Trader Joe's Chile Relleno

I enjoy Mexican food ... but I don't go out for Mexican food much at all. While shopping at Trader Joe's I typically glance over the packaged Mexican/Spanish inspired foods. One dish that I've looked at numerous times and finally decided to pick up was the Trader Joe's Chile Relleno.

 

The picture on the box looks very appetizing. I don't typically eat many frozen dinners just due to the sodium content (and the fact I tend to prefer to cook meals ... but convenience is nice on occasion). Since I'm the only person in my household that truly enjoys chile relleno it was just easier to have a frozen version of it.

 

Taking the container out of the box, I poked some holes into the plastic and popped it into the microwave for 5 minutes ... and just like that dinner was done. Allowing the dish to cool I then sat down to enjoy.

 

Flavor wise it was delicious- cheesy, slightly spicy and probably the closest to Mexican food I'd get before going to a restaurant. The only downside was the poblano pepper was SO tough. And by so tough I mean I had to break out a steak knife to cut it up! Some parts of the pepper weren't bad, but others were sooo difficult to chew I had to toss some in the garbage. Not sure if that's how most of these frozen poblano peppers tend to be .. or if I just got a dud ... but that fact alone was disappointing. If the pepper was "on point" I would strongly recommend the dish. I mean it is vegetarian and has a whopping 22 grams of protein in it.  Just drink a bunch of water afterwards to help flush some of the added sodium out of you.

 

The dish is 350 calories or 9 points plus.