CLEVELAND, Ohio — cleveland.com’s Yadi Rodriguez and Brenda Cain kicked off the new year taste-testing a whopping 95 frozen appetizers found at grocery and big box stores.
While the national brands may play to your recognition factor because they are sold at several retailers across the country and touted in commercials, don’t discount the store brands. Manufactured and sold exclusively by a retailer, these often suffer from the “generic” handle placed on them for being a store brand.
While on the hunt for frozen appetizers — store brands and name brands alike — we found several store brand apps worthy of a shout out for their taste and uniqueness in the marketplace.
Check out our rankings below to see which store brand frozen apps are excellent choices for your table, regardless of the size of your soiree — whether it is a few friends, your pod, or just a treat for yourself.
We’ve spotlighted the best frozen appetizers we tried that are made by the following stores: Whole Foods, Aldi, Target, Walmart and Trader Joe’s.
We sampled three excellent appetizers from the 365 line at Whole Foods, two of which made our Top 20 overall.
Jalapeños & Cream Cheese small bites, 365
Box says: Made with spicy jalapeños and cream cheese.
Our thoughts: We kicked off the Top 20 with these tiny triangles, filled with chopped pieces of jalapeno and mixed into a creamy cheese filling so you get a kick with every bite. What makes these jalapeño bites different and stand out from all the others we tried is that the Jalapeños were chopped, and incorporated into the filling, so we didn’t have a large, soggy piece of jalapeño inside the breading. By incorporating the pepper into the filling, you get great Jalapeno flavor in every bite.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 280 | Fat 18g | Cholesterol 30mg | Sodium 380mg | Carbs 22g | Protein 7g
Buy it on Amazon $4.99 | Buy it at Whole Foods $4.99
Macaroni & Cheese small bites, 365
Box says: Macaroni and cheese made with real cheddar cheese.
Our thoughts: These are some of the smallest mac and cheese bites we found, but their big flavor stands up to any craving you have for a carb-heavy snack. Creamy, thick, and cheesy inside, wrapped in a crunchy outer shell. A real winner.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 210 | Fat 8g | Cholesterol 15mg | Sodium 340mg | Carbs 27g | Protein 8g
Buy it on Amazon $5.29 | Buy it at Whole Foods $5.29
Appetitos can be found at Aldi. We tasted three appetizers from the line, but the best, by far, was the Loaded Potato Skins, which ranked 67th overall.
Loaded Potato Skins, Appetitos
Loaded Potato Skins, Appetitos
Box says: Loaded potato skins with cheddar cheese and real Applewood smoked bacon.
Our thoughts: While the potato still had plenty of “meat” on the peel, it got hard upon cooking. There was lots of (is that American?) cheese, which didn’t fully melt, and the consistency was off. The adequate bacon stayed crispy and was flavorful.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 220 | Fat 17g | Cholesterol 15mg | Sodium 240mg | Carbs 13g | Protein 6g
Buy it on Instacart $2.75 | We bought it at Aldi’s for $2.49
Good & Gather is one of Target’s store brands. We tasted seven appetizers from the line during our sampling. Below we are featuring three, which all made our overall Top 10.
Brie & Berry Jam Bites, Good & Gather
Box says: Berry jam blend of blackberries, raspberries, strawberries in a flaky phyllo cup and topped with brie cheese.
Our thoughts: Is this a dessert or an appetizer? They could be either. Whether you are looking for sweet or savory, you’ll find it in this unique appetizer. The savory combo of cheesy goodness covers bright, tart berries delivered in a flaky, easy to eat cup. These little bites took the No. 8 spot in our overall ranking.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 280 | Fat 17g | Cholesterol 45mg | Sodium 240mg | Carbs 22g | Protein 7g
Buy it at Target $4.99
Uncured Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Good & Gather
Box says: Uncured bacon and Atlantic scallops.
Our thoughts: If your first thought is this appetizer is a little too fancy for your small gathering — or just an evening in — think again. First off, who doesn’t love bacon? Wrap it around a succulent, firm scallop and you have an explosion of taste in your mouth! And the toothpicks make this an easy grab-and-go bite. It may be a little greasy, but we repeat, who doesn’t love bacon? This one ranked No. 3 in our overall list of best appetizers.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 220 | Fat 17g | Cholesterol 40mg | Sodium 410mg | Carbs 3g | Protein 16g
Buy it at Target $7.99
Parmesan Pastry Wrapped Uncured Hot Dogs, Good & Gather
Box says: Topped with a blend of parmesan cheese, sesame, poppy and caraway seeds.
Our thoughts: These bites were our overall winner with their outstanding balance of flavor. A delightful aroma while baking primed our taste buds. The flaky dough browns up nicely and provides crunch in every bite. Not your usual hot dogs, these little meat bites will remind you of Lil Smokies. Just the right pastry-to-dog ratio, and the toasted seeds add additional texture, making this a delightful bite. Not your typical pigs in a blanket.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 230 | Fat 17g | Cholesterol 45mg | Sodium 380mg | Carbs 15g | Protein 7g
Buy it at Target $4.99
Many of these store-branded appetizers dominated our Top 20 when we tasted and ranked 95 frozen appetizers. (Photos by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
The Great Value brand is well known as Walmart’s store brand. We found three appetizers to try during our shopping excursions. The spinach dip came in ninth place.
Spinach, Artichoke & Gouda Dip, Great Value
Box says: Spinach, artichoke and gouda dip.
Our thoughts: This dip is packed with plenty of veggies — spinach, artichoke and onions — all of which retained their fresh flavor, in a rich and creamy cheese sauce. You can taste each ingredient individually, yet they meld together nicely. The perfect complement to your favorite cracker or chip.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 80 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 10mg | Sodium 220mg | Carbs 3g | Protein 4g
Buy it at Walmart $4.96
Market Pantry is the second store brand we found at Target. We tasted nine appetizers from this line but are giving a shoutout to only three, which ranked highest in our overall ranking.
Mini Cheeseburgers, Market Pantry
Box says: Beef patty with cheese on a bun.
Our thoughts: Way more bun than beef. Sufficient cheese. Be careful not to overcook these because the sweet bun gets crunchy. It is a decent bite, for what it is. This little patty came in No. 54 in our overall ranking.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 300 | Fat 12g | Cholesterol 40mg | Sodium 720mg | Carbs 30g | Protein 14g
Buy it at Target $3.49
Potato Skins, Market Pantry
Box says: Potato skins stuffed with cheddar cheese and fully cooked bacon.
Our thoughts: This is as solid a potato skin as you will find in the frozen app world. Nicely-sized potato with plenty of hearty toppings. It ranked 48th.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 230 | Fat 16g | Cholesterol 40mg | Sodium 510mg | Carbs 12g | Protein 8g
Buy it at Target $6.79
Boneless Chicken Bites – Honey Barbecue Flavored, Market Pantry
Box says: Breaded boneless skinless chicken breast chunks with rib meat coated with a sweet barbecue glaze, smoke flavor added, fully cooked.
Our thoughts: This was one of the few real chicken breast pieces — not processed — we found. Coated in a mild, slightly smoky, honey barbecue flavored sauce, this nugget is firm and meaty. It captured the No. 32 spot.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 180 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol 30mg | Sodium 490mg | Carbs 17g | Protein 12g
Buy it at Target $3.49
The Trader Joe’s brand speaks for itself. We tasted 10 appetizers, three of which made our Top 20.
Pastry Bites with Feta Cheese & Caramelized Onions, Trader Joe’s
Box says: Pastry bites with feta cheese and caramelized onions. No preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors.
Our thoughts: Sweet onion and a creamy cheese in puff pastry is a delicious bite that stands out amid so many of the same ‘ole, same ‘ole appetizers. It is a delicious combo of flavors in a bite-sized treat. This one ranked No. 19 in our overall standings.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 240 | Fat 18g | Cholesterol 65mg | Sodium 300mg | Carbs 15g | Protein 5g
We bought it at Trader Joe’s for $4.99
Mac and Cheese Bites, Trader Joe’s
Box says: Imagine the cheesiest bite of macaroni and cheese encased in a crispy outer coating. We have created the ultimate appetizer inspired by our popular Diner Mac & Cheese. They’re compact, they’re comforting, they’re cheesy and they’re delicious.
Our thoughts: While other mac bites are covered in a traditional breading, these bites have a decidedly panko coating, which takes ‘crispy’ to a new level. Inside, the noodles are firm and covered in a smooth sauce blended from several cheeses. Could have used a little salt though. These bites came placed 17th.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 10g | Cholesterol 25mg | Sodium 280mg | Carbs 19g | Protein 7g
We bought it at Trader Joe’s for $3.99
Pimento Cheese Puffs, Trader Joe’s
Box says: Puff pastry filled with pimento cheese, uncured bacon and caramelized onion.
Our thoughts: Adults who remember when Frank Ryan was throwing the ball around Cleveland Municipal Stadium will also remember that delicious pimento cheese that graced every table in the 1960s. Younger folks may find a new favorite snack with these tasty little bites filled with a spicy pimento cheese atop a flaky puff pastry. Just spicy enough to provide a nice little kick. Good balance of toppings. Nice change of pace from typical appetizers. Theses cheesy bites captured the No. 14 spot in our rankings.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 330 | Fat 25g | Cholesterol 65mg | Sodium 370mg | Carbs 20g | Protein 7g
We bought it at Trader Joe’s for $4.99
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