Friday, August 24, 2018

Trader Joe's Chipotle Vegetable Quesadillas

"If they're called 'vegetable' quesadillas, there should be more vegetables," stated Sonia. "I want sliced-up zucchini or eggplant or peppers in there. Corn and beans aren't enough."

This is coming from the only human being I know who eats plain cheese quesadillas for a meal—nothing but a tortilla with melted cheese—on average about twice a week. If she'd add beans, corn, and chipotle sauce, I could probably live off her quesadillas, because I enjoy the taste enough, and also, I'm guessing, there'd be enough nutritional value in there.

Likewise, I could live off these quesadillas. I really like their simplicity and flavor. I'll admit we heated them in the microwave, but I was more than pleased with the result. 

Sonia? Not so much. Sometimes I think she feels threatened by Trader Joe's Mexican offerings—as if I'll suddenly ask her to never cook again and demand the freezer be stockpiled with Trader José's comida Mexicana. Where is José these days, anyway? Don't worry, wifey. I'll never get tired of your salsa de queso.


Sonia's other major complaint was the price. $3.49 for two quesadillas. I'll admit they're not exactly giving them away, but each quesadilla could stand as a meal in and of itself. That seems like a pretty standard price point for frozen foods to me. I think Sonia has a problem with it because she can make about 500 of her plain quesadillas with an inexpensive stack of corn or flour tortillas and a hunk of cheese from the grocery store, and they wind up costing about 15 cents each.

The balance of corn, beans, and cheese is on point here in these "vegetable" quesadillas, and the chipotle flavor is almost perfect, too. There's a hint of heat, but it's not overwhelming. If I were in the mood for something with a significant kick, I would have to put some kind of hot sauce on them, but for most occasions, they're perfect just the way they are. 

Sonia didn't really have any specific complaints about the taste or texture. She just thinks they'd be better with another ingredient or two. Fair enough. Two and a half stars from her. 

That's a painfully low score for these, in my opinion. Four and a half stars from me.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

5 comments:

  1. When my husband and I made these at home, there was a horrible sweetness to them. It tasted like there was some type of sugary syrup in the quesadillas. I haven't seen anyone else state this online, so I am wondering if we bought a bad box. If so, I am wondering what could have caused this sweetness as it was more like eating a strange dessert.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eeew! Yeah I wouldn't say ours were very sweet at all. Maybe your pack melted at some point and the sauce fermented...?

      Delete
    2. That must be it as I am in Florida. I live only two miles from the store and use the TJ's freezer tote, so something must have happened in transit. We'll try another box.

      Delete
  2. I really like these! They are smoky and delicious. I wouldn't recommend cooking from frozen on the stovetop though. They didn't heat evenly and I ended up just finishing them in the microwave.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm with her! I could happily eat plain cheese quesadillas a few times a week. Mmm melty cheese and crispy bread.

    ReplyDelete