tofurky pockets and quiches

Press Sample

Tofurky Sausage and Veggie Quiche with a shaved fennel, orange and onion salad I threw together

A few months ago, the nice folks at Tofurky sent me samples of their then-new Tofurky Pockets and Pies to review.  I guess they figured since I had just written a vegan pie cookbook I'd have a strong opinion. I'm not a frozen dinner or convenience foods aficionado. If I'm too tired to cook, I will usually just eat a salad, defrost leftovers or order in. In some ways, this fact made me the perfect reviewer to try these quick meals.

Here's what I got: BBQ "Chick'n" Pocket, Pepperoni Pizza Pocket, "Turkey" Broccoli and Cheddar Pocket, Chick'n Pot Pie and Sausage and Veggie Quiche. See specific notes below.


First up was the Pepperoni Pizza Pocket. I made it in the oven. I liked the spice combination but it was not the best crust – kind of cardboard-like. Still, I would probably eat this pocket in a pinch. Only 5 grams of fat and 290 calories for the whole pocket. Pockets come 2 in a box, so the price point is good.

Next, I sampled the Pot Pie. I baked it in the oven, but there's a microwave option. The upside was that it tasted delicious, in an all-American, carby, "I need comfort now" sort of way. It reminded me of frozen pot pie from my childhood. This is what you eat after a bad day at the office, after a break-up or in the middle of a blizzard. The crust tasted flaky, but a bit dry and processed.

The downside? The nutrition panel. With 33 grams of fat, 14 of them saturated, and 520 calories for a pie, it's a splurge for sure and not an everyday standby. I'm a scrappy girl. I tried to cut it in half and to feel satisfied only eating half. But I couldn't. You have to eat the whole floury thing. Good thing I'm not a carb counter, because this little number contains 45 grams. The long ingredient list also scared me, even though most of them are recognizable. The crust was better than the pocket crust, but it still tasted processed. 

I liked the Tofurky Turkey and Cheddar Pocket much more than the Pepperoni Pocket. It was, as you can see, very cheddary.  Like the Pepperoni, this also contained 5 grams of fat and 290 calories. Not bad. 

The BBQ Chick'n Pocket was enjoyable. Then again, I'm a sucker for BBQ sauce. It was chewy in a way I think transitioning meat eaters would enjoy. Somehow this one only contained 4 grams of fat and 290 calories. 

My favorite of the bunch was the Sausage and Veggie Quiche. I made it tonight, and decided to try the microwave option since it's so hot outside. Microwaving agrees with this quiche. The crust turned out flaky and moist, unlike the pot pie and pocket crusts. I'm convinced that the microwaving helped. The texture of quiche itself was also moist, and similar to a homemade quiche. I'm already a fan of Tofurky Italian sausages, and they are happily peppered throughout this quiche, along with sweet-hot red peppers. The only downside –520 calories and [gulp!] 28 grams of fat. I tried to eat only half, but I was still hungry so down the hatch the whole thing went.

Here's my summary:
All in all, I think they're good products, perfect when you're too tired to cook. But given their nutrition profile, consider them treats, not to be consumed daily.
The good: Vegan. Convenient. Comforting. No isolates, preservatives or artificial ingredients.  Easy to prepare after a long day. Reputable, ethical company, vehemently non-GMO. Satisfying because the protein fills you up.
The not-so-good: Ingredient list, although relatively healthy, is a bit too long for my taste. Carb heavy. Pies are very fat-heavy. No gluten-free options.

Tips: 

• Wondering which one to try? Get the Quiche! Microwave it and eat it with a fresh salad.
• Get a 75 cents off coupon here
• Read the Laziest Vegans in the World review of the Pepperoni Pockets [very different than mine] here