While the Freezer Meal Frenzy staff loves frozen food, it isn’t our only hobby. We also love to learn about all kinds of subjects, and we’re especially passionate about science. During one of our recent readings, we found that your genetics can cause certain foods — like brie cheese — to taste like soap. After this discovery, we thought it was only fair that we give Trader Joe’s Shells with Brie and Asparagus a second try.
In our original review, we compared this dish to “one of those handmade bars of soap you always get talked into buying at the Renaissance Festival.” That’s definitely true from a visual standpoint; when the meal comes out of the microwave, you’ll find a big lump of brie in the middle of the bowl. Once the meal is stirred and ready to eat, however, you may find that all thoughts of scented hand soap leave your mind.
The creamy sauce in this dish tastes exactly like you’d expect melted brie to taste. It’s rich and mild, with just a hint of sourness to it. It’s fairly buttery, and it tastes a little bit earthy, though that flavor isn’t overpowering. If you like brie cheese, you’ll probably enjoy this sauce. If you’re not a fan, you’ll want to pass.
Like last time, we’re not entirely sure that the asparagus adds to this dish. Asparagus and brie can make a great combination, but the texture of the asparagus doesn’t really compliment the shells or the sauce. The asparagus might be a little more appealing if you heat the dish in the oven rather than the microwave, but we went with the microwave both times we tasted this.
We love shell pasta with mac and cheese. Now, this isn’t your traditional macaroni and cheese, but shells are still the ideal pasta shape for a meal like this. Our shells were cooked perfectly, and they managed to soak up plenty of brie cheese. We haven’t loved every Trader Joe’s pasta dish we’ve tried, but we’ve always been satisfied with the quality of their pasta.
Is Trader Joe’s Shells with Brie and Asparagus worth trying? Ultimately, that comes down to how you feel like brie cheese. If you think this French cheese tastes like soap, give this meal a pass; it isn’t going to win you over. However, if you’re a brie fan, you’ll probably agree with the comment on
To learn more about the nutrition content or ingredients in this Trader Joe’s frozen meal, check out our package scan below.
