We Tried 30 Different Frozen Dinners at Trader Joe’s. These Were Our 5 Favorites.

Because the Trader Joe’s Sample King, I figured I ought to pattern each single-serve frozen dinner I may presumably discover. (Don’t ask me why.) I shopped and tasted over the course of a number of weeks, and ended up attempting greater than 30 meals. There was large selection among the many choices accessible (Thai dishes! Italian pastas! And extra!), which made the duty all of the extra behemoth. My aim? To rank prime 5 frozen dinners within the aisle.

With a view to preserve observe of my sampling and to make this rating as goal as attainable, I created 4 classes for assessment: taste, texture, portion dimension, and a bonus for vegetable inclusion. Out of the 4 classes for assessment, taste scoring was given the biggest weight, with a max rating of 10. Subsequent was texture, with 5 extra factors; then portion-size, additionally on a five-point scale. Lastly, if there have been greens within the combine, I added one extra level. In whole, there was a most level potential of 21 factors per meal. 

Though opinions are largely my very own, I recruited my roommate for her ideas on lots of the tastings for a extra strong evaluation. In all, this was a worthwhile experiment. There are such a lot of frozen objects that I had by no means tried earlier than and will definitely be selecting up once more for my subsequent freezer stock-up. Now, I current to you the highest 5 frozen TJ’s meals for a single-serve dish at dwelling (plus just a few honorable mentions value giving a attempt as effectively).

This meal is my every little thing: deliciously seasoned, immensely flavorful, and prepared with a speedy two-minute zap within the microwave. In fact, pairing with TJ’s garlic naan is important. (It conveniently sits proper subsequent to the chana masala within the frozen aisle’s Indian delicacies part.) Eat this for lunch, eat this for dinner, eat this anytime as a result of this one earned an ideal rating. 

Rating: 21

I can not imagine this frozen pasta dish wasn’t on my radar till now. The tomatoes are contemporary and juicy, the tortelloni are flavorful and tacky. Earlier than I knew it, the entire dish was gone. All in all, this was the proper anytime meal for one. (Learn: I didn’t share this with my roommate.)

Rating: 20

From the very first chunk, I knew that I’d be together with this meal amongst my favorites, given its great taste, creamy texture, and strong serving dimension. The curry is mouthwatering, the greens are well-cooked and balanced (learn: not mushy), and the portion is extraordinarily filling. What extra may you ask for of a heat-and-eat meal? 

Rating: 20

I’m undecided why this was such a shocking frontrunner, but it surely was. Coming in at a stable 20 factors, the spinach lasagna gives an unimaginable portion dimension and a surprisingly low calorie rely (340 for your complete serving). The cheese-to-spinach ratio is right. I do know this wasn’t a scoring class, however I additionally love the country image on the packaging.

Rating: 20

Dealer Joe’s hits it out of the park with this totally pleasant and tacky consolation meals. For a wet afternoon or a laid-back quarantine day, this mac and cheese is bound to hit the spot with its gentle-yet-spicy trace of Hatch chile. And in case you had been questioning: No, I didn’t rely the hatch chile as a vegetable (in any other case it could have earned one other level!). 

Rating: 19

The principle takeaway from this research is that if Dealer Joe’s does one factor very well, it’s their vegetarian frozen dinners. I discovered these choices to be essentially the most constant when it comes to taste and pleasing texture. I additionally appreciated the truth that most of them had been served with a rice or pasta base, making certain that I might be absolutely satiated by the serving dimension.

See all of my samplings and rankings on Instagram @traderjoesampleking. Do you’ve gotten a favourite frozen meal from Dealer Joe’s? Tell us what number of of our prime 5 you’ve gotten tried!