Tag: Frozen Food

REVIEW: Totino’s Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites

Marvo 7 Comments

Totino s Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites Bag

Totino’s Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites’ ingredients list is CVS receipt-long. While coupons can make the drugstore’s receipts reach outstanding lengths, it’s ingredients that end with -ate that help the list take up more than one-fourth of the bag’s real estate on the back.

Totino s Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites Ingredients

While I won’t type out verbatim the ingredients list, I will do so with the product’s description on the front of the bag. These mini snacks are hot chili pepper & lime seasoned bites with a cheezy imitation mozzarella filling.

If you’re familiar with Takis Fuego Rolled Tortilla Chips, you’d know they are entirely red, giving them a striking look. Unfortunately, these bites are partially coated in a red seasoning, making them look tame.

Totino s Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites Frozen

Their preparation can be done in the microwave or oven.

Depending on your microwave’s power, it takes between 1 minute 10 seconds to 1 minute 40 seconds to heat up a serving. The oven instructions involve preheating to 375 degrees, placing a layer on a baking sheet, and baking for 9 to 11 minutes for a half bag or 11 to 14 minutes for the whole bag.

Like most frozen foods with conventional and microwave oven instructions, doing it the long way creates an optimal product. However, there’s not a significant difference between the two preparations.

When microwaved, they’re kind of, well, squishy, which is the opposite of what Takis are. That’s sort of expected when microwaving without some sort of special crisping sleeve. From a conventional oven, they’re still squishy, but there’s some crispiness at the seams.

Totino s Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites Frozen Microwaved

A lot of that squishiness comes from the cheezy imitation mozzarella filling. Thanks to every pizza commercial made, mozzarella is thought of as a stretchy cheese when a slice is pulled from a pizza. But what’s in these snack bites have a creamy not-quite-ready gelatin texture that I’ve never experienced before with any kind of mozzarella product.

Takis Fuego’s hot chili pepper and lime seasoning stands out on my taste buds and in the aroma that fills my nostrils as they come out of whatever oven I decide. A mild spiciness accompanies the peppery flavor, and the citrus enhances both.

The white filling, which has a slight cheesy tang, tempers the Fuego flavor. It’s also a tad sweet, which is a little weird. Somewhere in the ingredients list, there’s “dried cream cheese,” which might be the cause of everything odd about the filling. I also want to say its taste brings Laughing Cow cheese to mind.

Overall, I love the seasoning on Totino’s Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites. However, I was expecting it to be a little spicier. I’m less sold on the cheezy filling. It tastes fine and sort of works with the peppery and citrus coating, but I don’t know if others will be as forgiving.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample of the product. (Thanks, Totino’s!) Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 13.9 oz bag
Purchased at: Received from Totino’s
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (13 bites) 230 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 640 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Stouffer’s Classic Lasagna Bites and Chicken Pot Pie Bites

Marvo

Stouffer s Classic Lasagna Bites Right

SALISBURY STEAK BITES!!!

And that was the first thing that popped into my head after learning Stouffer’s was taking some of its classic dishes and turning them into snacks. Sadly, Salisbury steak and mac & cheese didn’t get snackified, but the popular frozen food brand is now offering Classic Lasagna Bites and Chicken Pot Pie Bites.

The Classic Lasagna Bites feature crispy breading stuffed with meat sauce and Italian style herbs, mozzarella cheese, and noodles. The chicken pot pie version has a flaky golden crust stuffed with white meat chicken, peas, carrots, and a creamy gravy.

Stouffer s Chicken Pot Pie Bites Right

There are multiple ways to prepare them — conventional oven, convection oven, air fryer, or an unconventional air fryer that involves a dragon breathing on them. Since I lack an air fryer, the patience to wait for a conventional oven, or a dragon, I went with the convection oven instructions that involves baking them at five minutes at 450 degrees, flipping them, and then having them sit in the oven for another four minutes (five minutes for the lasagna ones).

Stouffer s Chicken Pot Pie Bites Closeup

After my first bite of the Chicken Pot Pie Bites, my mind instantly thought, “This needs more gravy.” It’s not dry or anything, and it’s impressive that Stouffer’s was able to fit everything it did into a nugget that’s smaller than a Tamagotchi. Heck, there are whole frickin’ peas in them, plus everything else. Still, when I think of a chicken pot pie, I imagine a gravy pool with all the other ingredients wading in it.

But beyond that slightly nitpicky detail, these do remind me of the comfort food. Although with each bite I’ve had so far, I taste the peas, but not so much the carrots, and the crust doesn’t seem to be buttery or flaky to me. It’s similar in texture to what’s on the lasagna one.

Stouffer s Classic Lasagna Bites Closeup

As for the Classic Lasagna Bites, if it weren’t for the noodles, I’d mistake these for pizza rolls. The combination of herbs and meat reminds me of Italian sausage, but the cheese and sauce complete the pizza image in my mouth. They taste as if they have more sauce in them than the amount of gravy in the chicken pot pie ones. Look, I’m not going to complain about these tasting like pizza rolls, because I found myself enjoying these more than the other variety.

But I am going to grumble about the crust on both. They’re not what I’d consider crunchity crispy, but they’re definitely not soft. Although my choice of preparation might be the reason for their texture. I should really invest in a dragon oven. The crusts are also thick, which is understandable since what they hold could ooze out during the heating process (which surprisingly didn’t happen). But they also seem to tone down the flavors of the ingredients within them.

If you regularly heat up Stouffer’s Classic Lasagna or Chicken Pot Pie, these Bites are a unique way of experiencing those classic entrees, although they’re not as flavorful or filling.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free samples of the products. Thanks Stouffer’s! Doing so did not influence my review in any way. But I hope by doing this review, I’ve encouraged Stouffer’s to create Salisbury Steak Bites. Also, the box images used are from Stouffer’s.

Purchased Price: FREE (MSRP of $4.99 – $5.99)
Size: 12 oz. boxes
Purchased at: Received from Stouffer’s
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Chicken Pot Pie), 7 out of 10 (Classic Lasagna)
Nutrition Facts: Chicken Pot Pie Bites (4 pieces) 190 calories, 10 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 500 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 6 grams of protein. Classic Lasagna Bites (5 pieces) 230 calories, 10 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 630 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Life Cuisine Egg Bites

Elaine 5 Comments

Life Cuisine Egg Bites

What are Life Cuisine Egg Bites?

The Life Cuisine brand (from Nestlé, who makes Lean Cuisine) was launched earlier this year to cater to “every lifestyle” with low carb, meatless, high protein, and gluten free options.

These egg bites are part of the low carb lineup and the only traditional breakfast items in the entire Life Cuisine line (although I would eat the gluten-free pizzas or the high protein taco bowl for breakfast). These sous vide egg bites come in two varieties: 1) Tomato & Spinach Egg White (also comes with mozzarella) and 2) Uncured Turkey Bacon & Aged White Cheddar (also comes with cottage cheese).

How are they?

Life Cuisine Egg Bites Frozen

Life Cuisine Egg Bites Plated

Most frozen products don’t look particularly appetizing when pulled from the freezer and the same goes for these frozen mounds. After being prepared for two minutes in the microwave, the aesthetics of the product do not increase as the egg bites keep their shape, but do puff out a little. The puff foreshadows their fluffy and light taste, which is consistent with what one might expect from a sous vide-prepared product.

Both varieties have predominantly an egg taste with a hint of other flavors.

Life Cuisine Egg Bites Egg White

The Tomato & Spinach Egg White one naturally lacks some of the creaminess that yolk provides. I could faintly taste the tomato and spinach, but there is not nearly as much tomato and spinach as shown on the box, which is a little misleading. However, the mozzarella cheese does come through. I would also add more pepper and salt to this one.

Life Cuisine Egg Bites White Cheddar

The turkey bacon in the other variety is prevalent, which also adds some saltiness. This one is higher in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium (see nutrition facts below). There’s more bacon and cheese in this egg bite and they’re better distributed, which results in a slightly more flavorful product.

Anything else you need to know?

These are light tasting products, which is a nice way to start your day if you are eating these for breakfast. After eating two of them (one of each variety), I thought I might need to supplement my breakfast, but I was surprisingly not hungry. Thanks, protein!

However, it should be noted that I am a smaller-framed individual and I can definitely see others needing more than two egg bites or adding items to their breakfast to feel satisfied.

Conclusion:

Life Cuisine Egg Bites do the trick if you are looking for a light and adequate tasting, quick, easy, and relatively healthy breakfast. At the same time, you can probably also just scramble an egg.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free samples of the products. Doing so did not influence my review in any way.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 4.5 oz (1 package of 2 egg bites)
Purchased at: Received from Life Cuisine
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Uncured Turkey Bacon & Aged White Cheddar), 6 out of 10 (Tomato & Spinach Egg White)
Nutrition Facts: (1 package) Uncured Turkey Bacon & Aged White Cheddar – 280 calories, 18 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 185 milligrams of cholesterol, 810 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugar, 0 grams of added sugars, and 18 grams of protein. Tomato & Spinach Egg White – 190 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 610 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugar, 0 grams of added sugars, and 15 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Del Monte Veggieful Pocket Pies

Marvo 8 Comments

Del Monte Veggiefuls Pocket Pies

What are Del Monte Veggieful Pocket Pies?

Last year, Del Monte Veggieful made its debut with pizza roll-sized snacks. This year, the veggie brand has moved up to Hot Pocket-sized foodstuffs. There are four varieties: Broccoli Potato Cheddar, Spinach Artichoke Parmesan, Rosemary Garlic Plant-Based Chicken, and Plant-Based Philly Cheesesteak.

Not only are there veggies in the pocket pies, but the crust is also made with cauliflower. All of it equals one serving of veggies per pie, which doesn’t sound like a lot if most of the ingredients are vegetables.

How are they?

Del Monte Veggieful Plant Based Philly Cheesesteak Split

The Plant-Based Philly Cheesesteak comes stuffed with bell peppers, onions, provolone cheese, and plant-based beef made from soy. The ingredients list also mentions something called Rochester sauce, which, after a quick Google search, I learned is a tomato-based sauce used on Garbage Plates and hot dogs. It all smells like a sizzling fajita plate.

Do I think Philly Cheesesteak when I eat it? No, I don’t think anyone will. I think vegetables in terms of taste and texture. There were times when I mistook the plant-based meat as a piece of bell pepper, and the provolone doesn’t seem to add any flavor.

Del Monte Veggieful Rosemary Garlic Plant Based Chicken Split

The Rosemary Garlic Plant-Based Chicken comes with plant-based chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. The texture of the “chicken” is similar to the “steak” in the Philly Cheesesteak one. But it’s the mushrooms that seem to make up most of the flavor. With most bites, it tastes like a lite version of cream of mushroom soup.

Del Monte Veggieful Spinach Artichoke Parmesan Split

With the Spinach Artichoke Parmesan one, I was expecting it to taste exactly like any spinach artichoke dip I’ve ever had. While it does have all the flavors of a spinach artichoke dip, and I could even feel the chew of the artichoke, it’s not as flavorful as any store-bought or homemade dip I’ve had.

Del Monte Veggieful Broccoli Potato Cheddar Split

While Broccoli Potato Cheddar ended up being my favorite, although not by a lot, I feel as if it could’ve been better.

After being microwaved, the green vegetable still has some snap, while the potato has some give instead of turning into complete mush. Unlike the provolone in the Philly Cheesesteak one, the cheddar cheese is a bit more noticeable here. With that said, I do wish there was more of it so that it’s creamier like I’m eating cheddar broccoli potato soup in a pocket pie-shaped bowl.

Anything else you need to know?

Unlike Hot Pockets, these do not come with crisping sleeves. There are two ways to prepare them: 1) microwave for 2 minutes and 15 seconds. 2) Stick in an oven for 27-32 minutes (varies between varieties).

If you prefer a crispier crust, go with the oven preparation. But after trying all four varieties both ways, I’m not sure getting a crispier and firmer crust is worth the wait. Plus, all the ones I’ve prepared in my toaster oven ended up slightly burnt.

Also, even though they’re made with vegetables, they aren’t like Lean Pockets, and they have as much protein as regular Hot Pockets.

Conclusion:

With all four Del Monte Veggieful Pocket Pie varieties, I wish they were a bit more flavorful. I feel as if they need something else, like a sauce, or more of an ingredient they already have to improve their flavors.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product from Del Monte. Doing so did not influence my review in any way.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 2-packs
Purchased at: Received from Del Monte
Rating: 6 out of 10 (all varieties)
Nutrition Facts: (1 pie) Broccoli Potato Cheddar – 270 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 430 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein. Spinach Artichoke Parmesan – 280 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 450 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Rosemary Garlic Plant-Based Chicken – 260 calories, 10 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 450 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Plant-Based Philly Cheesesteak – 260 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 450 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: DiGiorno Croissant Crust Pizza

Tiffany 11 Comments

DiGiorno Croissant Crust Pizza Pepperoni and Four Cheese

What is DiGiorno’s Croissant Crust Pizza?

DiGiorno has added a 10th crust line with its new Croissant Crust pizza. The Nestlé PR gurus tout that this innovation combines the goodness of a croissant with “It’s Not Delivery!” to create a unique twist. It launched with three different toppings: Pepperoni, Three Meat, and Four Cheese. But, I was only able to find two: Pepperoni and Four Cheese.

How is it?

Sometimes marketing speak is way too lofty. In this case, though, I do think it’s a unique twist. It’s not something that I’ve seen from the pizza delivery giants nor other frozen pizza brands. Another aspect that speaks to its uniqueness is that I didn’t have a frame of reference for what a croissant crust pizza should be like. However, unique and a 10 out of 10 rating are not synonymous.

DiGiorno Croissant Crust Pizza Crust Closeup Uncooked

They say you eat with your eyes first, and I immediately nitpicked at the lack of lamination on both. The uncooked layers looked more like a biscuit than a refined French croissant. Even in its pre-baked state, I picked up on a very buttery smell that reminded me of the way Pillsbury biscuit dough smells. While I was appreciative it wasn’t an artificial or overpowering movie theatre popcorn butter smell, it unfortunately further reinforced biscuit.

DiGiorno Pepperoni Croissant Crust Pizza

DiGiorno Four Cheese Croissant Crust Pizza

I was also a little peeved that there were ONLY 19 pieces of pepperoni. After the baking process, my perception changed because the 19 produced quite an amount of grease. So, the skimping worked out well. Four cheese, on the other hand, was the perfect amount of molten stringy goodness. I wouldn’t be able to tell you which “100% real” cheese is which to save my life, but it was enjoyable.

DiGiorno Croissant Crust Pizza Crust Closeup

A key win is that the crust created a firmer texture like an elementary school cafeteria pizza. I know that may sound like an off-putting comparison, but it conjures a lot of nostalgia for me. It also speaks to the fact that there was not a soggy crust in sight!

DiGiorno Croissant Crust Pizza Crust Closeup Side

It actually flaked nicely like a croissant, and surprisingly not like a biscuit. Also, when I was cutting it, I could hear a bit of the crispy crackly like the top of a croissant. The butter smell and taste were still prevalent, but with the harder and crispier texture, I was able to get past the biscuit context.

Anything else you need to know?

The mark of a solid pizza is how it tastes when it’s cold. These did lose a bit of the croissant flakiness, but the flavors were still there.

Conclusion:

At this price point, I’d place this in the Little Caesars $5 Hot & Ready realm. In most instances, I’d probably only pick this over a Hot & Ready if I had enough room in my small freezer, which unfortunately isn’t often enough.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 25 oz. (Pepperoni), 25.3 oz. (Four Cheese)
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Pepperoni), 8 out of 10 (Four Cheese)
Nutrition Facts: (1/5 Pizza) Pepperoni – 380 calories, 20 grams of fat, 780 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 2 gram of dietary fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 16 grams of protein. Four Cheese – 370 calories, 18 grams of fat, 680 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 16 grams of protein.