{"id":8807,"date":"2025-05-13T21:13:53","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T01:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/?p=8807"},"modified":"2025-08-14T22:33:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T02:33:20","slug":"chef-gustavo-frozen-enchiladas-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/13\/chef-gustavo-frozen-enchiladas-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Chef Gustavo Frozen Enchiladas Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Author’s Note: As per always, this is not a paid review. These are my own silly opinions. I have no affiliation with Chef Gustavo<\/a> or Costco<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sing the ballad of the missing rice. Sing it with me!<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Welp. I liked the flavor of these gluten-free enchiladas. But, the portions are snack-sized. And there is a tragic rice deficiency. Very tragic indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These little frozen dudes come in a cardboard tray, which can be microwaved -or- baked in the oven. You get six chicken-and-cheese enchiladas in corn tortillas over a bed of rice. The top is covered in a crema sauce made with hatch green chiles and jalapenos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I opted to bake mine, which took about an hour total. You’re supposed to leave the plastic film intact, but cut a 2-inch slit in the top. And then remove the plastic five minutes before the enchiladas finish baking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Looking for a faster meal? Check out my review of Kevin’s Cilantro Lime Chicken<\/a>, which is also Gluten Free.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mine came out crisp on the edges, but soft through the center. Not soggy, but very tender. The corn tortillas have a good texture. However, the sauce seemed like it had dried out too much and gotten goopy \u2014 it was barely “sauce” by the time I served the enchiladas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flavors are deep and complex, with a noticeable kick of peppery heat that falls short of “spicy.” I enjoyed the visible red and green pepper pieces, and the hatch chile flavor was distinct. The crema sauce \u2014 even in its goopy glory \u2014 offered a lush creaminess. Even if<\/em> it was thick enough to be a solid. Hmmph! There’s a completely adequate amount of stretchy cheese intermingled with the crema sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The chicken is in small, soft blobs (not exactly “shredded”) that reminded me of canned or boiled chicken. I liked this much better than the more rubbery, jiggly, gristly chicken<\/a> that comes in some<\/em> prepared meals. Chef Gustavo’s rendition has an inoffensive<\/em> texture that neither excited nor disappointed me. There isn’t gobs<\/em> of chicken here \u2014 but, then, there really isn’t gobs of anything<\/em>. Alas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Speaking of that, the rice made me sad. Look, I like<\/em> carbs. I like rice. There was so little rice here, I almost got eyestrain looking for it. It’s a lightly seasoned yellow rice (“fiesta rice,” per the label), with a few sweet, chewy kernels of corn mixed in. The rice manages to not be mushy or overcooked. In fact, mine was nearly chewy<\/em>, but not in a bad way. If you like firmer rice grains, you will probably enjoy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Is risotto more your style? Check out my review of Aldi’s imported Italian Mushroom Risotto<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But, yeah. There should be more rice. I mean. Rice is a low-cost food, so why not add 50% more to the tray? Just saying. It wouldn’t take much to make our little rice-loving hearts happy. Just do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A serving is supposed to be one enchilada. This made me laugh. I am a small person, and not a glutton, but there is no way a single enchilada would satisfy me. An adult would need at least two. There are only 340 calories in a single serving (which includes the rice & sauce). That’s a snack<\/em>, not a full meal of calories. Unless you’re a supermodel. Or eight years old. Are you eight?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Side<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Anyway. I ate two. I also added a generous dollop of full-fat Greek yogurt<\/a> to mine (not pictured; use your imagination), in lieu of sour cream, which beefed up the calories and added a bit more creamy-tanginess. Paired with some Wild Wonders tomatoes, this became a satisfying meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients in Chef Gustavo Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the ingredients, from the label:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, these are pretty decent ingredients, overall. Pretty straightforward, and not scary. Although, I wish the Maltodextrin had been left out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information from the label:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n