Don't Buy This Trader Joe's Thanksgiving Item Unless You Want A Mushy Mess

Trader Joe's fans always look forward to the unique selection of seasonal products, from the pumpkin- and apple-heavy fall lineup to peppermint- and gingerbread-laden winter items. But the Thanksgiving lineup at Trader Joe's is especially helpful for those of us scrambling to make the annual feast. While many Trader Joe's holiday items are as delicious as they are convenient, others aren't worth a spot at the Thanksgiving table.

In our ranking of 17 different Trader Joe's Thanksgiving products, the brand's Cornbread Stuffing with dried cranberries, roasted apples, and savory herbs came in last place. Don't be fooled by the tasty description and misleading photograph on the front of the box. A sweet and savory cornbread stuffing sounds delicious, but all we tasted with this box was salt. In fact, it was so salty that the sweet and bright cranberries and caramelized roasted apples were completely lost.

But that wasn't the worst part. Where many stuffings are prone to drying out, TJ's Cornbread Stuffing had the opposite problem. We oven-baked the stuffing instead of microwaving it to achieve a crispy top, but even the dry heat of the oven couldn't penetrate the wet mush that this stuffing turned out to be. The texture was gummy, mushy, and almost congealed. Save yourself (and your Thanksgiving guests) the displeasure of eating salty glue by skipping this cornbread offering.

We weren't the only disappointed Trader Joe's customers. Redditors expressed similar grievances about the cornbread stuffing mix, with one Reddit user stating, "This is just moistened, unseasoned bread. It doesn't taste remotely like unseasoned cornbread even." While other Redditors thought the flavor was delicious, they also complained that the stuffing was soggy.

One Redditor wrote, "I have only had one pack this year so far, but it's weirdly more moist than I remember. If you have a lot of time, heating [it] up in the oven for like 30 minutes will also dry it out a bit." Since the oven method didn't work for us, others recommend pan-frying the stuffing to evaporate moisture and instill crispy edges. Another Redditor chimed in that "it was actually the best reheated the next day. Took some of the moisture out."

Instead of trying to fix Trader Joe's cornbread mix, save the time, effort, and oven space for the rest of your Thanksgiving dishes. There's no need to search for other options at a different grocery store, either. Trader Joe's has yet another cornbread stuffing mix that came in third place in our ranking for its herby, umami, and sweet flavor profile; balance of moisture and crisp; and just how easily it all came together. If you're feeling ambitious, you can always try out our cornbread and chorizo stuffing recipe, using a boxed cornbread mix as a shortcut.