Trader Joe's Creamy Corn

Even though Trader Joe's Creamy Corn is ideal as a Thanksgiving side dish, who's to say you can't have a harvest-themed meal or two in the fall months leading up to Turkey Day? What if you feel like eating sweet corn with a creamy cheese sauce just because it's Thursday? That's kinda what Sonia and I did yesterday.

And we were impressed. This four dollar bag of corn and cheese comes frozen and includes three different sets of cooking instructions on the back of the bag: stovetop, microwave, and conventional oven. Stovetop seemed like the logical choice. Just cut open the bag, empty the contents into a large skillet, cover with lid, and heat for 5-7 minutes. Ours took roughly 10 minutes to come to a steady simmer, but we've got an electric range and it can take a bit longer to heat things up.

The sauce isn't crazy thick, which Sonia and I both thought was a good thing. It didn't feel heavy or overly indulgent. There's just enough cheese to keep things interesting. Cream is, in fact, the second ingredient, followed by skim milk. There's also white cheese and cheddar cheese in the mix. The seasonings include shallot, sea salt, and white pepper. It's a nice flavor if you're looking for something sweet, slightly tangy, and subtly savory. A dash of your own black pepper, hot sauce, or something like Trader Joe's Everything But the Elote doesn't hurt if you're craving a bit of extra sass.

The texture of the corn was very nice. It felt surprisingly fresh. It had a nice bite to it, kind of crisp, and ever so slightly waxy. It wasn't a soggy mush like other creamed corn dishes can be, nor was it overly chewy. It mixed well with other veggies like peas and mashed potatoes, and it blended seamlessly with our other Thanksgiving-esque fare including turkey, gravy, and stuffing.

The "best by" date on our bag was well over a year in the future from our purchase date, so if you've got a big freezer, it would be easy to stock up. $3.99 for the 14 oz bag. Product of Italy. Sonia and I would both buy Trader Joe's Creamy Corn again. It's a-maize-ing. Eight and a half stars a piece.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.