The holidays are right around the corner as I write this and Trader Joe’s has stocked the freezer section with a variety of easy-to-make side dishes (and main dishes too!) to serve at your holiday gatherings.
I recently reviewed the One Potato Two Potato Cheesy Gratin and was quite impressed with it. Made it Italy, as is this Trader Joe’s Cauliflower and Broccoli Gratin, the whole family was impressed by the flavors and the gooey cheesy goodness. Here is my helpful review of this seasonal product.
We made these side by side in the oven (as opposed to making them in the Microwave) and I put them on the table with a dry-run turkey dinner a few weeks before the real Thanksgiving. The price can’t be beaten at $4.49 for 21 ounces of food and like I said before, it is made in Italy. When products like this are made in Italy or France, you can almost be assured they will be high quality.
The One Potato Two Potato Gratin was gone in minutes and everyone picked at the Cauliflower and Broccoli Gratin. My kids who love broccoli and cauliflower and cheese turned their noses up at this one. They said it was too mushy and milky and I baked it in the oven for 50 minutes just like the instructions said.
I thought it was decent, where the One Potato Two Potato gratin seemed to come together better, this one left me wanting something more. The picture that we took of this after it came out of the oven looks pretty appetizing. Lots of cheese and you can see bits of broccoli under the cheese.
Nice cheesy crust on the top but underneath was a mushy mess. Maybe there wasn’t enough cheese to bind it or maybe cooking the vegetables in the oven that long rendered them a mushy mess. If I had the time, I would make them in a microwave to see if it turns out better.
Maybe it’s just me or the long oven bake, but I just can’t recommend this. It was a mushy mess of cheese and sauce, while tasting pretty good just wasn’t that appealing on the table and in the mouth. I would get the One Potato Two Potato Gratin instead.
INGREDIENTS:
BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, WHOLE MILK, WATER, MOZZARELLA CHEESE (MILK, SALT, MICROBIAL RENNET, LACTIC ACID STARTER CULTURE), BUTTER (CREAM, NATURAL FLAVOR), WHEAT FLOUR, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, GRANA PADANO CHEESE (MILK, SALT, ANIMAL RENNET, EGG LYSOZYME), SEA SALT, BLACK PEPPER.
CONTAINS MILK, EGG, WHEAT.
NUTRITION FACTS:
about 4 servings per container | Serving size 1 cup (150g) | Amount per serving: Calories 130
Total Fat 7g (9% DV), Saturated Fat 4g (20% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 20mg (7% DV), Sodium 420mg (18% DV), Total Carbohydrate 8g (3% DV), Dietary Fiber 2g (7% DV), Total Sugars 3g—Includes 0g Added Sugars (0% DV), Protein 6g, Vitamin D (0% DV), Calcium (10% DV), Iron (2% DV), Potassium (6% DV).
The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
PLEASE bring back the cauliflower gratin. I bought the new one broccoli cauliflower casserole and it is tasteless. Also bought the cauliflower tots snd they are like mush. Neither one can come close to the Cauliflower Casserole that you had. Sorry
Sorry, I wish I could get Trader Joe’s to listen to me. But, they have their own ideas about what sells and what doesn’t. My hope is that they read this blog from time to time and listen to the people that respond to my reviews.