My 10 Favorite Products at Trader Joe’s
Being a military wife, I have moved a lot and have lived all over the country. With that comes the responsibility of getting my kids into a new school, moving into a new home, and figuring out where the heck Trader Joe’s is in my new town. My love of this store has inspired me to share all my favorites with you: My 10 Favorite Products at Trader Joe’s.
There are so many things to love about the funky neighborhood store, Trader Joe’s. It feels like it’s part grocery store and part mom & pop general store. They mostly offer their own brand of products, but they do have a couple of familiar faces from traditional grocery stores. One thing is for sure, almost every single thing I have ever gotten at Trader Joe’s has been excellent! Not only are the majority of their products cheaper than what you would find elsewhere, they have unique products you can’t find anywhere else.
FYI: Trader Joe’s cleverly brands their products with fun takes on “Trader Joe’s”. For example, an Italian product like pasta sauce might have the brand “Trader Giotto’s”, a Mexican product might be branded “Trader Jose’s”, and a Chinese product might be branded “Trader Ming’s”.
Trying to narrow down my favorite products at Trader Joe’s to just My 10 Favorite Products at Trader Joe’s was quite difficult. I could have WAY more items on my list, but alas, here are my top 10. After you check out this list, make sure you check out the next list, My 10 Favorite Products at Trader Joe’s #2!
#10 Trader Giotto’s Italian Tomato Paste
Trader Giotto’s Italian Tomato Paste might not be revolutionary, but it is super convenient when you only need a tablespoon or two of tomato paste and don’t want to waste the rest of the canned stuff. With this squeeze tube, simply use what you need and throw it back in the fridge for another day. Price: $1.29 What do I use it for? Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry.
#9 Trader Joe’s Habanero Hot Sauce
Do you like spicy food? Do you have more hot sauce than eggs on your plate like my 8-year old does? Then put a bottle of Trader Joe’s Habanero Hot Sauce in your shopping cart. Yes, it’s mouth-on-fire, really freaking hot…but in the best way. It’s *almost* too hot for me, so I can only use a little bit at a time, but each tiny drop packs in tons of awesome flavor! Price: $2.99
#8 Trader Joe’s Fair Trade Organic Colombian Coffee Cups
Trader Joe’s Fair Trade Organic Colombian Coffee Single Serve Cups go in the Keurig and make my perfect cup of coffee. While labeled “medium roast”, I find them to taste slightly darker than a traditional medium, but definitely not “dark roast”. These cups make a smooth, slightly nutty cup of coffee that I love! The good news: not only are they fair trade AND organic, they’re inexpensive! Price: $4.99 for a 12-cup box.
#7 Pasta Emporium Potato Gnocchi
This is one of the rare non-Trader Joe’s brand products that I buy there. I have bought gnocchi from multiple grocery stores and never like how hard and dense they are. These gnocchi from Pasta Emporium are tender and about as good as you can get from store-bought gnocchi. These little guys are made in Italy and contain no artificial colors or flavors. Price: $1.69 for a 17.6oz package. I use these in my Italian Meatball & Gnocchi Soup.
#6 Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons
Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons are a great product to have in the freezer for when you need a quick appetizer or an easy side dish to your Asian meal. You simply put them in a pan with a little bit of oil and fry them until they’re browned on the bottom; then you add a little water and steam them so that they cook inside. They’re so good! I serve them with Trader Ming’s (Trader Joe’s) Orange Chicken or throw them in chicken or veggie broth and make a soup with sautéed garlic, ginger, bok choy, scallions, and some leftover shredded chicken. Yum! Price: $2.99 for a 12oz bag.
#5 Trader Joe’s Garlic Naan
I like to keep a stash of Trader Joe’s Garlic Naan in the freezer because it takes no time at all to have freshly baked naan whenever you want it. All you have to do is take it out of the freezer and bake it in the oven for 2-5 minutes, then brush it with a little butter. It’s chewy, slightly crispy, and perfectly garlicky. Great served with an Indian themed meal or for dipping in Spicy Chipotle Hummus. Price: $1.99 for a package with four naan.
#4 Trader Joe’s Masala Simmer Sauce
I like to use Trader Joe’s Masala Simmer Sauce as a base for my chicken tikka masala. I start by sautéing some onion, garlic, and ginger in olive oil until softened. Then I add some tomato paste, cayenne pepper, paprika, this simmer sauce, and some chicken that I’ve already browned. I let it all simmer for a while and then I add a little butter and some half & half. Serve it over basmati or jasmine rice and garnish everything with fresh cilantro. Serve this with the Garlic Naan mentioned above. Price: $2.69
#3 Trader Joe’s Organic Free Range Chicken Broth
I have used a lot of chicken broth and stock over the years. I am a big fan of Kirkland Signature’s Organic Chicken Stock at Costco, but my favorite is this chicken broth from Trader Joe’s. Open it up and pour it into a bowl and you’ll see why. It looks as flavorful as it is. No clear watery broth here. This stuff is opaque and darker in color than any other broth I’ve used. Plus, it organic and made from free range chickens and all for a super low price. Price: $1.99. I use this in everything, but a couple of my favorites are Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup, Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken & Barley Soup, and Herbed Butter Garlic Rice.
#2 Trader Ming’s Mandarin Orange Chicken
My 8-year old won’t let me walk out of Trader Joe’s without two bags of their Mandarin Orange Chicken. To make it, you just bake the chicken pieces until they’re crispy, and toss them in a large bowl with the included sauce. That’s it! It’s a family favorite that everyone gets excited about! I like to sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on the top and serve it with rice or the Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons mentioned above. This Mandarin Orange Chicken is very similar to the orange chicken at Panda Express, but probably healthier and definitely cheaper. Price: $4.99 for a 22oz bag.
#1 Trader Joe’s Peaches & Cream/Mango & Cream Yogurt Cups
As crazy as it sounds, I chose yogurt as my favorite product at Trader Joe’s. You might be wondering, “What’s so special about these?” Well, they have the best texture and flavor of any other yogurt I’ve tried (and I have tried a lot). The texture is super creamy, while still slightly thick…but not thick like Greek yogurt and not runny like non-Greek yogurt. They’re a special breed of yogurt perfection. In addition to having an amazing texture, they’re flavors Peaches & Cream and Mango & Cream are dynamite! Each cup has 140 calories. Price: $2.99 for a six-pack (3 peach, 3 mango)
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some other great products that didn’t quite make the cut. Here are the honorable mentions:
Trader Joe’s Traditional Tunisian Harissa
If you like spicy food, you’re going to love this. It’s really, really good. Trader Joe’s Traditional Tunisian Harissa is nice and garlicky and super spicy. You could use this however you would normally use a spicy condiment like sriracha, but want a little more texture. My favorite use is: Avocado Toast with Harissa Scrambled Eggs.
Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend
This is a very new product at Trader Joe’s. It’s a unique, multi-purpose seasoning blend that offers a delicious take on the fifth taste sense, umami – which translates to “savory taste”. This seasoning is made with: salt, dried onion, mustard seed, porcini mushroom powder, white button mushroom powder, crushed red pepper, black pepper, dried thyme. It’s wonderful in ramen, creamy dishes, or anywhere you want to add a wonderful earthy, oniony depth of flavor. Price: $2.99
Well, those are My 10 Favorite Products at Trader Joe’s and a couple extra worth mentioning. Now check out my second list, My 10 Favorite Products at Trader Joe’s #2! While Trader Joe’s isn’t in every town, they are something to look for if you know you’ll be traveling to a new area. With new products coming out all the time, it’s never the same store twice. Which brings me to my last point – Trader Joe’s introduces new products weekly, and to make room for those new products they discontinue items that don’t sell well. So if you love something, get two.
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