Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
Whether you are planning your next party, watching a game, or having a date night in check out my reviews on Trader Joe's appetizers. Quality can vary, fortunately, that's why you have this site!
From to the Spinach and Artichoke Dip to their very popular Hot and Spicy Chicken Wings to their Vegetable Bird's Nests, you'll find hundreds of reviews of Trader Joe's products and see which ones are worth your time and which ones you may want to consider leaving on the shelf!
For the past few weeks, I’ve been living out of whatever can be microwaved and eaten relatively quickly. Hopefully, in a few more weeks I’ll have a bit more time to get back in the kitchen and get cooking for real. But for right now, there are certain go-to items that I pick up and stock up on pretty much every time I go to Trader Joe’s. Soup dumplings and the Indian entrees are my standbys when things are getting tough in terms of time.
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I love a good dip. A dip is something that I usually order as an appetizer when I go out to eat. But sometimes there are quiet nights where we just watch TV, Netflix, or a movie on DVD. So we make ourselves a couple of drinks and enjoy snack food rather and a real meal. Of all the dips I’ve tried Trader Joe’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip is my favorite. …
Sorry for the time off. I think it is fair to say that, I was glued to the news like so many of you. And for the last few weeks like seems less and less normal by the day. So on my most recent shopping trip, I picked up a few essentials (after waiting in line but walked into a fully stocked store) and brought home enough groceries to last a bit. I’d rather not be part of the problem. So, I usually go shopping at Trader Joe’s twice a week to do small shops. Now, I’m probably going to do one larger shop every other week.
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So Trader Joe’s has hit us with three new dips: Trader Joe’s Buffalo Style Chicken Dip, Trader Joe’s Black Bean Dip, and Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Dip. So I figured I would start with this one since it is the most familiar.
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If it isn’t the dessert items that get you this time of year, then it will be the appetizers. And Trader Joe’s has no shortage of good appetizers. In fact, Trader Joe’s Pimento Cheese Puffs might remind you of an appetizer that did not make a return to shelves: Trader Joe’s Vegetable Puffs.
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If I’ve had one complaint in 2019 about Trader Joe’s, it is that I’ve tried too many snack related items. Not that I mind, I just look forward to the healthier options more. And only recently have some of those healthier options been hitting shelves. Like the recent Acai Bowl. Now that the weather is cooler, Trader Joe’s Pappa al Pomodoro is a quick meal that keeps the calories in check.
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Food fusion here. Now, if you are from Philly, let me apologize on behalf of Trader Joe’s. These do not do a good Philly Cheesesteak justice. But as far as bao go, the dough here is at least as good as the Pork Bao Buns. However, as a combination Trader Joe’s Philly Cheesesteak Bao Buns just don’t match the hype.
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Ever have a food combination that is so wrong it is almost right? Or so wrong, you should never have tried it in the first place but curiosity got the better of you. Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve see the combination of chocolate and hummus together. But since this is the only one I’ve purchased, then Trader Joe’s Chocolate Hummus will have to set the bar.
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Is there anything more comforting than Mac and Cheese? I didn’t think so until I ate Trader Joe’s Mac and Cheese Bites. How can Mac and Cheese be made better? Clearly, the answer is breading them and frying them. This is another item from the freezer section, but I would keep this to a crowd pleasing appetizer or snack.
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By the end of 2019, I’ll do another best of list. This year has been full of hits and misses and a heck of a lot of just ok products. Now, to be fair we haven’t even hit the Fall/Winter season when they hit us with the best of the best items. But in the meanwhile, you better believe that Trader Joe’s Pimento Cheese Dip will make the list of best of.
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Once again, a seasonal favorite has returned. It does not seem to have changed much from the previous review. If you are looking for a fully cooked skewer with pretty grill marks and full of Caribbean flavor, then for a frozen item, Trader Joe’s Grilled Jerk Chicken Thigh Skewers is pretty good overall.
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If we were to go out for sushi, you would probably see me with one roll of Spicy Salmon in front of me. There are certain cuisines that you just order again and again. I took a sushi making class. The most important lesson I learned was that I wasn’t going to be making sushi at home. But I now know I can get a good bit of the flavors in Trader Joe’s Spicy Salmon Gyoza.
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Does anyone else celebrate Taco Tuesday? I think we celebrate it on a lot of days during the week. I have a soft spot for nachos in particular. Who doesn’t love cheesy chips? I adore them. Just not Trader Joe’s Queso Dip. One of the cardinal rules of a dip is that it should never be watery or thin. This vegan dip does a better job of being cheesy than queso.
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Happy New Year! I hope 2019 is off to a good start for everyone. I spent a bit of the last week relaxing on the couch and spending time with Netflix, Hulu, and my other streaming services.
Last night I had found a new series on my Amazon Prime membership that I had not seen before. I grew up watching Emril Lagasse when I was a kid and a teenager. I think he is one of the many Food Network stars that helped inspire an entire generation of Foodies.
If you happen to be a prime member, the name of the show is Eat the World. It’s episode 2 that I got to watch last night which just happened to be about Shanghai Soup Dumplings. In the episode, they focused more on the traditional pork flavored dumpling: Xiao Long Bao. …
Let’s be honest for a second, whenever you get a “gift set” it would seem that there is at minimum at least one item you don’t truly care for. This might be true for anything sold as a set. Usually you get one item you really, really like and then you muddle through the other items. But here is a rare case where that did not ring true.
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For about a month, I’ve been putting together a list of the worst things I’ve had from Trader Joe’s. If this wasn’t seasonal, it would make the list. How bad was it? Well, the conversation in my household went something like this:
“How was lunch, honey?” my husband asked me.
“I’m making a new one,” I responded.
“Why?” he inquired.
“This was the biggest Trader No’s I’ve had in a while.” “Seriously?” “Seriously.”
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Cookie Butter had its year. I’m pretty sure 2018 was the year of Cauliflower. Are we seeing Jackfruit as the food item of the year for 2019? Perhaps, but time will tell. And it will all be based on how good the products coming out are. But for right now, there is now an additional frozen item that has jackfruit in it.
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My husband and I are suckers for having appetizers in the place of dinner. However, this box became just my dinner. I didn’t want to share these. Now, don’t judge me to harshly when I say, I like Chinese food better cold rather than fresh out of the takeout container. And there is a connection here.
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It’s cold as anything since Thanksgiving. We were just talking the other day at work how in New York we feel like we are down to having 2 seasons instead of the normal four. We all feel like we have summer or winter.
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The dessert aisle this year is killing me. So I’m taking a much needed break from it. So far I haven’t seen a ton of new appetizers yet. Perhaps it is too early to say, but I thought they would be out by Thanksgiving. Shelves in my local store have already been packed with Bacon Wrapped Scallops and dates and we’ve even seen the return of the Lemon Ricotta Cheese and Fondue in the cheese aisle.
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Every now and again, I get a chance to write a review that I’m truly excited to share. Not only is this product new, it is sadly labeled as seasonal. This is the time of year where Trader Joe’s tends to bring out its best products along with a new items I deem as Trader Nos.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Ham and Swiss Cheese Flaky Croissant are the newest to a growing line of croissant products. These are well priced compared to getting these already made.
The cons: These are squares instead of the rolled shape of a regular croissant. It was a touch doughy in the middle.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chipotle Black Bean Dip is a smokey and thick dip.
The cons: The smoke flavor is very strong with this one.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s 5 Cheese Greek Spiral is crispy and cheesy.
The cons: If there were 5 cheeses in this, then they became indistinguishable once they were baked together.
The verdict: …
