Frozen Turkey Burgers

Just like everyone else, I enjoy a good burger every now and then. But truth be told, I've never been a big fan of premade patties, especially those of the frozen variety. However, there is no denying that having some frozen burger patties on hand is quite convenient at times.

Since I am a fan of turkey burgers, I figured I would buy a package of the Frozen Turkey Burgers from Trader Joe's. After all, four large patties for $2.99, surely makes it worth the risk. Besides, Trader Joe's does have a good track record (for the most part).

Eventually, I found myself too lazy to make a proper dinner, and since the family dog was also pestering us for a good treat, I decided it was time to cook up the turkey burgers. The burgers did cook well, and there was no unpleasant smell that lingered in the kitchen (which does seem to be the case for many frozen burgers, and frozen meat products in general).

As for the taste, the turkey was good quality , but something about the flavor bothered me. I expect a plain turkey burger to taste that way....Plain, and ready to be altered to my liking. But the burgers had a rather strange seasoning, which I can only describe as being eerily akin to that of a turkey breakfast sausage. Surely this wouldn't be an issue for those that enjoy turkey breakfast sausage, but personally I didn't care for it. I doubt I'd buy these again for myself, but the dog did enjoy his. And my mother liked hers, although she did say it tasted like "breakfast meat."

Teriyaki Turkey Jerky

Ever since I was a child, I have had a particular weakness for jerky of (almost) any kind. I can enjoy anything from tofu jerky to squid jerky, but I now frequently find myself annoyed by the consistency of many jerkies.

Perhaps as I've gotten older my tastes have changed, but I no longer care for a gritty jerky texture, and often regret eating jerky after my (admittedly sensitive) gums seem to become raw by the irritation of tiny jerky splinters burrowing between my teeth and the incessant flossing action that follows.

In recent years, I've found myself trying to expand even further, in hopes of finding more jerkies that with offer a more pleasant texture. But truth be told, I'll still buy any jerky I see that I can't recall trying. And this is exactly what happened when I stumbled along Trader Joe's modest jerky selection during a recent shopping trip.

I quickly grabbed one of each variety, which consisted of Teriyaki Turkey Jerky and Buffalo Jerky (which I have not yet tried). I recently broke open the Turkey Jerky, and was immediately pleased when I noticed the  smooth and soft texture of the jerky piece I was gripping. The texture was extremely chewy, but had a lovely softness to it, with no hard splinter pieces. This continued through the rest of the bag, and even those small pieces that broke off had a pleasant texture.

As for the taste, I wouldn't exactly call it teriyaki. I only really tasted the soy sauce, and a strong sweetness, which is not like the more mild sweetness I usually encounter with teriyaki sauces and flavorings. Although it's not a classic teriyaki, I did enjoy the flavor and found the sweetness to be complementary to the soy sauce and natural turkey flavor.

As for the price, it was $4.99 for a 4 ounce bag. This is slightly less than the standard brands I see at the grocery store, and about the same as the budget friendly store brands. However, the quality was far superior in my opinion, so I was quite pleased with the cost per ounce. I will definitely be buying this jerky again, and will most likely add it to my regularly Trader Joe's shopping list.

Turkey Breast with Homestyle Cornbread Stuffing

One of my personal favorites from Trader Joe's is the Turkey Breast with Homestyle Cornbread Stuffing, a large package of cooked turkey and stuffing that is only offered during the holiday season.   It's also one of only a few items that I can honestly say that every single person I know (who has tried it), will agree to its great quality.

I first bought the Trader Joe's Turkey Breast with Homestyle Cornbread Stuffing about two years ago, when it was priced at $9.99. This year, we went to stock up on several of these dinners, and noticed the price had gone up to $11.99. Although the price has increased, I still believe it's a great deal. Especially when you consider the convenience it offers, and the fact that three turkey dinners of equal quality at a restaurant would cost more than three times as much.

The package consists of a large turkey breast (enough to feed three), surrounded by cornbread stuffing. The dinners cook well in the oven (although there are instructions for microwaving, which I suggest avoiding at all costs with this item!) We noticed the package has improved a bit, and the extra $2 seems to have been put into adding cornbread stuffing, which frankly the dinner needed since it used to only have enough for 2 small servings. The stuffing now has enough for a moderate sized serving for three adults, matching the size of the turkey breast perfectly. With the addition of a couple of other sides (cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, vegetables of any sort), this dish could comfortably feed a family of four (five if small children are included).

Considering the fact that my family purchases about 10 of these each holiday season to keep in the freezer through the year, I think where we stand on this item is obvious. When I first purchased this item, I had little faith that a reheated turkey breast and cornbread stuffing could be all that tasty. However, none of my concerns were met. The cornbread stuffing crisps up nicely on the top, and the bottom of it never becomes soggy. The turkey breast itself is more moist than I could have even hoped for, and has a lovely, subtle brined taste to it, with no overwhelming spice or seasoning.

The only times we had an issue cooking one of these dinners is when we followed the microwave instructions, and another time when we did not follow the suggestion to thaw the dinner in the fridge beforehand. I highly suggest avoiding both of these other options, and sticking to the thaw for a day or two, then cook in the oven method. When using the other two methods, the cornbread stuffing was overcooked and clumped together, and the turkey became extremely dry and had a tough exterior.