Trader Joe's Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese just sounds delicious, doesn't it? I wouldn't have minded more garlic, but nevertheless this is one tasty product. There's a surprising amount of basil flavor. It almost tastes like pesto...but it's cheese.
It also contains actual roasted garlic puree. My goodness. Why didn't someone think of that sooner? I mean, maybe somebody did, but this is the first I'm hearing of it. There is a reasonable amount of garlic flavor, but I think they could have amped it up, personally. But then Sonia and I are both oddly fond of garlic. Raw garlic. Roasted garlic. Black garlic. You name it. I think pureed garlic is a good choice for this cheese. Big chunks of garlic might have made the texture a bit funky.
We threw this cheese on our Italian subs with beef bresaola and turkey pepperoni. It was perfect. We put slices on our chicken burgers, too. Again, perfection. It adds not only the creamy, buttery milkiness of Monterey Jack, but also the peppery bite of basil and the umami herbaceousness of garlic. It worked on grilled cheese, in omelets, and on salads.
There’s something almost unfair about putting basil and garlic into Monterey Jack. Monterey Jack is already one of those cheeses that seems genetically engineered to get along with everybody—it’s mild and creamy and generally just happy to be here. Then along come basil and roasted garlic, giving the whole thing an Italian makeover. It’s like Monterey Jack went on vacation to Italy, came back wearing linen pants, and now won’t stop talking about how much better everything is over there. And honestly? I’m okay with it. This cheese has personality without becoming one of those aggressively flavored cheeses that tastes like somebody emptied the spice cabinet into a vat of dairy.
I went through a pepper jack phase some years ago, but I've since grown out of it. Let the days of basil jack begin. Five bucks for ten slices. Kosher. Would buy again. Sonia and I both give Trader Joe's Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese eight and a half out of ten stars.
Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.
You get two tater bites for $3.49 and the whole package is only 280 calories. Just toss in the air fryer for 7 minutes at 375°F or check to make sure the internal temp of the bites is 165° or higher. Ours hit the mark at around 6 minutes.
Trader Joe's Tater Bites come out nice and crispy on the outside. On the inside, there's a souffle-esque conglomeration of cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, eggs, potatoes, and chives. They're moist but not to the point of sogginess. They hold their shape even after you've taken a few forkfuls.
Flavor-wise, it seems like the eggs dominate. I mean, we already have Trader Joe's Egg Bites in a few flavors, so...I was really wanting these to be more potatoey. I was hoping for something like a hash brown but with cheese and chives mixed in. But that's not what we have here. Egg lovers, rejoice. Potato lovers, lament.
Actually, now that I look at the ingredients, potato does outrank egg by a good margin. I think what I originally thought was all egg is actually cottage cheese and cheddar. Just visually, it looks like eggs, but I guess cottage cheese whirled up with cheddar cheese would resemble beaten eggs. Anyway, I digress...
The overall flavor is really nice. It's cheesy and chivey and there's a whisper of salt and pepper in the background. It's hearty and filling and fairly satisfying. I just don't get much of a potato vibe even though potato is the number one ingredient.
Still, it's a very convenient breakfast and not bad tasting at all. Three and a half bucks, found in the refrigerated section. Would buy again. The beautiful wifey gives Trader Joe's Tater Bites eight and a half stars. I'll throw out seven and a half.
Sonia's score: 8.5 out of 10.
Nathan's score: 7.5 out of 10.
