Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
Some of Trader Joe's most popular items are in the frozen section. But quality can vary, fortunately, that's why you have this site!
From the Chicken Tikka Masala to the Sweet Potato Gnocchi to their very popular Cauliflower Gnocchi find hundreds of reviews of Trader Joe's frozen products and see which ones are worth your time and which ones you may want to consider leaving on the shelf!
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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Trader Joe’s is finally bringing us some real food in addition to a whole bunch of snacks. So if Trader Joe’s Shakshuka Starter is in any way unfamiliar to you, perhaps you are more familiar with a similar dish that can easily be made at home: eggs in purgatory. What’s the difference you ask? Here, the difference is spice.
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Well, I can now say, I feel like I’ve seen it all. Or now I can say, and now I’ve tried them all. Trader Joe’s offers no shortage of gnocchi offerings. Ranging from the basic Gnocchi Sorrentina, to the more cheesy Gnocchi Gorgonzola, to Sweet Potato Gnocchi to the non-potato based Cauliflower Gnocchi. Now, Trader Joe’s is playing with the order of things. Now, Trader Joe’s Outside In Stuffed Gnocchi have the familiar topping of the Gnocchi Sorrentina on the inside.
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If the Skittles slogan is “Taste the Rainbow,” then someone was thinking “Taste the green pizza.” Well, I tasted it. It tastes about as attractive as it looks. A pizza made with spirulina would have made for a prettier pie.
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Confession time: It’s the second time in two days I’ve been to Trader Joes, forgive me, I went on a Sunday and it seems like food was going out of fashion, especially in the frozen section. I wasn’t actually there for this product. I was actually looking for Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter and Sage.
I adored it.
But like many things at Trader Joe’s they like to tease you with great items and come back and try something new every time. So, this is my new bag of gnocchi: Trader Joe’s Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. In plain English it’s regular gnocchi with tomato sauce and some cheese….
Most of the new products hitting shelves this week aren’t of the healthy nature: there are new almond butter cups, candy coated peanuts, and this Blushing Apple Tart. So snacks and dessert items seem to be the order of the day. Trader Joe’s Blushing Apple Tart is the new addition in the freezer aisle.
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So if I’m going to do all these bread reviews, it’s only fair to share something that could use some bread. Or something for all that bread to sop up. I love a good sauce, but with almost a foot of snow being predicted by the weekend, I was thinking about some hearty meal planning and lots of staying indoors by the weekend.
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Let me apologize in advance if my reviews seem carb heavy. Because most of the new items hitting shelves are for some reason breads. I thought I was done reviewing bread last week when I tried Chocolate Chip Pain Au Lait. Nope, not only does the frozen Indian section have a new bread, there is also a pancake bread (review to show up in the near future). So while Trader Joe’s does an excellent job of serving certain food communities, I feel like the low carb crowd might be left out here a bit.
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Well, it wouldn’t be the beginning of the year without looking at the lighter options available at Trader Joe’s. Now, I’ve had my fair share of Mac and Cheese offerings from the Pepperoni Mac and Cheese, Truffle Mac and Cheese, Gluten Free Mac and Cheese, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, and Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese. And yes, they are mostly pretty good.
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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. …
Well, after having some of Trader Joe’s Brookies, I guess my next view has to be some lighter fare. And just in time for dieting season is this frozen entree. From what I’ve been seeing posted around the internet, there are going to be some new additions in the freezer aisle. Certain items are scheduled to be discontinued like Trader Joe’s Cream Cheese Broiche Pastries, their French Toast, and even the tasty Sunflower Seed Drops are rumored to be discontinued. So with extra freezer room, I guess we will be seeing new items hitting shelves.
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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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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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Let me apologize in advance for all the goodies that are going to be posted on this blog over the next month. I like reviewing real food, but this time of year all the goodies are out. Including this fancy breakfast/dessert that is so fancy it didn’t feel like it needed the “e” in chocolat.
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If I were to admit to the food pairings that I like most, it would probably be chocolate and peppermint. If I stop at a Starbucks, there is a peppermint mocha frappuccino in my future. If I go to the movies, I reach for Junior Mints. There is something about the pairing of those flavors that make my taste buds very happy.
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With the holidays nearly upon us, there are so many new things hitting shelves. Some are clearly meant for the Winter holidays while others are just for the Thanksgiving holiday. I’m not sure which category this is meant for, but this is another option as a side dish if you normally go through the refrigerated aisle for your sides.
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Donuts. There is a food item that has such powerful food memories attached to them. Done right they can instantly make you smile. In fact, donuts instantly make me think of certain pop culture icons: Homer Simpson and Fred the Baker from the Dunkin Donuts commercials instantly come to mind. It’s those cultural icons to which we have to thank for phrases like “Mmmmm….Donuts” and “Time to make the donuts.”
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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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Like Cinderella, at the stroke of midnight, all things pumpkin seems to have disappeared. The shelf space is quickly being shifted into Thanksgiving and holiday items. In fact, I got to pick up some old favorites like Brandy Beans and Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Stirring Spoons as stocking stuffers. With the next Fearless Flyer landing Monday, it isn’t a shock to see so many new items.
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Easy as pie. Or at least that is how the saying goes. But what about the gluten-free crowd? Making pie without flour can be a bit of a challenge. However, just in time for the holiday season is Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pie Crust in the freezer section. It’s already shaped and even has its own pie tin too. But how does it compare to a non gluten-free crust?
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Well, well, well. It seems like I’ve seen this packaging before. But Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Pizza Crust packaging is darn similar to another item. If you pick up Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Crust, then you might accidentally find yourself picking up this product instead. Fortunately, not only is the packaging similar, so are the end products.
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If one good thing is coming from the new products on the shelves, it seems like Trader Joe’s has gotten on board with spiralizing veggies. I don’t oppose this trend. I love my pasta as much as anyone else. I just don’t love how easy it is to consume so many calories in one sitting.
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