Trader Joe's Chicken Tikka Masala - Frozen Meal Friday Part 2

After I picked up my girls from school, we headed to the Trader Joe's in Winter Park to check out their stock of pumpkin products.  I saw two favorites from last year, pumpkin butter and gluten free pumpkin pancake mix, and Pumpkin O's cereal, which I have never seen before.  I rarely eat cereal, but I bought a couple of boxes, because I wanted to try it, and thought my husband might enjoy it.

While shopping for everything pumpkin, I saw Trader Joe's Chicken Tikka Masala in the freezer section, and was happy to see the gluten free label on the front of the box.  According to their website, products that are labeled gluten free at Trader Joe's have been tested to contain less than 20 ppm of gluten.

When I spotted Trader Joe's Chicken Tikka Masala, I was very excited, because I hadn't made any plans for dinner, which was just an hour away.  When my husband is not home to clean up dinner, I try to keep things easy, so it was the perfect time for a Frozen Meal Friday.

I cooked our meals one at a time in the microwave, first for three minutes on high, then I stirred the chicken and sauce portion of the meal, recovered it, and cooked it for 30 seconds more.  They all turned out perfectly.  The meals were heated evenly, and the meat was nice and tender.  The sauce leaked a bit into the rice, but that didn't bother me, because I combined the two.

I was a little shocked at how much I enjoyed this meal.  My expectation of microwave meals is not too high, but Trader Joe's Chicken Tikka Masala far exceeded my expectations.  The rice was cooked perfectly, and the sauce had a spicy kick to it that I really loved.  Thankfully, it wasn't too spicy for my daughters, who both gave this meal a big thumbs up.  Not only did it taste great, but I was able to clean up in just a couple of minutes.

As far as allergens go, Trader Joe's Chicken Tikka Masala contains milk and cashews.  The portion size was nice for a light dinner, and the meal is just 360 calories.

You can view Trader Joe's list of gluten free products here.

January 15, 2016 Update - When I stopped at Trader Joe's earlier this week, I noticed that the chicken tikka masala had won their 2015 Customer Choice Award.  The meal seems to be a bit spicier than I remember it being when I first tried it.  I still enjoy it, but my daughters are not eating much of the sauce anymore, because it is so spicy.

What are your favorite gluten free products at Trader Joe's?