The $4.99 Trader Joe's Freezer Find I Always Keep Stocked
These bite-sized snacks are great for stress-free parties.
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One thing I miss about the Philippines is the hospitality of the people. As someone born and raised there, I have embraced the cultural practice of showing generosity, respect, and kindness to others. There are many ways to show Filipino hospitality, but for me it means offering guests homemade dishes like longganisa wontons and lumpia Shanghai (spring rolls).
However, preparing these foods from scratch can take time. Finding ingredients alone can be challenging especially if you don’t live near a Filipino grocery store. In New York where I live, there aren’t many Filipino stores nearby so whenever I host parties, I either have to tweak recipes and substitute ingredients or buy easy snacks, like Trader Joe’s Jalapeño & Cream Cheese Crispy Wontons.
Why I Love Trader Joe’s Jalapeño & Cream Cheese Crispy Wontons
In my search for the ideal party snack, I looked for something crispy and crunchy, but also creamy and cheesy, and hot and spicy. So when I stumbled upon Trader Joe’s Jalapeño & Cream Cheese Crispy Wontons they piqued my interest and immediately made their way into my cart.
Each box contains 12 bite-sized wontons filled with a mixture of cream cheese, savory Parmesan, diced jalapeños, and seasonings. The square-shaped wonton wrappers look as if they were meticulously folded by hand one by one. Once prepared, the wonton wrappers aren't too thick or oily, and the tasty filling is creamy and cheesy with a spicy kick.
Though the wontons are frozen, they don't have a "frozen" or warmed-over taste. When I served them to guests, they were a real crowd-pleaser and everyone thought I made them from scratch. They were so popular that I had to remind everyone to save room for the main course and dessert.
Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Retailers Below
How To Serve Trader Joe’s Jalapeño & Cream Cheese Crispy Wontons
These crispy wontons take less than 15 minutes to prepare. I line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread the wontons out on it, and bake the wontons at 400°F for 12 minutes.
Since I like uber-crisp wontons, I experimented with different baking times. At 10 minutes, the edges are crispy but the middle of the wonton wrapper came out soft. After 12 minutes, however, the middle is a little crispier with a golden-brown color and a delightful crunch.
The wontons are best eaten straight from the oven (or air fryer). The filling gets hot, so let them rest for two minutes to keep from burning your tongue. They can be eaten as-is, but I like to serve them with umami-rich Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce or Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili Sauce. Wash them down with a glass of cold beer to balance the saltiness of the cheese.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes.
