I'm a Brit who moved to the US and made Trader Joe's my go-to store. Here are 10 things I get there.
When I moved from the UK to the US, I began to rely on groceries from Trader Joe's.
Frozen meals like the Mandarin-orange chicken and cauliflower gnocchi have become staples for me.
I turn Trader Joe's garlic naan into pizza and transform pancakes into a fun dessert.
When I moved from the UK to New York City, I was very excited to make Trader Joe's my go-to grocery store.
I'd visited the chain on vacation to the US before but I was only ever able to buy small, nonperishable items like the Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend.
But now that I live close to a Trader Joe's, I've been stocking my pantry and fridge with all of the goodies I wanted to try.
Here are 10 things I've been buying at Trader Joe's lately.
Trader Joe's teeny-tiny avocados are a game changer for single servings.
After complaining about never being able to keep leftover avocado from going bad, a friend told me about Trader Joe's teeny-tiny versions.
Each pouch contains about six small avocados that are perfect if you're cooking for one.
I love to combine avocado with lime juice and seasonings to make guacamole for chips or tacos. Or, I might slice them up and add them to salads and sandwiches.
A pouch of teeny-tiny avocados costs $3.50.
If you need a quick dinner, try the Mandarin-orange chicken.
I always make sure to have a bag of Mandarin-orange chicken on hand. If I'm craving takeout but want to save money, I'll make the Trader Joe's fan-favorite item for myself.
The orange chicken has the perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness, and the battered meat crisps up beautifully when you cook it on the stove.
I usually serve this with Trader Joe's vegetable fried rice.
A 22-ounce package costs $5.
Green Goddess dressing elevates my lunchtime meals.
Though Green Goddess dressing isn't as popular in the UK, I wanted to give the version from Trader Joe's a try. Now, I love to drizzle it on top of salads or use it as a delicious dip.
The perfectly savory, tangy vegan dressing contains avocado, green onion, lemon juice, chives, basil, and garlic, and is lighter than many other creamy salad dressings I've tried. I can see it becoming a refrigerator staple for me.
An 11-ounce bottle of the Green Goddess dressing costs $4.
Trader Joe's lemony arugula-basil salad kit got me through the summer.
I moved to New York City in the summer and on days I couldn't bear to turn on the oven, I turned to Trader Joe's lemony arugula-basil salad kits.
The kit was particularly handy when I didn't feel like chopping ingredients up.
The flavors of the arugula, carrots, almonds, Parmesan cheese, and yummy basil-lemon vinaigrette blend together perfectly. I also like to top the salad with grilled chicken or shrimp for added protein.
The $4 salad kit typically lasts me two to three meals.
I turn the garlic naan into a full meal.
Trader Joe's garlic naan is a great side dish for curry nights, but one of my favorite ways to eat it is as a base for pizza.
I like to cover a piece of naan with marinara sauce, whatever shredded cheese I have on hand — usually sharp cheddar or mozzarella — and any veggie or meat toppings I have available.
Each package of four pieces costs $3.
If I want something lighter, I go for the cauliflower gnocchi.
I'm a big fan of potato-based gnocchi but if I want something a little lighter, I'll reach for Trader Joe's cauliflower version.
I like to pair the cauliflower gnocchi with traditional pasta sauces or pesto, though it also tastes delicious in a five-minute soup recipe I followed from TikToker @kalenainthekitchen .
To make it, I simply add chicken sausages, spinach, and a package of Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi to a tomato-soup base.
A bag of cauliflower gnocchi costs $3.30.
The quinoa cowboy veggie burgers make a wholesome weeknight dinner.
When I'm in the mood for a veggie burger, my go-to is Trader Joe's quinoa cowboy version. They've become one of my favorite things to make when I don't feel like cooking but want a quick, delicious weeknight dinner.
I bake them in the oven so they get nice and crunchy.
The patties, made from multicolored quinoa, corn, red pepper, and black beans, have a little bit of heat to them without being too overpowering.
I sandwich a patty between a burger bun and top it with avocado, onion, tomato, and cheese.
A package of veggie burgers costs $4.
I would recommend the gluten-free breaded shrimp to all seafood fans.
Shrimp, one of my favorite kinds of seafood, is even better when it comes pre-breaded in a bag from Trader Joe's.
I first learned about Trader Joe's gluten-free breaded version in a TikTok about a bang bang shrimp tacos, so I knew I had to give them a go.
I like to cook the shrimp on the stove in a little bit of avocado-oil spray until they're perfectly crispy.
A 12-ounce package of shrimp is $10.
Italian night isn't complete without the tomato-and-burrata ravioloni.
If you're craving restaurant-quality pasta, I recommend trying Trader Joe's bicolor tomato-and-burrata ravioloni.
The ravioloni takes only about five minutes to cook in a pot of salted water. I like to pair mine with pesto and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
I also plan on using the ravioloni to make an easy, prep-ahead-of-time pasta salad.
Trader Joe's tomato-and-burrata ravioloni contains three servings and costs $4.
The silver-dollar pancakes are suitable for any time of day.
As a pancake fan who can't quite nail cooking their own, I think Trader Joe's silver-dollar pancakes are a savior.
The bite-sized morsels are super versatile for any meal of the day. I enjoy them with fruit and chocolate sauce for dessert or top them with chopped crispy bacon and syrup for brunch.
All you have to do is microwave them for one minute. The packaging on the box says to cook them in stacks of three.
Each package contains about 30 pancakes and costs $3.30.
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