I tried Trader Joe's award-winning entrée, but some of the runner-ups were as good as the winner
You could buy pretty much anything from Trader Joe's frozen section and have an excellent dinner, but shoppers have made their favorites clear.
During the grocery chain's 12th annual Customer Choice Awards, consumers voted on a wide variety of dishes for the title of favorite entrée.
In the end, the roundup of the best dishes included some exciting additions: diner mac and cheese, chicken Tikka masala, cauliflower gnocchi, and sweet-potato gnocchi. But the popular Mandarin orange chicken took home the prize for the seventh year in a row.
Determined to see if the iconic frozen dinner really deserved another win, I decided to review and rank all of the top contenders from this year's awards.
Read on to see how the winner and runner-ups fared.
The diner mac and cheese tasted like a grown-up version of a childhood favorite, but it was ultimately underwhelming
Given the circumstances of this past year (including but not limited to a global pandemic), I'm not at all surprised that a classic comfort food made it to the top of voters' lists.
That said, Joe's Diner macaroni and cheese is not your average instant mac in a box with orange powder. It contains two full portions of elbow macaroni with a blend of four different kinds of cheese.
I opted to cook mine in the oven just to give it more of that traditional diner feel.
After 20 minutes, I was met with a dish that looked like a golden, cheesy casserole. I took that as a good sign as I stirred it all together and eagerly took my first bite.
As far as cheese-to-macaroni ratios go, this was a 10 out of 10. I can't even tell you how many instant macs I've tried that are either super dry or drowning in orange liquid.
Every bite of this dish gave me a perfect balance of soft macaroni and gooey cheese that melted in my mouth.
However, I had a hard time tasting all four kinds of cheese that were supposedly included in the mix.
I'm sure that's probably the result of stirring all of them together into a thick, creamy sauce. But the Gouda flavor was barely noticeable at all, and there was no way I would've known there was Havarti in this without looking at the box. The most pronounced flavors were the cheddar and Swiss.
This isn't to say it tasted bad — it was at least 10 times better than the mac and cheese I ate as a kid — I just thought it was simpler and milder than I expected based on the description.
Of course, for some people, that simplicity may be ideal. And to be fair, it did taste quite similar to rich diner-style macaroni and cheese. I'll give credit where credit is due.
Overall, it was a pretty satisfying dinner. I think the addition of a sharper cheddar, black pepper, or other seasonings probably would've made this more of a standout dish for me, but I can totally see why others love it.
VERDICT: The diner macaroni cheese deserves praise for being a reliably delicious, easy-to-make dinner, but it's arguably one of the least inspired entries on this year's runner-up list.
Still, I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for a comfort-food dinner without having to do the work of shredding all that cheese themselves.
The cauliflower gnocchi earned high marks for its customizability, but it required some careful effort to cook it correctly
Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi is a simple dish that consists of small dumplings made of cauliflower.
Full disclosure, this is my second time taste-testing the highly-acclaimed frozen product, and my first experience wasn't exactly the best. Sheer laziness led me to boil the contents of the dish, which resulted in a soggy mess of bland cauliflower mush.
This time, I was determined to get a better impression, so I opted to pan-fry them and toss them with a simple olive oil, garlic, and pepper sauce.
After a few minutes in the skillet, I noticed the cauliflower gnocchi developed a nice golden color that I didn't get the first time I cooked the dish. I took this as a sign that this would be a much better experience.
After this taste test, I'll fully admit I was wrong about this stuff the first time I tried it, and I apologize for my past cauliflower-gnocchi slander. This stuff is the real deal.
I thought the cauliflower did a great job absorbing the flavor of the garlicky seasoning I coated it with, which made me momentarily forget that I was actually eating a vegetable.
It also took on a much more enjoyable texture when pan-fried — honestly, I don't even think boiling should be listed as a viable cooking option on the package. It had a slight bite that gave way to a soft, chewy center that was pretty darn close to homemade potato gnocchi.
Although I could still taste a subtle hint of cauliflower underneath the sauce, I immediately got used to it after a few bites. In fact, I really liked how I didn't feel super heavy after eating it.
VERDICT: The cauliflower gnocchi is a clever way to sneak some extra vegetables into your meal without eating something that tastes deliberately like a side dish.
It's also worth noting that it is the most versatile and easily customizable entrée on this list.
You can enjoy it plain with salt, pepper, and olive oil or slather it in a cream sauce for a more traditional gnocchi feel. I recently learned it can also be added to an air fryer to make mock tater tots, or it can be dropped in soups to make them more filling.
In any case, it's clear there many different dinners one can make with this single frozen entrée, and for that reason, it absolutely deserves to be on this list.
The chicken Tikka masala's perfectly cooked chicken and yummy spices made it an automatic must-buy
Chicken Tikka masala is a widely popular dish that normally consists of buttery chunks of chicken in a richly spiced, creamy sauce.
I've tried it from a couple of restaurants in the past, but I've never attempted to make it at home because I've always felt I'd never be able to get that ideal chicken texture.
The first thing I noted about this dish was the size. It had noticeably less food than the other dishes I tried, but I personally didn't mind because I was the only person eating it.
The entire dish cooked in less than four minutes in my microwave, and it filled my kitchen with a warm aroma that reminded me of a restaurant.
As far as taste goes, I can't say enough good things about this chicken Tikka masala. Between its tender chunks of perfectly cooked chicken, flavorful sauce, and fluffy cumin-spiced basmati rice, it had everything I could want in a comfort meal.
I'm still shocked that I was actually able to cook this in my microwave and have the chicken taste as yummy as it did. This was some of the best tasting chicken I've ever had in a frozen meal. Every bite was juicy and buttery, with a noticeable presence of different spices.
Then there was the creamy tomato sauce that was so flavorsome I'm literally salivating just thinking about it. It had a bold, spicy flavor — in that it contained an actual, noticeable presence of spices, not heat.
I detected garlic, onions, and paprika, as well as some other seasonings I couldn't quite distinguish but tasted fantastic against the creamy tomato background.
Either way, I really enjoyed how this lunch warmed me up during a rainy day spent inside.
By the time I finished my plate, I was scraping the sides of the tray looking for more.
VERDICT: I have to agree with the shoppers who recognized the chicken Tikka masala as their favorite Trader Joe's entrée because this was hands-down one of the most delicious products I've ever purchased from the store.
My only qualm would be that the single-serving-style dish isn't as economical as the gnocchi or orange chicken.
But if you're a single person who wants to enjoy a great, easy dinner with a lot of complex flavors, this is a must-buy.
If you love fall flavors, the sweet-potato gnocchi deserves a spot on your shopping list
As I write this review, I'm daydreaming about when I'll be able to safely return to Trader Joe's to buy this delightful sweet-potato gnocchi again. It was seriously that delicious.
I also appreciated that I didn't have to add anything to it to make it taste great. All of the ingredients — including the sauce — came premixed in the package.
The only cooking required was pouring the gnocchi into the pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, covering it with a lid for a few minutes, and waiting.
After a few minutes of persistent stirring, a thin, buttery sauce speckled with bits of sage formed around the gnocchi alongside a spattering of cheese clumps.
It looked a bit questionable at first, but I was willing to give it a chance because it smelled absolutely incredible.
It turns out looks can be deceiving because I couldn't help but let out an audible "Mmmm" while eating this gnocchi.
The use of sweet potatoes in lieu of regular spuds turned out to be a wise choice here because the combination of their natural, buttery sweetness with the peppery, earthy sage was absolutely divine.
Eating this was like taking a literal bite of autumn, even though it's currently mid-winter.
But what really sold me on this dish was its fresh quality that tasted totally homemade.
Had you served this to me without saying anything, I would've never guessed it was something that came premade from the frozen section.
That reason alone is why I'd give it my vote for best entrée in a heartbeat, though I'm content with it remaining in indefinite runner-up status, so long as it means it won't sell out at my local Trader Joe's.
VERDICT: Between its super appetizing herbal flavor, and delicate, silky smooth texture, everything about this sweet-potato gnocchi was top-notch.
And at $2.99 for two servings, it makes for an excellent, reasonably priced dinner without having to leave the house.
Seriously, add this dish to your shopping lists. I promise you won't regret it.
The Mandarin orange chicken is one of the best-tasting meals you can make at home, so it deserves another win
Having tried Trader Joe's orange chicken before, I knew what to expect with this dish.
But this time, I went in with the knowledge that it's a seven-time customer-choice winner — which made me want to understand why it's such a hit year after year.
The dinner comes complete with two tasty sauce packets and a portion size generous enough to feed a small family. Or if you're a single person like me, it's two to three meals with leftovers.
After tasting this a second time, I believe there are a few key qualities that make this dish stand out above the others.
One of them is the chicken. A deep fryer is usually required to get that yummy, crunchy exterior without drying out the inside, so whatever magic Trader Joe's injected into this meat allowed it to crisp up nicely in an oven without turning them into totally dehydrated disasters.
But the real reason it's so darn delicious is its signature sauce. I can confirm this because I've also tried the vegetarian version of this exact same dish and it still tasted delicious.
The use of California oranges gives it an added zing. It also has a sweetness to it without veering into that cloyingly sugary, artificial territory.
This flavor profile makes it an excellent companion to veggies, but it tastes just as good on its own.
Best of all, at $4.99 for a 22-ounce bag, Trader Joe's Mandarin orange chicken is a reasonably priced dinner that's convenient to assemble and tastes as good as something you'd order at a restaurant.
That's a pretty tough bargain to beat.
VERDICT: At this point, I'm convinced that of all the fan clubs in the world, the most loyal has to be Trader Joe's orange-chicken fans.
Seven years is a long time to be devoted to any food when there are so many other options at Trader Joe's.
My only hope now is that Trader Joe's will branch out and finally attempt a similar dish with lemon chicken, which is usually my go-to takeout order.
Some of the runner-ups were absolutely amazing, but I can see why the orange chicken is a 7-time winner
Trader Joe's orange chicken has held its top spot seven years running for a reason.
Although the cauliflower gnocchi is a worthy competitor, it still requires a little something extra to make it taste great. Moreover, the equally flavorful chicken Tikka masala and macaroni and cheese entrées are only portioned out for one-to-two people, so they're not as good of a deal.
If anything comes close to potentially cracking the pedestal where Trader Joe's fans hold this dish, it's the sweet-potato gnocchi.
But even then, I'm still not sure it can compete with a product that's so well-loved by people of all ages.
Maybe it's the glazed sauce that tastes like a symphony of citrus and sweetness. Or perhaps it's the perfectly crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside chicken.
Whatever the reason for its popularity, it's clear the Mandarin orange chicken is a winner.
Read More:
- I tried Trader Joe's award-winning sweet and savory snacks, but the runner-ups were even better
- I tried 18 of Trader Joe's award-winning foods, and would buy at least 14 of them again
- I tried Trader Joe's 7-time award-winning cheese, and it's the best $5 I've spent in a long time
- I tried 19 of Trader Joe's popular dips, and I would buy at least half of them again
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