27 Genius Trader Joe's Food Hacks You Basically Needed Yesterday
These little tricks will instantly upgrade your home-cooked meals.
Cooking at home can feel like a real chore, but with a few smart tips and tricks in your arsenal, you can throw together gourmet meals in no time. Here are a bunch of Trader Joe's dinner hacks for turning basic ingredients into recipes that taste seriously fancy.
1. Turn gyro slices and pita pockets into a fancy Middle-Eastern inspired meal.
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Trader Joe's gyro is pre-cooked, so you just heat it up on the stove and serve it in pita with your favorite toppings like crumbled feta and ready-to-eat tzatziki dip.
2. Start with frozen breaded chicken breasts, add a slice of mozzarella, wrap it in prosciutto, and pop it into the oven.
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Say goodbye to boring chicken!
3. Or combine cauliflower fried rice and frozen shrimp for a low-carb version of classic Chinese fried rice.
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Bonus points for a drizzle of Sriracha mayo or a dollop of chili onion crunch.
4. Make four-ingredient chicken and broccoli pasta with alfredo sauce.
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Just defrost some frozen broccoli and chicken strips, combine with cooked penne, and toss with T.J's mushroom medley alfredo sauce for an instant and impressive pasta night.
5. Bulk up frozen paella with T.J's seafood blend.
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It takes about 10 minutes to defrost the seafood blend, which is a mix of frozen shrimp, calamari, and scallops. Add it to Trader Joe's frozen paella for a seriously gourmet meal that will transport your taste buds to coastal Spain.
6. Toss a Caesar salad kit and grilled chicken strips into garlic naan for an above-average lunch.
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Budget-friendly, three-ingredient Caesar chicken wraps right this way.
7. Simmer T.J's five-spice chicken and Asian noodle style salad in a carton of miso ginger broth for a two-ingredient soup worth making on repeat.
8. Or make a killer three-ingredient shakshuka with frozen shakshuka starter, eggs, and tahini.
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Three ingredients and about 15 minutes is all you need for this baked egg dish that you can enjoy any time of day.
9. Or turn basic chicken soup into something heartier and more comforting with packaged gnocchi, heavy cream, and kale.
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Creamy chicken and gnocchi soup, coming right up.
10. Whip up shrimp and grits in a hurry with just four simple ingredients.
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Stone ground grits, frozen shrimp, spicy chicken sausage, and shredded cheese is all you need.
11. Toss sweet potato gnocchi and frozen meatballs for a satisfying Italian feast.
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T.J's sweet potato gnocchi comes tossed in a decadent butter and sage sauce, so you don't have to worry about buying extra pasta sauce.
12. Use frozen spinach and artichoke dip with your favorite noodles as a super indulgent pasta sauce.
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Then dress it up with any protein or veggies. Trader Joe's sausage or frozen turkey meatballs is an easy addition.
13. Make wonton soup at home using vegetable or chicken broth and frozen gyoza.
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Just heat up the broth in a sauce pan, season with any combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, and red pepper flakes, and add the gyoza.
14. Or jazz up tomato and roasted red pepper soup with the help of gnocchi and spinach.
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Trader Joe's kale, cauliflower, sweet potato, or regular potato gnocchi will taste delicious.
15. Add broccoli to T.J's frozen Mandarin chicken, then serve it with fried rice for a meal that rivals your favorite take-out.
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Just adding a handful of frozen vegetables turns this frozen dinner into something that tastes well-balanced and satisfying.
16. Turn battered fish nuggets, tortillas, and slaw into easy Baja-style tacos.
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To take these tacos to the next level, top them with Trader Joe's tahini pepita and apricot slaw kit or their creamy, crunchy organic coleslaw kit. Then add some sliced avocado for good measure.
17. Or do taco night with the help of pre-cooked carnitas.
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Plus, a little spicy guacamole and store-bought pico de gallo never hurt.
18. Combine frozen mac 'n' cheese with turkey bolognese for a take on chili mac.
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If you like a little spice, opt for the hatch chile mac 'n' cheese instead of the classic one.
19. Turn four ingredients — cauliflower crust, marinara sauce, shredded cheese, and prosciutto — into an impressive homemade pizza.
20. Combine cauliflower gnocchi, pesto, and cherry tomatoes to make a filling dinner.
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TJ's sells both a classic Genova pesto and a vegan kale, cashew, and basil pesto if you follow a vegan diet.
21. Serve Korean-style short ribs over shredded cabbage for an Asian-inspired recipe the whole family will love.
22. Dress up any roasted vegetables from broccoli to Brussels sprouts with a spoonful of chili onion crunch.
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TBH, this spicy, crispy condiment instantly upgrades just about whatever you put it on, from grilled chicken or salmon to eggs and avocado toast.
23. Or take a miso vegetables and soba noodles kit and stir-fry it with frozen shrimp or salmon.
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The soba noodle kit contains Asian-style vegetables, soba noodles, and a delicious soy and ginger sauce that pulls the whole dish together.
24. Toss chicken sausage and Trader Joe's ravioli in a skillet with whatever veggies you have on hand.
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Finish off this easy dinner with some marinara sauce, butter, or olive oil and parmesan.
25. Toss cheese-filled tortellini with vodka sauce and shredded cheese for easy one-pot pasta alla vodka.
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It's a family-friendly meal with almost no clean-up required.
26. Heat up frozen tandoori naan and tikka masala for a restaurant-quality Indian dinner.
27. Upgrade T.J's instant miso or chicken ramen cups with the help of some sautéed tofu and mushrooms.
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Use whatever vegetables are in your kitchen from bok choy to scallions to add a sophisticated twist to ramen noodles.