Trader Joe's Taco Shells, Taco Seasoning Mix, and Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles

I've noticed the taco shells and seasoning dozens of times during Trader Joe's runs, but always passed them by, with the thought, "Some other time, not today." Then this week I developed an odd hankering for tacos, and knew that it was time. While at the store finally purchasing the ingredients, I also noticed the tiny can of green chiles next to the taco fixings, and on a whim tossed it in my basket.

I arbitrarily chose Gardein's fake ground beef, out of many similar products, as the substrate, and it worked perfectly.

I used just half of the seasoning mix, as the directions recommend. It says you can use the whole package if you want your tacos "really spicy." With the recommended half-package, both Nina and I thought the result was a little on the bland side, so next time I probably will go for the whole thing. I added a can of tomato sauce, one of the options the manufacturer suggests.

I warmed up the shells in my toaster oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. It was too much. One of them was browned almost to the point of being burned, and all of them ended up too brittle. I'll dial that back to 2-3 minutes next time.

At the table, I had three toppings: Fresh Express Green Leaf Shreds (much better than standard shredded iceberg lettuce), TJ's Organic Shredded 3 Cheese Blend, and the chiles.

Despite the niggling problems mentioned above, I loved the result. I had planned to eat just two, but ended up going back to make a third, then a fourth. The last one I tried without adding the chiles, to see if they were really contributing anything. They definitely were, though I suspect with the doubled seasoning mix they would fade away, as they are very mild. With the last two, I didn't bother heating up the shells, and while that meant that the tacos weren't as piping hot, they were also much easier to fill and eat without breaking apart.


Will I buy it again? 

Definitely, and enthusiastically, on the shells and mix; no on the chiles (because I think they'll be pointless when using more than half a packet of the mix).

I used to make tacos pretty regularly when I was married, then I stopped after my divorce. It wasn't really a conscious decision; it just always felt like more trouble than they were worth when cooking for one. I'm not sure that the TJ's shells and mix are any better than competing products from other companies, but they're at least as good, and inexpensive. They also allow you to avoid the decision fatigue of selecting between numerous similar products at a standard supermarket. I'm sure that much of the joy I felt last night was not from the components being the absolute finest, but simply from being reminded of how much I used to like this simple food. Nevertheless, between the mix, the choice of adding tomato sauce, and the nice texture of the Gardein ground-beef substitute, I stumbled into what I think is an excellent combination, which I plan to stick with.

I have to add that Nina was less enthusiastic about the results: mix too bland, shells too thin. So this is a new favorite that I'll probably mostly keep to myself.