Sometimes, a frozen appetizer really catches our attention. That was the case with the Trader Joe’s Hold the Corn! Appetizers, which we first spotted on the Trader Joe’s website. So we made a special trip out to our nearest Trader Joe’s just so we could pick these up!
The Trader Joe’s Hold the Corn! Appetizers aren’t difficult to cook, though there are no microwave instructions. You’ll need to cook these in the oven, which means this isn’t something you’ll bring into the office to heat up during lunch. Still, the cooking process is not difficult. Just preheat the oven, toss these little snacks onto a baking sheet, and let them cook for 12 to 15 minutes. There’s nothing to it! (To see the full cooking instructions, check out the package scans at the bottom of this review.)
If this Trader Joe’s article is to be believed, these snacks were inspired by ice cream cones, only they substitute the ice cream with a corn filling. We can buy that, as these definitely share some visual similarities with pointy-style ice cream cones, as you can see in the image below.
The outsides of these remind us of shredded wheat. They have a crunchy “netted” quality that really makes them satisfying to bite into. The filling is reminiscent of a corn pie. There’s a whole bunch of stuff inside, including mushrooms and lemongrass, but the flavor of the corn dominates everything else here.
The cashier at Trader Joe’s told us these go well with sour cream, so we decided to try that flavor combo. It’s actually a great choice, as the sour cream sort of mitigates some of the dryness of the shell, as well as the corn flavor of the filling. We definitely approve of this flavor combo.
The box considers four corn cones to be a single serving, which means there are three servings per box. One serving contains 150 calories and about 320 mg of sodium, while the full box contains 450 calories and about 950 mg of sodium. As long as you don’t end up eating the entire box in a sitting, these really aren’t all that bad. For this review, we split these between two people and found six pieces to be a pretty decent amount for a snack. These certainly aren’t a full meal, though they’re not pretending to be. The word Appetizers is right there on the box.
The Trader Joe’s Hold the Corn! Appetizers are a tasty snack, though they definitely are better with something to dip them in. Trader Joe’s seems to think these will be a good conversation starter at any party. Now, we’re not sure these snacks are what everyone will be talking about at your next social gathering, but we do think your guests will quite enjoy them regardless.
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for these frozen appetizers, check out our package scans below.
