35 of My Most Beloved Items at Trader Joe's
I absolutely love shopping at Trader Joe’s. Although everything is great there, I have compiled a list of items I definitely can’t live without, and hope you discover something new!
Freezer Items:
1. Tarte au Brie et aux Tomates - this thin crust tarte with brie and tomatoes is a yummy and quick appetizer
2. Tarte aux Champignons - what seems like just a mushroom pizza, is actually an amazingly thin, crisp crust with hand-braided edges, that is topped creme fraiche, cheese and an intense blend of mushrooms
3. Traditional Latkes - very Jewish/Russian and is a great quick breakfast dish
4. Chicken & Mushroom Pelmeni - these Russian-style dumplings are simple, savory and satisfying
5. Garlic Naan - great on the grill, or pan-fried, these are useful for dipping or as pizza dough
6. Vegetable Bird’s Nests - easy and tasty appetizers made with onions, carrots and kale
7. Pastry Bites with Feta Cheese & Caramelized Onions - quick and tasty appetizer option, which is perfect even for vegetarians
8. Macarons - featuring 6 amazing flavors of Apricot, Coconut, Fig, Salted Caramel, Lemon, and Pistachio, these macarons will surely delight even the most discriminating palate
9. Mini Cinnamon Sugar Churros - with their crispy and sugary outside and soft and chewy inside, these churros are sure to make everyone smile
10. Organic Mango Chunks - these carefully selected chunks are amazing in smoothies
11. Mini Ice Cream Cones - if you feel guilty about eating ice cream, these tasty mini cones available in Vanilla and Chocolate (and Pumpkin Ginger in the fall), are only 70 calories each
12. Sweet Bites - these bites come in 3 different flavors: Chocolate & Coffee, Raspberry, and Caramel & Chocolate, and are perfect for entertaining or last minute guests
13. Cheese Blintzes - very Jewish/European, these are perfect for breakfast, and can be either baked or fried
14. Chocolate Croissants - if you want to feel like you are at a French cafe, these are absolutely perfect for breakfast
Non-freezer Items (Refrigerated and dry food):
15. Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken - no need to brine or cure, this chicken is amazing, and can even be placed atop Trader Joe’s fingerling potatoes and baked
16. Mini Brie Bites - a perfect individually-wrapped on-the-go snack
17. Herb & Garlic Seasoned Sirloin Steak with Chimichurri Sauce - no need to marinate, just throw on the grill; the dipping chimichurri sauce is very tasty
18. Mozzarella Buratta - with a creamy ricotta-like center, this mozzarella is perfect for Caprese Salad
19. Truffle Mousse Pate - made with chicken and real bits of truffle, this fancy pate is perfect for entertaining
20. Cilantro & Chive Yogurt Dip - great for dipping crackers, chips, veggies, or Crunchy Curls (#25 on this list)
21. Cream Yogurt (6-pack) - available in 6 flavors: Bananas & Cream, Strawberries & Cream, Mango & Cream, Vanilla & Cream, Blueberries & Cream and Peaches & Cream, this whole milk yogurt is a true indulgence
22. Wild Smoked Salmon - one of the best smoked salmon I have tried, this is perfect with mascarpone, capers and toast
23. Salami Secchi - Italian salami that will not disappoint and is perfect on a cheese and meat board/platter
24. Eggplant Garlic Spread - very Russian/Bulgarian, this spread is great on toast, crackers or sandwiches
25. Crunchy Curls - much healthier version of chips, these crunchy curls are made from lentils
**26. Dry Roasted & Unsalted Pistachios **- great snack at a great price
27. Tangerine Juice - if you are tired of plain old orange juice, spice it up with this juice, it’s sweet and flavorful
28. Agua Fresca - these not-so-sweet organic drinks are perfect with flavors such as Hibiscus, Pineapple & Mango, and Strawberry Lime
Seasonal Items:
29. Ghosts & Bats Crispy Potato Snacks - these are only available around Halloween time and kids absolutely adore them
30. Brined Young Turkey - if you are tired of making a brine for your turkey, this Thanksgiving, try this already brined young turkey, and you will not be disappointed
31. Danish Kringle - available only around the holidays, the kringle comes in either Almond, Pecan or Pumpkin flavors and is a great addition to coffee or tea
32. Dark Chocolate Orange_ _- these orange-infused chocolate treats, made of individual segments, are sure to delight both kids and adults (these segments come apart with a hard hit to the orange)
33. Chocolate Passport - these chocolates take you on a journey around the world, with cacao solids ranging from 60% to 73%
34. Peppermint Pretzel Slims - get ready for the holiday season with these yummy pretzels, which offer a combination of sweetness, crunchiness, saltiness and coolness
35. Weissella Sugar Glazed Soft Gingerbread Cookies - available around Christmas-time, these aromatic cookies are called Oblaten in Germany, and are soft gingerbread biscuits baked on top of a thin wafer cookie