s Channa Masala, TJ’s Tandoori Naan – for a feast. Don’t forget the TJ’s Mango Ginger Chutney & sliced cucumbers!” https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/butter-chicken-with-basmati-rice-099032

Search for this, and you learn that it comes up as one of Trader Joe’s most popular items with a pretty loyal following. Trader Joe’s has carried this forever, and it seems to have quite a lot of fans. I had not tried it till now though. Here’s my honest review with what I liked about it, plus as well as things I think could be improved on.

The Good: This is actually quite a tasty Indian chicken dish. The price is very attractive at $4.49. The flavor of this is quite good, with a rich tomato-y sauce. The chicken (I think white meat?) is perfectly cooked and not at all dried out; it’s tender and juicy coated with a tasty, creamy tomato sauce, which includes concentrated tomatoes, cream, butter and spices. The package says this whole thing is just 400 calories. I mean the portion is not huge. They give you mostly rice of course.

I think NAAN is worth eating with this, so you might want some with this too, to scoop up the sauce.

(THEIR PICTURE FROM THE TJ WEBSITE)
(you can see about 3 or 4 pieces of chicken)

The Not So Good: I was surprised at the small amount of chicken they actually give you. I wish they gave you a bit more of it, as will you. Which makes me wonder, was it always so? I wacked a picture, probably old, off their website about the product. In that product picture, it looks like they show about six decent sized pieces of chicken. In the package we got, I counted about 4 pieces. Has the amount changed over the last year or so, as ingredient costs have gone up? Someone let me know please via the Comment section, if you’ve gotten this for years, if you think they cut back on the amount of chicken now as opposed to in the past. I just kind of suspect to keep the price the same there may be some shrinkflation ?

I found the basmati rice that comes with this just OK. Less flavorful than if I made my own Trader Joe’s Basmati Rice, which I assume might be a better quality Basmati rice. The taste of this one seemed less and its a bit under seasoned and maybe even undercooked.

A main selling point of this “whole meal” is of course, convenience in that it comes with rice already made. Me, I’m a rice freak, I make rice, daily many times. So frankly I’m not the typical target audience as I can put up a pot of rice in minutes. Hey, my wife’s Asian, and we can have rice 5 days in a row.

I think the rice could stand for a pinch might stand for a pinch of salt. Or put the sauce over the rice as it may balance out. I did not find the dish as a whole salty, nor spicy. I think I would call this “mild” Indian, not spicy, nor has a ton of seasonings and cream of course which mellows things. Ingredients include garlic, ginger, spices….

TIP: If you want to make this into a more substantial meal you could add a can of drained chick peas (99 cents) into this. I did. After the sauce is defrosted enough to take out the chicken, add a half (or whole can) of drained chick peas. Or you could add another dish perhaps make the excellent CHANNA MASALA chick peas in a tasty sauce to serve along with this. With that two people might be able to enjoy the two dishes as a meal.

Ingredients look pretty normal and natural without additives.

If for example you took this to work for your lunch, it would make a nice easy meal, only needing tossing into the microwave. Or don’t feel like cooking, add a salad and this could suffice as dinner. Drizzle perhaps with some greek yogurt and serve with their very good Mango Chutney.

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