When the fall season hits, Trader Joe’s freezer aisles become filled with corn-based dishes, such as the Trader Joe’s Hold the Corn! Appetizers and the Savory Corn Pie. Honoring this timely tradition, Trader Joe’s has released the Cornbread Bites with Pepper Jack Cheese and Serrano Chile Peppers. These are a little bit like what you’d get if you took the Mac & Cheese Bites we tried previously, then replaced the mac and cheese with pepper jack cheese and replaced the outer shell with cornbread. If that sounds tasty to you, then this snack food will probably catch your eye.
Now, we did first spot these online when they were brand new, but we didn’t get around to picking up a box to try out until now. Needless to say, this review has been a long time coming. So let’s dig in!
These cornbread bites come in boxes of 12, with an inner carton that protects the bites and prevents them from freezing together into one big chunk. We appreciate this, as these bites would definitely lose something if they came out all broken apart with random pieces stuck together in clumps.
Cooking these is simple enough — preheat your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit, then stick the cornbread bites on a baking sheet and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. That’s really all there is to it.
The outer shell of each one of these snacks is made from cornbread, as the title implies. The shell has just a little bit of a crispiness on the very, very outside, while the inside remains soft and warm. It’s a great consistency that makes these really satisfying to bite into.
If the cornbread exterior isn’t quite corny enough for you, you’ll find kernels of corn in the centers of some of these bites. Yes, we said some because not every cornbread bite has corn kernels inside, though most of them do contain at least one.
The centers of these are filled with gooey pepper jack cheese that’s flecked with some itty bitty chunks of serrano chile peppers. It’s a nice flavor combo, and it adds a bit of kick to these. These bites are a little bit spicy, though not enough to satisfy true spice addicts. It’s not a subtle spiciness, but the spice doesn’t dominate here either — it adds a pleasant zing that we really enjoy.
Now, if you don’t like corn, you’re really going to want to avoid these — these are rich with the flavor of corn, both from the cornbread and from the corn kernels in the filling. Corn enthusiasts are going to flip, but we think the corn flavor is maybe a little too much for your average Joe (Trader or otherwise).
When we picked these up, the cashier at Trader Joe’s told us we should try these with some sour cream. We took their advice and purchased a carton of sour cream to dip these cornbread bites in. This is definitely a good pairing, as it reduces the overwhelming corn flavor and adds a creaminess that works really well with the cheese.
The box considers four pieces to be a serving, with three servings (or 12 pieces) per box. If you can stick to that amount, you’ll be consuming 330 calories and 370 mg of sodium. If you eat the full box in a sitting, that goes up to about 1,000 calories and 1,100 mg of sodium. Of course, we really don’t think you’ll be tempted to eat the full box at once. It’s not that these are super filling, but the corn flavor can be a little much. That corn flavor accumulates with each bite, so by the time you’re six bites deep, you’ll probably be ready to take a break. If you do decide to go for a dozen bites at once, we wish you godspeed, dear reader.
The Trader Joe’s Cornbread Bites with Pepper Jack Cheese and Serrano Chile Peppers are a tasty snack for people who love corn. These little things are loaded up with corn flavor, with a little bit of gooey cheese and some peppers to add some kick. If you like corn a little bit but aren’t crazy about it, you might want to reduce the corn dominance by adding some sour cream. But if you hate corn with a passion, you’re not going to enjoy these no matter what you do to them.
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for these cornbread bites, check out our package scans below.
