Frozen foodsare popular for a lot of reasons.
For starters, they’re convenient and they can last a really long time in your freezer.
For me,meatballsare one of those sacred things.
Photos: Cooked Perfect, Harris Teeter, Mama Lucia, Impossible Foods. Design: Eat This, Not That!
The only meatballs I’ve ever really known (or, frankly, cared to know) are homemade.
So, I’ll admit that it can be useful to at least have the frozen option.
Then, I dug in to try each one.
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
A 28-ounce bag cost $9.99.
The Look: These actually look very nice, and the size is good, too.
The Taste:Dry.
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
Wow, this is dry!
The issue with a meatball that only contains turkey is that turkey is a notoriously dry meat.
This meatball is glistening with fat.
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
The Taste: Just the way it looksfatty.
This seems more like 20-80.
What makes them Italian?
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
I’m guessing it’s the parmesan cheese listed among the ingredients.
A 16-ounce package cost $5.49.
However, this is still not big enough for my liking.
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
The Taste:If this is “Italian,” thenItaliais a lot blander than I thought.
The seasoning is subpar, and I’m getting a gamey flavor from the meat itself.
It’s not the worst, but it’s certainly not the best of the meatballs I tried.
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
It’s just bland and a bit off-tasting.
But the size and texture are all there.
Also, look, am I a nutritionist?
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
No, I’m a human garbage can.
However, even I know that trans fats are bad.
you might get a way tastier meatball without trans fats and just take that health risk away.
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
A 16-ounce bag cost $7.49.
The Look: Hilariously small.
The Taste: Serviceable.
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
you’re able to do much better, but you’re able to also do much worse.
All the right things are here.
It’s well seasoned.
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
I can taste herbs.
But, the meat could be higher quality and the meatball could be a lot less dense.
A 28-ounce bag cost $10.99.
Photo: Robby Haynos, Eat This, Not That!
The Look: Tiny.
Why is this meatball so small?
I cannot comprehend wanting a meatball this hilariously small.
Robby Haynos for Eat This, Not That!
It won’t add much flavor to your sauce.
It won’t give you much meat, either, and it’s absurdly easy to overcook.
The Taste: Pretty great, actually.
The seasoning is not bad, either.
This meatball has a great flavor, especially for a meat alternative.My only gripe is textural.
It has too much bite compared to a real meatball.
Whether you’re vegan or not, you’ll enjoy these.
