With everything looking a little different this holiday season, there’s no reason you absolutely have to have turkey for Thanksgiving. Of course, Trader Joe’s does have a Turkey en Croute, so it’s an option. But for me, I went for the beef. Trader Joe’s Beef en Croute is basically a Beef Wellington — tenderloin wrapped in puff pastry with duxelles (usually mushrooms, shallots, etc.).
The big thing to know right up front is, YOU HAVE TO THAW IT IN THE FRIDGE FOR 12 to 24 HOURS. I would have missed it if not for the all the Redditors who pointed it out about the turkey version.
At $15, I think it could feed four, as long as you’ve got side dishes. But here’s the thing, it’s also easy to screw it up, which I did. The directions tell you to bake Trader Joe’s Beef en Croute for 35-45 minutes at 425F…which even at 35 minutes ended up overcooked (for us) and nothing like that rare image on the box. So start checking the temperature earlier.
Still, the beef was nice and tender and there’s an herby mix on the puff pastry. Get the full rundown and verdict in the video:
I served it with Bryant Terry’s Creamy Cauliflower from Vegetable Kingdom. It’s basically a cauliflower puree (I use TJ’s frozen riced cauliflower) that you steam in a pan, and then puree in a food processor with olive oil. Super easy and super tasty.
Check out more We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Sparkling Honeycrisp Apple Juice
From 2019: Trader Joe’s is Adding 84 New Products to its Holiday Lineup