My Favorite Things at Trader Joes: Frozen Entrees

Ohhhh the frozen aisle of Trader Joes. Not only is it packed with delicious meals, but the top of the shelves are lined with all sorts of sweet, chocolatey, sugary, how-come-they-always-go-straight-to-my-hips treats.

But, today, I'm only focusing on the Frozen Entrees. Please chime in with your favorites as well!

Stinker loves these turkey corn dogs for lunches. The corn battering is sweet and crispy and it's nitrate free!

These pasta dishes are my pick for a quick lunch. Well, once I pick every single nasty little cherry tomato out of the vegetable pasta. I love salsa and spaghetti sauce, but raw or chunks of cooked tomato are just icky. My husband feels the same way. I think that's the real reason he married me.

These burritos are delicious. But, a word of caution--don't cook them in the microwave, cook them in the oven, otherwise the tortillas get hard.

These handmade pizzas taste great. But, they are a little on the small side, so there definitely aren't any leftovers like we would get with a homemade pizza.

We enjoy these chicken skewers. They say "marinated chipotle", but they don't have an overly Mexican vibe. In fact, I usually serve them with pita, veggies, and rice pilaf!

See my favorite things from other sections at Trader Joes:
Snacks and Chips
Refrigerated

My Favorite Things at Trader Joes: Snacks and Chips

Once a week when I was younger, my dad and I would sit in the living room, munch on "Little Fishies" (aka Goldfish) and have a Wonder Years party. I think my fondness for snacks stems in part from this experience; quality time with my dad. Wednesday nights were almost sacred, and he never forgot to pick up Little Fishies on his way home from work so we could watch our favorite show with our favorite snack. (Except once he got plain instead of cheddar, and ew.) 

Growing up, when I would ask for a snack, my mother would direct me to the refrigerator for fruit. Really? Fruit was not an acceptable snack in my opinion. It lacked the saltiness and crunch and overall satisfaction that I used to equate with snack foods. Now, I've come a long way in the healthy department, but I still have a weakness for the crispy, crunchy snack foods of long ago, so I apologize if this list is a little light in the "healthy snacks" department.

Favorite Snacks at Trader Joes:

Nuts and Dried Fruit:

I love making homemade trail mix, and Trader Joe's has a great selection of both.

 

Organic Popcorn:
Homemade popcorn is so much healthier than microwavable bags, and this organic popcorn is even better for you.

Kettle Corn:
Perfect sweet salty mix. I may have been known to eat a whole bag in one day. (Shhhh!)

Potato Chips:

These potato chips taste like a major brand, but aren't nearly as greasy. Perfect for lunches or a side for BBQ!

Organic Corn Chips:

I love Fritos on my chili. These are organic and cheap! Score!

Pita Chips and Hummus:

The pita chips are delicious and crispy and the roasted red pepper hummus (my favorite) is well spiced. 

What do you consider to be a snack food? What are your favorite snack foods at Trader Joe's?

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My Favorite Things at Trader Joes: Refrigerated

Trader Joe's is one of my favorite stores to shop at. I do the bulk of my shopping here. For starters, they claim to not use foods that are GMO (genetically modified), plus they offer many high quality or novelty items at very reasonable prices.

I am often asked about my favorite items when shopping at Trader Joe's, so I thought it would be fun to compile my favorite (and possibly not so favorite) things at Trader Joe's. What are your favorite things to purchase here?

First up are my top 5 Refrigerated Items:

Trader Joe's Uncured Apple Smoked Bacon
Who doesn't like bacon? My late mother-in-law was allergic to it, but other than allergies, there are no excuses. TJs bacon is uncured (read: nitrate free), and cooks up crisp and flavorful. While it's not super thick, it's also not a paper thin pathetic excuse for bacon that some stores sell.
The only downside is that there are about 8 slices in a pack, which is enough for one meal. Stinker, my 4 year old, once commented about a meal I had prepared that "I can't eat this. It doesn't have bacon."
Better buy two packs :)  

Trader Joe's Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

I buy these about once a month as a treat for breakfast, and we look forward to them all month! They're sweet but not overly so, with a perfect balance of cinnamon and sugar. Plus, the frosting is fabulous. I cook these a little longer than noted, just because I don't like undercooked, soggy dough, and the result is a firm exterior and soft, fluffy interior, dripping with just enough frosting to satisfy an early morning sweet tooth.

Trader Joe's Peeled Garlic

Okay, I don't normally buy produce at TJs, but these peeled garlic packets are ingenious. Each packet contains several cloves of peeled garlic, vacuum sealed for freshness. Brilliant!

Trader Joe's Mirepoix

Again, not normally a produce shopper at TJs, (it's shipped in, and not always as fresh as can be), but this combination of pre-cut carrots, onions, and celery make my life so much easier when I need to throw together a quick soup or stew. Cutting veggies takes me forever, so this pack of pre-cut veggies literally shaves 25 minutes off my prep time. If you can chop veggies like a whiz, skip this, but if you like convenience or need a quick prep meal, this is wonderful.

Trader Joe's Cilantro Salad Dressing

I struggle finding salad dressings I love, but this dressing is so versatile, I always have it on hand. Delicious on a salad sprinkled with tortilla strips, I also use it as a sauce for fish tacos, and it is the ultimate dipping sauce for these amazing Southwestern Egg Rolls.

Runners Up:

• Pizza Dough-The plain is great. I can't say the same for the whole wheat or herb. I'd still rather make my own dough, but in a pinch this is good.
• Cheese-Trader Joe's cheese is priced pretty well compared to the grocery store. They also have a wonderful selection.
• Biscuits and Croissants-These refrigerated gems taste just like, scratch that, better than Pillsbury without all the preservatives.
• Pre-Cut Veggies-These can be hit-or-miss. Pick them up if convenience is necessary.
• Deli Meat-I don't really buy meat at TJs, haven't had the best experiences, but the lunch meat is nitrate free and preservative free and actually pretty good quality. I like to buy pepperoni here for our homemade pizza.

Join us next time to see which Snack Foods made the list of my favorite things at Trader Joe's!

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