I was so shocked at the flavour Co-op was able to pack into an air fryable party snack
We love lasagne in my house. So much so that it was our meal of choice at Easter and my husband regularly requests it rather than a cake for his birthday.
So when Co-op showcased their festive party food for the Christmas season, I was very skeptical to see ‘lasagne bites’ on the menu. Instantly my mind hated the idea – how could you do that to lasagne?
Resisting the urge to call the Italian embassy, I thought I should give them a chance before I report a culinary crime. I tried out the Co-op’s lasagne bites along with a selection of their party range, so here is my rundown of what you might want to serve your guests this Christmas.
BBQ Beef Baubles
258g – £3.50
I had high hopes for the BBQ Beef Baubles, as they smelt really well seasoned when I cooked them. Adding the BBQ sauce is a little messy halfway through cooking.
They did look appetising, and the flavours were there: the meat was well seasoned, and the BBQ sauce was lovely, sticky, and sweet with some smoky tones. But it was the texture that confused me. The meat was so soft when I first bit into the bauble that I thought I had undercooked it (I hadn’t).
It just felt over-processed and that took away from the flavours, I am not sure I would serve these at Christmas time. 4/5
Irresistible Mini Cheeseburger Sliders
286g – £5
These mini cheeseburgers are super cute. I was initially worried about the cheese in the centre, but they cooked well in the air fryer and they fit on the tiny buns perfectly.
The buns were not as soft as I thought they would be, but the burger was nicely seasoned, and the smoky tomato ketchup they came with had a nice barbecue note to it. There is just one thing: like the BBQ Beef Baubles, the meat has a very soft and over-processed texture, which some people may prefer.
I am not saying I want my burgers to be chewy, but they are softer than I expected, so was a little off-putting. The texture aside, you could easily add your own additions to these and make cute custom sliders. 5/10
Katsu Bites
200g – £3.50
These are a good size and have a light and fragrant taste from the Katsu and carrot rice and the creamy coconut adds a little sweetness against the aromatic herbs. The other crumb is fairly basic and it could have gone bigger on the flavour overall.
It is a very mild spice, but warming and an interesting addition to any party buffet. 6/10
Mini Toad in the Holes
150g – £3.50
These are so cute in the baking paper cases. The tiny sausages had a nice herby flavour and the sausage browned nicely on the top. The Yorkshire pudding also has a good level of herbs, and was beautiful and golden on top.
The bottom can seem a little dense and thick, but I like Yorkshire puddings like that, or light and crisp, or, well anyway, what is not to love about a Yorkshire. While I had no issue with the texture, some might.
I thought these were a really nice addition to a party range but it did make me want to reach for some gravy. 7/10
Irresistible Prawn Toast Tacos with Mango and Sweet Chilli Salsa Dip
206g – £5
These are a cute variation on the classic prawn toast. They could have crisped up a little more in the cooking time, but they had a nice flavour with a touch of lemongrass coming through – though not too much as it can be overpowering so I was really happy with the balance.
There is a good amount of the king prawns inside and the sesame seed edges are lovely. The mango and sweet chilli dip goes great with the mini tacos, although I struggled to taste the mango. These are a nice twist, but I did find myself craving actual prawn toast instead. 7/10
Lasagne Bites
200g – £3.50
I was ready to hate these. Not because I am a lasagne purist or anything, just because I could not see how you could get the lasagne taste in an air fryable form.
And yet… what does it taste of? Lasagne. They actually did it. It has a nice crumb on the outside and then you get small pieces of pasta with a rich tomato sauce and a wonderfully creamy bechamel cheese sauce. I was kind of stunned.
They are wonderful mouthfuls of lasagne from the air fryer in eight minutes. They are at their best when they are piping hot, when the cheesy sauce is ready to burst. They are definitely worth the £3.50. 10/10
Shop the Christmas food range at Co-op here.