Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
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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Bacon. It’s like meat candy all on its own. Add something sweet and spicy and you have on heck of a combination. The combined saltiness and textural elements work so very well in Trader Joe’s Sweet Sriracha Uncured Bacon Jerky.
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My Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze recipe is quick, easy, moist and uses lemon to add another dimension of flavor. This is a perfect breakfast, brunch, or dessert item to share or to freeze for fresh scones in the morning. These are delicious with both fresh blueberries and frozen blueberries. I’ve included lots of ways of adapting this recipe to make it even more delicious.…
A sweet, but not too sweet drink that is the ideal balance of pineapple, cranberry cocktail, and coconut rum. This easy beginners drink to make at home is visually stunning as your can enjoy the layered effect from this cocktail. Plus it is the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors that will remind you of summer time.
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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….
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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Light as a feather and rich in the taste of fresh strawberries, this Strawberry Scone recipe is lightened up in time for the New Year. You don’t have to wait until strawberries come into season to enjoy this recipe. I’ve even included ways dozens of flavor suggestions to inspire you more to play with the flavors here.…
The pros: Trader Joe’s Miso Ramen Soup is one of two new soups, but this one is vegan, filling, and does not taste quite as salty as some other ramens that I have had.
The cons: Not as cheap as the 4/$1 ramens, but those don’t come with their own microwave safe cups. Also, when I had my second cup, it did not contain an oil packet.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Acai Puree Packets add color, flavor, and fiber to your bowl of oats or smoothies.
The cons: Acai is not a cheap item regardless of where it comes from. You may need to compensate for this products lack of sweetness. The packets can be a bit awkward to open.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Wrapped Porchetta Pork Roast is a great seasonal find that makes for a presentable roast.
The cons: This is a seasonal item so if you want to try it, grab one as soon as possible because when they are gone they are gone.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Caesar Style Salad is generous with the salad, croutons and cheese toppings.
The cons: While generous with some elements, the dressing barely coated the lettuce and didn’t taste like a traditional Caesar dressing.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Brownie Truffle Baking Mix makes decent brownies. It has a nice texture with chocolate chips added in.
The cons: Not as much value in this product as it is smaller in size than Duncan Hines and Pillsbury packages.
The verdict: …
During the winter holiday season I noticed Trader Joe’s Mini Quiche Duo . As quickly as they appeared in the freezer aisle, they seem to have disappeared like so many other well done products. Sadness about that product aside, I decided to be adventurous and try the much larger Trader Joe’s Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche. It’s closer to being full sized. Good enough for 1 person or two if you have a side that you’ll serve with it.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche had a nice flaky crust out of the toaster oven, loaded with broccoli and had a nice cheesy taste.
The cons: While the directions for Trader Joe’s Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche say you can put this in the microwave, I think you might end up sacrificing the quality of the pastry crust here. Nutritional information is a bit of a bummer after knowing it tastes so good.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter and Oat Bars are tasty. The frosting adds a nice peanut butter sweetness to it.
The cons: If you are looking for a bar with a smooth texture, Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter and Oat Bars isn’t it.
The verdict: …
If you are searching through the fresh meat aisle there are a few selections which now include March’s new Trader Joe’s theme: coffee. Trader Joe’s Coffee Rubbed Flank Steak made a lot more sense than the Coffee Spatchcocked Chicken. The coffee here was a lot more subtle without being so forward. This makes me wonder why we haven’t seen any red-eye gravy with all this coffee craziness.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Coffee Rubbed Flank Steak is pre-marinaded so you don’t have to do any of the work.
The cons: Directions should remind you that for the most tender pieces you should cut the meat across the grain. Touching the meat or the marinade will leave an orange hued stain so be careful if you don’t wish to look like you’ve had a poorly done spray tan.
The verdict: …
The pros: If you find salad to be boring or just love iceberg lettuce, Trader Joe’s Butter Lettuce is a good product to pick up.
The cons: Not as nutrient dense as some other salads in a bag, but if you need to break up your routine, this is a good one to reach for.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s has taken on a new theme in the month of March: coffee. Maybe it’s day light savings time and everyone needs a buzz. Now they placed that caffeinated food item into your dinner with Trader Joe’s Coffee Rubbed Spatchcocked Chicken.
The pros: Moist chicken ready in about an hour. A very different taste from Trader Joe’s Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken.
The cons: The coffee flavor may not be for everyone.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Chocolate Chip Granola Bars is an on the go snack bar that’s organic and full of fiber.
The cons: Texture. This bar wasn’t chewy at all. I found it to be quite hard and the bar was very tiny.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pepperoni Pizza was crispy and and had lots of pepperoni.
The cons: More sauce than was necessary and my pepperoni wasn’t evenly placed. I know that seems a bit petty, but when cut into 4 slices there was actually one plain slice.
The verdict: …
The pros: Stew Leonard’s Garlic Bread is super convenient, has the nutritional information, bread was very fresh
The cons: Under buttered (margarine) and not quite enough garlic
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo is spicy, tasty and happens to be vegan and gluten free and inexpensive at $1.99.
The cons: If you are looking for it to hold it’s sausage shape you will be disappointed. Meat lovers will miss exactly two things about this “sausage:” the casing and the fact that this really isn’t sausage and will not hold itself together. Might be a bit spicy for some. Will leave that familiar red grease stain anywhere the chorizo touches.
The verdict: …
The pros: With a little planning and a bit of actual cooking, Trader Joe’s Uncooked Wild Blue Shrimp are quite good. Shrimp are a blank canvas and take well to a variety of cooking methods. These were a nice size and were not fishy at all.
The cons: Expensive, but a better value than some other options in the freezer aisle.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Beef Cabernet Pot Roast is well seasoned, well trimmed and tasty overall.
The cons: You might want a gravy with this, or at least make your own gravy out of the juices. No actual red wine in this.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Garlic and Herb Pizza Dough is inexpensive, quick, easy, little wait time, you are only limited by your own creativity.
The cons: Short shelf life but can be frozen.
The verdict: …
