Trader Joe's Products (2002–2011)

[Pierogi]

I forgot one of my favorites: the chocolate croissants. Made by Galaxy Desserts and also sold at Williams Sonoma (for a LOT more $!). You have to thaw & let them rise overnight and then bake them off in the morning. Delicious!

OMG, yes. Those are like crack !!! I have THREE boxes of them in my freezer right now, since I'm paranoid they'll stop carrying them.

[dockhl]

I love the Persian Cukes. $1.99 (or $1.69....I forget) @ TJ's. $3.99 at Albertsons !

[mukki]

I forgot one of my favorites: the chocolate croissants. Made by Galaxy Desserts and also sold at Williams Sonoma (for a LOT more $!). You have to thaw & let them rise overnight and then bake them off in the morning. Delicious!

OMG, yes. Those are like crack !!! I have THREE boxes of them in my freezer right now, since I'm paranoid they'll stop carrying them.

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I'm paranoid, too, and always buy a few boxes at a time. I fear that one of these days they just won't be there anymore!

[cajungirl]

Well, I was just heading to TJ's for OJ, eggs and milk... But! I guess my basket will be a lot fuller than that after browsing through this thread...hmmmm chocolate croissants you say? Sounds delightful

[Boy R D]

Has anyone tried their Greek styled yogurt? The brand name is fage. I'm telling you, I think I like the full fat version more than sour cream and it's half the calories.

[gfron1]

Its actually called Total Fage and is available at all sorts of stores. My favorite is the whole with honey.

[tsquare]

Has anyone tried their Greek styled yogurt? The brand name is fage. I'm telling you, I think I like the full fat version more than sour cream and it's half the calories.

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TJ's has "greek style" yogurt that has a house label, and Fage that is from Greece. The two are not the same. Guess which one has the buzz?

[JAZ]

I tried the frozen Italian meatballs, and was favorably impressed -- nice texture and good flavor. They're huge, though. I wish they had a small version.

[Reignking]

Try the chocolate croissants.  You will NOT be disappointed.

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Due to these recommendations, I did get some, and they were excellent. A must-buy...

[tirgoddess]

Regarding the meatballs - you should be able to get the party size, they are the same as the larger ones, just smaller. The turkey meatballs aren't bad either. Some of the frozen entrees are Amy's brand (Whole Foods). The frozen Italian (made in Italy) are good with embelishments, like the olive tapenade or drained, rinsed, and chopped artichoke hearts. Whole wheat toaster waffels are good and less expensive (Van's brand). Try the Chimichurri rice - low cal, add more peas and carrots, goes great with pork, chicken, and fish. The vegetable nests, are tempura strips of kale, leek, carrot. Serve with white fish sans the sauce packet. The vegetarian enchiladas pack a lot of flavor, there is some small dice tofu in them but lots of vegetables. Great dish to heat at work as it is low cal/fat as well.

Trader Joe's also has really good curry Naan bread, good with the roasted red pepper spread and goat cheese baked in oven. The brown and black TJ labeled goat cheese is actually Laurel Chenel from Northern California. It is fabulous and inexpensive. The English Cheddar with carmelized onions is good too, at parties, everyone always wants to know what it is.

One decadent thing that they have there is the Mediterranean Cheese Yogury, TJ label. It is great atop the Punjab Chooley or Madras Lentils that come in heat and serve pouches. The heat and serve Indian Food is also good to bring camping, I pour it over a baked potato with the yogurt or cheese.

Also in the grocery isle, black beans for 69 cents a can, and the Cuban style ones are good also, they seem the same as the S&W brand at 1.89 a can in other stores.

The heat and serve carnitas are very good and low cal as well. It is best to heat over a vented pan, most of the fat (there's not much) renders off, shred into warmed salsa verde, serve with side of black beans and cumin and handmade White or whole wheat tortillas.

Our store now has a flax seed cracker - that is wonderful with cheese as it has a great texture and doesn't take away from the cheese. The cereals are basically the same as Kellog's et al but much cheaper.

Plugra and Kerrygold butter is cheaper and in No. Cal a pound of regular butter is 1.69.

I love to hear what folks are buying and liking at Trader Joe's. Please chime inon your olive oil opinions. There quite a variety and I would like to try something new. My store is very close to home and the pricing is very good, espeically for these times.

PS Sorry for misspellings.

Edited July 6, 2008 by tirgoddess (log)

[LindaK]

Now that I'm in the midst of a kitchen renovation, with only a fridge and a microwave, I'm experimenting with prepared foods for the first time.

TJ has some interesting options. The one "find" I would add to the list here is the package of precooked French lentils that I found amongst the other legumes. Except for a trace of olive oil, no ingredients or spices to get in the way of your own creation. With little effort, it made a tasty, traditional lentil salad with parsley, shallots, and vinaigrette. More importantly, it made me forget that I don't have a kitchen.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

I tried the chicken shu mai this weekend... they were horribly bland even with the sauce provided.

[lemniscate]

The Beef and Green Chile burritos are making me very happy. Good balance of meat to green chile. The chile is in strips, not diced.

[pups224]

My favorite is their Walnut Gorgonzola tortellini, made in Italy. Also, the Chile-Cheese tamales are okay for when I need freezer food. Stay away from the puff pastry. It was awful.

I have the Tarte d'Alsace in my freezer. Will try. Also, the Niman Ranch BBQ ribs in the fridge/meat section are a serious bargain.

[CaliPoutine]

Stay away from the puff pastry. It was awful.

Really? Was it the all butter kind? I heard great things about it.

[pups224]

Stay away from the puff pastry. It was awful.

Really? Was it the all butter kind? I heard great things about it.

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It had butter un it but did not rise. It had no taste. I am back to making my own puff paste or buy Dufour's.

[sockii]

"Greens with Envy" is the veggie mix with the edamame, spinach, and beans. Really, really good, a great simple base that I usually spice up with some olive oil and garlic.

I keep a supply of the TJ's frozen veggie mixes in my freezer for quick side dishes when making a time-consuming main dish (or for a quick light meal). The Thai Green Beans, Balsamic Vegetables, Potato Medley, and this one with yellow and orange carrots & almonds are my favorites.

I also like most of their Mexican frozen foods - the taquitos and burritos especially. I haven't been as crazy about their rice bowls (too bland, not enough meat or seafood) and other asian dishes.

I also keep a supply of their flash frozen fish in my freezer for "emergency" meals. The way they're sealed, they really DO taste pretty fresh when prepared, and hold up better to long-term storage. Nice deal for the price, especially for making dishes like fish soup or stew.

[LindsayAnn]

Sockii - I love the taquitos and agree their burritos are yummy, at least the varieties of burritos I have tried. As for the taquitos I prefer the beef (shredded beef) ones to the chicken. I also like the mini tacos - just beef or chicken in the center - again here I prefer the beef (shredded, like the taquitos).

I like their frozen calamari (not breaded, just the squid rings) in the bag. I love it chewy, yes I am weird I suppose, since you are "supposed" to like calamari NOT chewy...or whatever they say...you know all those recommendations to NOT overcook it or is will get chewy....etc etc etc. HAHA - I WANT mine chewy - and I am proud to admit it

Quick note: not a frozen item, but I love their peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets.....I like the salted ones - they also sell them in non-salted though.

[Toliver]

I'm reviving this discussion with a thumbs up for their chicken taquitos. I'm sure you've all had that brand of taquito's (Delimex?) that come 50 in a box that you can buy at Costco and other grocery stores. The Trader Joe's version is much better, in my opinion.

With the Trader Joe's version, there are only 10 taquitos in a package. They're a little thicker than the Delimex version. I believe they came in beef, too, but I went with the chicken. They were quite good and tasted almost homemade. I heated them up in the microwave and when I took them out they looked like they were starting to unravel/unroll. While some may consider this a negative, it just seemed to emphasize to me that they were more like a homemade dish. I imagine they would have tasted even better if I had pan-fried them on the stove in a little corn oil.

I was also impressed with their (Mandarin?) Orange Chicken. The chicken pieces come pre-battered. You bake them in the oven and then toss them in the accompanying orange sauce afterwards.

The batter isn't that thick chewy kind you get in some Chinese fast food restaurants. It's a thin coating that comes out crisp after baking. On some of the smaller pieces of chicken, it was almost too crisp after baking.

I was also happily surprised to find that the orange sauce wasn't overly sweet. It had a nice balance between sweet and sour and, again, it wasn't a thick & gooey sauce like what you get with a lot of Chinese restaurant's Orange Chicken. If you don't like your Orange Chicken too crisp I suppose you could always dress the pieces in the sauce and then give it time to soak in.

Has anyone else tried either food item from Trader Joe's?

[heidih]

The kids like the Mandarin Orange Chicken as an alternative to chicken nuggets for a snack. I bake them pretty crispy and they use toothpicks to dip them in the sauce versus pouring the sauce over them. I usually steal a few for myself. Since they are dark meat they are pretty flavorful even without the sauce.

[judiu]

Dammit, I'm jealous! Not one store in the whole freakin' state! GRRRRRRR

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

I'm reviving this discussion with a thumbs up for their chicken taquitos. I'm sure you've all had that brand of taquito's (Delimex?) that come 50 in a box that you can buy at Costco and other grocery stores. The Trader Joe's version is much better, in my opinion.

With the Trader Joe's version, there are only 10 taquitos in a package. They're a little thicker than the Delimex version. I believe they came in beef, too, but I went with the chicken. They were quite good and tasted almost homemade. I heated them up in the microwave and when I took them out they looked like they were starting to unravel/unroll. While some may consider this a negative, it just seemed to emphasize to me that they were more like a homemade dish. I imagine they would have tasted even better if I had pan-fried them on the stove in a little corn oil.

I was also impressed with their (Mandarin?) Orange Chicken. The chicken pieces come pre-battered. You bake them in the oven and then toss them in the accompanying orange sauce afterwards.

The batter isn't that thick chewy kind you get in some Chinese fast food restaurants. It's a thin coating that comes out crisp after baking. On some of the smaller pieces of chicken, it was almost too crisp after baking.

I was also happily surprised to find that the orange sauce wasn't overly sweet. It had a nice balance between sweet and sour and, again, it wasn't a thick & gooey sauce like what you get with a lot of Chinese restaurant's Orange Chicken. If you don't like your Orange Chicken too crisp I suppose you could always dress the pieces in the sauce and then give it time to soak in.

Has anyone else tried either food item from Trader Joe's?

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I've bought both fairly frequently... the Mandarin Orange Chicken is a family favorite. If you like that, you may also want to try the Tempura Chicken with Sweet and Sour sauce... that's yummy too.

My most recent new find at TJ's are frozen Chicken and Cilantro Mini Wontons. They're pretty good.

[LindsayAnn]

I'm reviving this discussion with a thumbs up for their chicken taquitos. I'm sure you've all had that brand of taquito's (Delimex?) that come 50 in a box that you can buy at Costco and other grocery stores. The Trader Joe's version is much better, in my opinion.

With the Trader Joe's version, there are only 10 taquitos in a package. They're a little thicker than the Delimex version. I believe they came in beef, too, but I went with the chicken. They were quite good and tasted almost homemade. I heated them up in the microwave and when I took them out they looked like they were starting to unravel/unroll. While some may consider this a negative, it just seemed to emphasize to me that they were more like a homemade dish. I imagine they would have tasted even better if I had pan-fried them on the stove in a little corn oil.

I was also impressed with their (Mandarin?) Orange Chicken. The chicken pieces come pre-battered. You bake them in the oven and then toss them in the accompanying orange sauce afterwards.

The batter isn't that thick chewy kind you get in some Chinese fast food restaurants. It's a thin coating that comes out crisp after baking. On some of the smaller pieces of chicken, it was almost too crisp after baking.

I was also happily surprised to find that the orange sauce wasn't overly sweet. It had a nice balance between sweet and sour and, again, it wasn't a thick & gooey sauce like what you get with a lot of Chinese restaurant's Orange Chicken. If you don't like your Orange Chicken too crisp I suppose you could always dress the pieces in the sauce and then give it time to soak in.

Has anyone else tried either food item from Trader Joe's?

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PLEASE PLEASE if you like the chicken taquitos try the beef...in my humble opinion they are even better than the chicken....although both are yummy.

I bake mine in the toaster...if in a hurry I microve first and then back at the end to crisp up. I sometimes melt shredded cheese on top, but usually just dip em' in sour cream. They are yummy even plain those....the cheese and sour cream just further the yummy factor....but of course cheese does that for any food (I am a cheese lover in all forms...hehe)

[LindsayAnn]

I agree on the sweet and sour chicken -yum on both.

More recent finds:

After tyring the new (at least new to the midwest product line that Trader Joes carries...and this does vary in different geographical areas!) Sheppards pie while shopping at TJ (sample item that day, they are so smart to do this with new foods they intruduce.....they give samples in the store so customers can try new products before they buy....this has made me a repeat buyer for so so many of their items) I instantly bought myself one. I do not think I woulda purchased the Sheppards Pie without the sample....not somethiing I usually buy or am a big fan of....but after trying theirs I was sold. The Pie is not on a regular rotation or anything (some of their frozen items are regulars in my freezer and I re-stock as soon as I consume....i.e. taquitos, burritos, breaded chicken tenders)....but I do NOW, again - thanks to their sampling marketing technique, purchase the sheppards pie every so often. It is low fat, low cal, 2 servings per container but even eating the ENTIRE thing (a pretty big portion) makes it fairy healthy. Think Veggies like corn, green beans, peas, all in a light gravy sauce, topped with BIG chunks of shredded beef (pot roast tasting-ish) abd topped with a thin (but fair) layer of mashed potatoes. Very Balanced, quite yummy.

[LindsayAnn]

I love Trader Joes.

I want to know what you think. I love finding new products at Trader Joes, and I beleive by sharing our Trader Joe secrets and insider tips we can all find NEW TO US items....thus we will all benefit!

What are your favorite finds? And why do you love these items so much?

What are your recent finds?

Any items on regular rotation in your shopping cart / cabinets?

Any disappointing items that we should avoid? Why?

Any favorites been discontinues in their product mix/rotation?

SHARE, share, pleaseeee share!

-From a devoted TJ fan/customer