Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Cheddar Cheese
Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite places to buy cheese. I can always count on this store, which is a distant cousin to Aldi, to sell unique and delicious dairy products. Whether it’s blueberry vanilla goat cheese, caramelized onion cheddar cheese, or Unexpected Cheddar, the cheese aisle at TJ’s is pretty gourmet.
Something else Trader Joe’s is known for is its novel seasoning blends and condiments. There’s Crunchy Chili Onion, but perhaps one of the store’s most famous products is its Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend. This is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a jar filled with a mix of sesame seeds, sea salt flakes, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, black sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. It’s everything that you would find on an everything bagel, but without the bagel. I love sprinkling this seasoning blend on everything from cooked eggs and hashbrowns to avocado toast. I also have a baked chicken recipe that incorporates this seasoning, and certain family members request I make it often.
Trader Joe’s likes to incorporate some of its more popular products into other foods. There’s Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup, for instance. Or, in the summer 2024 Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer, I spotted Everything But the Bagel Cheddar Cheese. The package describes this as cheddar cheese “infused with Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning.”
Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Cheddar Cheese cost $4.99 for an 8-ounce package at the time of writing. That comes out to about 62 cents per ounce. You’ll find this in the refrigerated aisle near the other cheeses and, naturally, it is perishable and should be kept refrigerated.
If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains milk and sesame.
The full ingredients list is cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture, salt, microbial enzyme) and seasoning blend (sesame seeds, sea salt, minced garlic, minced onion, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds).
One package has eight 1-ounce servings. One serving will net you 120 calories, 10 grams of total fat (13% DV), 5 grams of saturated fat (25% DV), 290 mg of sodium (13% DV), 1 gram of total carbohydrates (0% DV), no dietary fiber, no total sugars or added sugars, and 7 grams of protein.
This is a rich-tasting cheese with a lot of flavor. A little goes a long way, whether you’re eating this on its own or with crackers or other charcuterie board foods. We could definitely taste the seasoning blend. The onion stands out flavor wise, but it’s not necessarily dominant, and the seasoning gives this an overall fairly complex flavor. This cheese did not last long in our house.
The Verdict:
Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Cheddar Cheese combines two of our favorite things: cheddar cheese and Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend. This is a rich cheese perfect for snacking or combining with other foods on a relish tray or charcuterie board. If you’re fond of everything but the bagel types of seasoning, give this cheese a try. You won’t regret it.
