Trader Joe's Chicken Enchiladas

The package contains two enchiladas, which the labeling claims make two servings. This is a lie. The package contains one serving. Unless you are Herve Villechaize.

The other strange thing about the package labeling is that it directs the consumer to pierce the plastic film layer over the tray. But there is no plastic film layer! Or at least there wasn't in the one sample I purchased. Was this a manufacturing anomaly? Or did they decide to change how it's put together, and then forget to rewrite the heating directions?

This led to a bit of a dilemma in preparation. I didn't want it to dry out, so I covered it loosely with my standard microwave splatter-preventing food cover. The result was that the center of both enchiladas seemed perfect, but the ends of both were overly dried out.

In spite of that, these were pretty good. I think they hit just the right note of Mexican spiciness: they evaded the wiles of the Trader Joe's Blandification Committee without going overboard so that one would need a chaser of bicarb.

I will say again, however, that this is the kind of item for which actual chicken could be readily substituted with any of the excellent plant-protein-based imitations, with little or no loss. The chicken contributes so little to the overall flavor profile that I, for one, would not notice--let alone mourn--such a switch, and I would be happier for it. If TJ's isn't willing to lose some sales from the die-hard carnivores, why not make two versions, and keep both camps happy? Chickenless Enchiladas right next to the Chicken Enchiladas would be a lovely thing. More choices is more better.


Will I buy it again? 

Maybe, but if so, it's going to be a rarity. I'll buy a lot of things to try for this blog that I wouldn't get just for my own sake. To move from the "try it once to write about" category to the "put it into the regular rotation" category, things need to be a notch above the "pretty good" that this rates.