5 Frozen Bowl And Basket Snacks From Shoprite You Should Try And 4 To Skip

Bowl and Basket is the store brand for Shoprite, and it can be very hit or miss on product quality. For example, their Strawberry Fruit Bars were one of the best frozen popsicles in a recent review, but their Mesquite Barbeque Kettle Chips came in dead last in a ranking of BBQ potato chip brands. In summary? Some Bowl and Basket products are fantastic, and others are downright unpalatable. Knowing which products to opt for and which to leave on the shelves can help you save some money, and frozen snacks are an excellent place to start.

Bowl and Basket has a range of frozen snacks that run the gamut from ice cream to potstickers. But, not all of them are worth your hard-earned money. Thankfully, you don't have to undertake any trial and error on your own because I had the opportunity to try nine unique Bowl and Basket snacks to see if they're worthwhile. To do this, I relied on my food industry experience and extensive consumership of Shoprite brand products. You can find a full explanation of my methodology at the end of this article.

Ready to discover which Bowl and Basket frozen snacks you should add to your shopping list? Here's five you should try and four you should skip.

One thing I like right off the bat about these Bowl and Basket Chicken and Vegetable Egg Rolls is that they are lactose free and feature no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. This makes them a suitable snack choice for those that are lactose intolerant or who are being more health conscious about their snack choices. One thing to be aware of, however, is that a single egg roll contains about 15% of your daily sodium, so anyone needing to limit their salt intake should eat sparingly or avoid these.

When cooked according to the instructions, these egg rolls turn out crispy on the outside, with a soft, slightly wet feeling inside the crust — this is exactly what I expect from this kind of product. The flavor profile is excellent, featuring a predominantly umami and earthy taste with slight starchy tones and a touch of saltiness. Truthfully, you don't even need a dipping sauce when you eat these, although I enjoyed pairing them with a homemade sweet and sour sauce. Definitely throw these on your shopping list so you can try them.

If you're looking for a store brand alternative to your favorite Bagel Bites, these aren't the answer. Truthfully, you're better off just paying the extra dollar or two to get something that's at least palatable.

My biggest problem with the Bowl and Basket Cheese and Pepperoni Mini Pizza Bagels is that they taste artificial — everything about them is a little fake with occasional notes of chemicals. The pepperoni here, in particular, tastes extra artificial and incredibly low quality, which is something I prefer to avoid (especially in a food where it's one of the dominant ingredients).

My second largest problem, however, is that these don't cook right if you follow the instructions printed on the box. Truthfully, even after some playing around with it, I haven't found a way that they do cook well. The issue is that they come out too crispy in some areas and too soggy in others, which makes the entire thing undesirable. Skip these and stick to the name brand options if you're craving mini pizza bagels.

Hoping to find a budget breakfast option that the kids (and you) will love? You're in luck, because Bowl and Basket Cinnamon French Toast Bites are exactly what you've been looking for. I love these for several reasons.

The most important reason you should try these is that they have a fantastic taste and texture. The taste is warm and sweet, with distinctly buttery starch tones throughout. The texture is fluffy on the inside with a soft, slightly eggy exterior with crisp edges — exactly what I look for in my French toast. The size of these is another selling point for me as a mom. They're small squares instead of larger rectangles, which makes them a better serving size for little ones and easier for people of any age to eat with a fork, no cutting required.

Another reason I like these is that they're incredibly convenient. With just a short time in the microwave, you have a delicious breakfast that can be eaten on its own or served with other items. Definitely give these a try if you're looking for a quick but delicious breakfast item.

I'd like to preface this by saying that the Bowl and Basket Mini Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches aren't awful, but they are very plain and mediocre. I do like to give credit where it's due, however, so I'll take a second to say I love the sizing of these. Again, as a mom, I often look for items that are a little smaller (or easier to make smaller) for my youngest child.

That being said, I'm just not a fan of these. The chocolate exterior has almost no flavor at all, and definitely no chocolatey tones come through — it's like eating a wet piece of unflavored dough more than anything. While the ice cream isn't bad, it doesn't have a very strong flavor either, which further negates from the overall experience of eating one of these ice cream sandwiches.

If you want a good dessert item, this isn't it. I suggest either opting for the other dessert item you'll read about later on this list, or else spending a few extra dollars for a name brand ice cream sandwich option. Trust me, these won't satisfy your sweet tooth to any degree.

I hadn't tried Mac and Cheese Bites before this option from Bowl and Basket. The closest thing I'd had prior is baked Mac and Cheese, which has a similar textural profile to these — and since I'm a fan of that, it worked out really well. That texture is complex, featuring creaminess from the cheese, softness from the macaroni, and crispness from the breading.

The taste is also complex and multi-faceted. The cheese provides the dominant flavor profile of creaminess interspersed with a mild umami, while the macaroni adds a cooked starch flavor I can only describe as definitively pasta. With each bite, you also receive the crisp starchiness of the breading and a bit of earthiness from what I imagine is Italian seasoning (but I don't know that for sure).

Overall, I have only good things to say about these Mac and Cheese Bites. Definitely pick some up on your next Shoprite trip to see what the fuss is about.

I wanted to love these mozzarella sticks since it's a product we keep in the house at almost all times and these could save me a few bucks. Unfortunately, that just didn't end up being the case because the Bowl and Basket Mozzarella Sticks are pretty awful.

The cheese here tastes artificial, which is a big deal breaker in a product primarily consisting of cheese. Then, the breading doesn't cook quite as crispy as I prefer when made according to the instructions on the box. I also had to cook the mozzarella sticks longer than instructed to get the cheese inside to melt — and, when I did this, it went straight from cold and un-melted to oozing out of the sides in no time flat. This was disappointing and I lost a bit of the cheese this way. 

There's also no seasoning of note (at least that I can taste), despite these sticks looking heavily seasoned. This leaves the whole product tasting predominately like chemicals with no counter profile to negate it. Definitely skip this in favor of better tasting frozen snacks on this list, or else stick to name brand mozzarella stick options.

If you need an affordable sweet treat to keep in your freezer, these Bowl and Basket Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream Cups are exactly what you're looking for. They're a great serving size for children or adults alike, satisfying a craving without being too much. One half of the ice cream has a nice light vanilla bean taste, while the other half has a robust chocolatey flavor profile — of course, the whole thing is decadent and creamy.

One thing I like is that there's just enough room on top of these ice cream cups for a tiny bit of topping once you pull off the lid. I personally like to add a spoonful (or two, max) of fudge topping, but you could also opt for a little caramel, chocolate sauce, or fruit topping. Consider adding a pinch of sprinkles on top for a pop of color and whimsy. And, you can do all of this without dirtying a bowl, which is the best part for me.

Grab yourself a bag of these ice cream cups so you always have a little something sweet on hand. You can also choose from other flavors if you prefer — all of the options are fantastic, and include plain vanilla, plain chocolate, or strawberry.

Since they both have what essentially sounds like the same filling, I thought these Bowl and Basket Chicken and Vegetable Potstickers would be as good as the egg rolls. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, which I found super disappointing.

Instead of a nice, balanced earthy taste, these came off overly earthy, like eating grass sprinkled with dirt. I couldn't taste the chicken at all, and there was no discernible seasoning — unless whatever they used was the cause of the grass flavor. Worst of all, the dough tasted more uncooked than steamed when made according to the instructions. When cooked just a little longer (about 30 seconds) in the microwave, the issue is slightly resolved, but not entirely. Even dipping sauce can't help these.

Skip these in lieu of the egg rolls if you're looking for a chicken and vegetable snack. And, if you brave these despite my warning, go ahead and add some extra seconds to the timer because they won't be cooked thoroughly otherwise.

I love stuffed jalapeños and these Bowl and Basket Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños represent everything I so love about the dish. The interior is a little sweet with a moderate kick of spice that's not overwhelming — this is fantastic because I've run into the issue in the past where these were all heat with no flavor or no spice at all. There's a little starchiness and creaminess in the profile, thanks to the cream cheese and breading. A textural complexity of crunchy, grainy, and creamy elevates the eating experience for me.

These jalapeño poppers are bite-sized, so you can eat them on-the-go if you want. Several times, I've wrapped a few up in a napkin on my way out the door for a quick, convenient snack. Overall, these are one of the best stuffed jalapeño snacks I've ever had, and one area where Bowl and Basket undoubtedly shines.

If you like spicy foods, grab yourself a box of these on your next Shoprite shopping trip. Trust me, you won't regret it.

I chose Bowl and Basket snacks for inclusion in this ranking list based on their availability to me at my local Shoprite in Vineland, New Jersey. I judged each option based on taste alone since all chosen options were similar in affordability.

To make my determinations, I relied primarily on more than fifteen years of food industry experience and extensive experience undertaking ranking and review articles here at Daily Meal. Decades of being a consumer of Bowl and Basket brand products also factored into my decisions, providing a baseline for my expectations. Although personal preference plays a role in this ranking, I aim to be as unbiased about sheer product quality as possible.