Product Review: Joan’s Gluten-free Great Bakes English Muffins

I have tasted some of Joan’s GF Great Bakes products and reviewed them a while back, but I hadn’t had the chance to sample the English muffin. I was tweeting last week with another gluten-free friend, Jen, & she mentioned how much she loved Joan’s English muffins. She went on to say that they were her favorite gluten-free English muffin. That was all I needed to hear. I usually buy Trader Joe’s French rolls or Kinnikinnick’s English Muffins, as they are much less expensive. But, as I was walking down the frozen food aisle at Raisin Rack, it was like the Joan’s English muffins were calling out to me. I caved, and into my cart they went.

I have now tried these English muffins 3 different ways – as the base for a tuna melt, as a bun for my Sunshine burger and with some butter spread on it. I can’t figure out which way I like them best! I can’t believe how much these really do taste like “normal” English muffins. If I didn’t know better, I would swear I was eating an English muffin made by Thomas’s.

The muffins are simple to prepare. Just remove from the freezer and microwave for 30 seconds. Cut in half or use a fork to “work” open. Toast in toaster until desired doneness. There are nooks & crannies – there is a subtle crunch & then soft center. Now there is no going back. There is no not buying Joan’s. A bonus – there are 6 English muffins in each package of Joan’s versus only 4 in the Trader Joe’s & Kinnikinnick muffins. So, while Joan’s is still a little more expensive per muffin, they are well worth their weight in gold.

Here is the Tuna Melt recipe I mentioned above:

1 can or 1 pouch of tuna (packed in water)
1-3 tsps. Greek yogurt (I like Oikos. To your own taste…I like 1-1.5 tsps)
Squirt of spicy brown mustard
1 tsp of sweet pickle relish
Sriracha sauce (to your taste….very spicy so add a little at a time…a little goes a long way)
Chopped celery (1-2 TBSP)
Squirt of lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper
Cheese of choice

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl & mix well. Taste to make sure it is to your liking. Add more of whatever you like. Remember, start with less, you can always add more.

2. Toast your bread, roll, bagel.

3. Top your bread with tuna salad & then top with your cheese of choice. I like to use Swiss or extra sharp cheddar. Lately I have been using a sharp Vermont white cheddar.

4. Pop under broiler in your over or toaster oven until it is all melty.

5. Enjoy!! I will sometimes add a grape tomato to the top or a fresh sliced tomato. YUM!

You can find Joan’s Gluten-free Great Bakes products at Raisin Rack on Schrock Rd in Westerville. They are $13 for a package of 6.

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“Author Information: Kimberly Bouldin, Columbus OH
My Gluten-Free Blog: http://glutenfreeislife.com/
Columbus Gluten-Free Food Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/x-15655-Columbus-GlutenFree-Food-Examiner
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