Trader Joe’s has been all about the bite-size frozen foods this year. From Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Bites to Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bites. Now with everyone looking to holiday appetizers, we’ve got Trader Joe’s Beef en Croute Bites. And after just 10 minutes in the air fryer, they brown up quite nicely.
The filling is a mix of minced beef and mushroom duxelle, so it’s not exactly pretty to look at if you don’t pop the whole thing in your mouth. The puff pastry crisps nicely, and they’re not greasy, which is good because the filling is pretty soft and kind of unidentifiable as even partially meat. You get more mushroom than beef flavor. It’s NOT like taking a bite of the full size Beef en Croute entree from last year.
For me, Trader Joe’s Beef en Croute bites need a little acid to give the filling some zing. I tried some Trader Joe’s cranberry sauce and even the Tomato Spread from the summer, but neither had the tartness I was Iooking for. What I really needed was some chimichurri, with the grassy brightness of parsley and vinegar to give it some pop. Even the TJ’s kale pesto, kicked with a little more lemon, might work.
So let’s get to the nutrition facts. Any time puff pastry is involved, it’s not going to be a low fat proposition. It’s about 6 grams of fat per bite, so I’d probably save those fat grams for a croissant or something else I like better. Otherwise the ingredient list is fairly clean. So at least we’re not dealing with a lot of unreadable, unrecognizable ingredients.
Bottom line: they’re ok. I’m not amazed, I’m not disappointed. I think these will work well as part of an appetizer tray, but they definitely need a dip. For me personally, I’d rather have a cheesy puff pastry bite. I’d eat one if I was at a party, but probably wouldn’t go back for seconds. So they won’t be a re-buy.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s: