This is a new product at Trader Joe's, and likely seasonal (though not explicitly announced as such).
I was not in a hurry, so I skipped the microwave option and did the full oven-baking method. Based on long prior experience with TJ's understating the cook time of frozen items, I used the maximum recommended on the box: 55 minutes covered in foil, then 10 minutes uncovered. It still wasn't enough! The promised crisping/browning of the top was just barely starting around the edges. But everything else in my dinner was ready and starting to get cold at that point, so I pulled it out of the oven anyway.
Nina described the product well: "It's cheese with some texture." That's correct. Sure, there's some spaghetti squash in there, but you'll know it only by the fact that there's something to chew on, not because you can taste it. The cheese flavor completely masks it. Not that a dominant cheese taste is intrinsically a bad thing, but it's not what one would call a harmonious balancing of ingredients.
Will I buy it again?
No.
That exactly what i was thinking this would be- squash for people who love cheese. Probably good for kids (and adults) who like cheese and don’t actually like squash.
ReplyDeleteThat’s such a long time to cook! Takes about an hour to bake a whole spaghetti squash anyhow! Maybe best for a casserole like this to microwave most of the time and then in the oven to finish and get the crispy top.
Ttrockwood
Yes, it *is* a long time--and I forgot to add that it's at 400 degrees, rather than the usual 350. You'd think that thing would be burned to a crisp after that. But no.
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