The Frozen Kroger Dinner Some Shoppers Have Called 'Salty And Tasteless'

We're perennial fans of shopping at Kroger — just check out one of our monthly lists of the best new items to buy there — and we generally have no qualms with the chain's house brands. Short of shopping at a salvage grocery store, choosing private label goods at any grocery  (not just Kroger) is a smart and sensible way to put a few cents back in your wallet when shopping for household necessities and pantry staples. Kroger, in particular, boasts about the fact that its house labels offer high quality at impressive prices. That may be true overall, but, as is almost always the case at any grocer, some items just don't make the grade. Such is the case with Kroger's frozen cheese tortellini, which, as of this writing, sported a dismal average rating of just 2.24 out of 5 stars.

"Toxic tortellini!" one review spat. "These are absolutely terrible. Please just spend the extra money and get a better brand. These taste like chemicals!" Another one-star rating, accompanied by a review simply titled "Yuck," also griped about the taste: "These were terrible. Tasted like dough." Spelling matters out further, another dissatisfied buyer expounded on the bad taste: "I don't usually write reviews for food on here but these were so terrible I thought I should. The cheese filling is incredibly salty, so much so that I found it inedible, and it doesn't taste like cheese." A buyer that was more nuanced in their criticism, springing for a two-star rating, was philosophical: "Very doughy and needs seasoning but worth buying for a cheap easy meal."

Usually, when we encounter grocery store items with a lot of bad reviews, there are at least a few customers who go to bat for the controversial purchase. Taste is subjective, and one shopper's "yuck" may be another's "yum." Yet, it was hard to find any positive remarks about Kroger's frozen cheese tortellini, although at least one person liked the addition of nutmeg to the cheesy filling. 

Regarding that cheesy filling, however, many folks stated that it was largely absent. The dough was too doughy, and the cheese was lacking for many reviewers. Sometimes, drowning subpar pasta in one of the best store-bought pasta sauce brands can cover a multitude of sins, but we're not positive that anything can redeem this particular dish. Two words spring to mind when we think of readers trying out these pasta pockets: caveat emptor, or buyer beware.

As of this writing, the offending tortellini was selling for just under $5 per bag, which, to be fair, is a bargain when compared to some of Kroger's other in-stock tortellini and ravioli brands. We can't help but feel, however, that money "saved" on food that's unenjoyable isn't really a net benefit for your bank account. Frozen tortellini is a fantastic convenience food that's great for smothering with sauce on a weeknight or floating in some savory soup, but we're inclined to suggest you stay away from Kroger's house brand until major changes happen.