Trader Joe's Worst-Ranked Frozen Breakfast Item Can Be Saved With An English Muffin

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"Frozen breakfast" might not sound like the most appealing pair of words in the epicurean lexicon. Ready-to-heat brekky items are often guilty of overdoing it on the salt and underdoing it on the flavor. But, happily, Trader Joe's frozen breakfast foods prove the stereotype wrong. In Tasting Table's ranking of 10 Trader Joe's frozen breakfast items, none of the products we sampled were exceptionally bad. Still, one item had to come in last place, and by our count, it's the egg frittatas.

TJ's frozen egg frittatas comprise a hearty composition of 41% eggs and 25% Swiss cheese,  made even more savory by the addition of cauliflower and fried onions. They also deliver on the protein front with about 12 grams of protein per frittata – or, for a serving of two, 25 grams of protein at just 270 calories. It's a pretty impressive nutritional profile for such a convenience-centric snack, which can be warmed in the microwave. However, where these frittata rounds really shine is their small disc shape, which is ideal to neatly fit atop a sliced English muffin. As we mentioned in our review, they make an egg-cellent base for a breakfast sandwich. Just add a strip of bacon, a slice of white cheddar cheese, a swipe of mayo, and a small handful of peppery baby arugula for a quick yet complex sando. Or, these egg frittatas could also be topped with chipotle aioli or sriracha for a kick of spicy intrigue.

Some online product reviews echo our lukewarm opinion of TJ's frozen egg frittatas, which are overall enjoyable but not exceptional. Elsewhere online, however, it's worth noting that folks seem to enthusiastically like this product (price tag notwithstanding). A Reddit thread shares, "You know those products that you stock up on because you look forward to them on the daily? For me, the Swiss cheese/cauliflower egg frittatas were my favorite breakfast item. I've scoured two locations two times and they seem to be gone ..." Indeed, the fact that the product is still listed on the TJ's website indicates that it hasn't been discontinued, but rather has sold out.

Meanwhile, in another post, foodies recommend just making their own homemade egg frittatas, which are cheaper and more customizable. One commenter writes, "I picked these up tonight at mine to look at and was tempted, then I was turned off by the price/value. $3.29 for 2? Way too high." Currently, the 4.94-ounce two-pack of frozen egg frittatas (one serving) costs $3.49 on the grocer's website. Price point may be the chief deterrent here. TJ's frozen egg frittatas are high convenience and high protein, but not necessarily high value. 

Still, if you're digging the breakfast-sando-shortcut route, this upgrade can be a great opportunity to try our homemade English muffins recipe. The homemade taste of the bread can help further offset the frozen profile of TJ's convenience-centric egg frittatas. Or, store-bought English muffins totally work, too — especially the ones by Dave's Killer Bread, our favorite store-bought English muffin brand here at Tasting Table.