Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Trader Joe's Reviews.

As promised, here are a few Trader Joe's reviews from my last trip to the store. I must have been in a really lazy cooking mood because almost everything I bought were freezer meals. What can I say? Sometimes I just like to keep things simple in the kitchen after a long day. 

Chicken Chile Verde Burritos
These burritos were our favorite item of my shopping trip. I will admit, I really didn't even know what "chile verde" meant other than the fact that verde means green in Spanish. They were filled with creamy tomatillo salsa, chicken, and veggies. I will probably always throw these in my cart from now on. 


Greek Style Chicken with Orzo, Spinach, and Feta Cheese
This dish was my second favorite of the trip. I'm a huge fan of Greek food and this dish was very flavorful. My only complaint was that the box said serving size of 2, yet there was only 1 sliced chicken breast inside. Splitting one small-ish chicken breast is not enough for me to eat and it SURELY isn't enough for Cameron. I would definitely buy this dish again, but cook an extra chicken breast to go along with it.

Beef Pho Soup
I had never tried Pho before trying this one, but after hearing about it so often on Christina's blog (she happened to do a healthy products Trader Joe's review today, check it out!) once I saw it in the freezer section, I knew I had to try it. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it. The flavors were very good and vibrant, and there were a ton of veggies (onions, bell peppers, carrots, etc). My only disappointment was there there were literally only three pieces of beef in the whole thing. And I likes my meat. 

 Mahi Mahi Burgers
I've been wanting to try mahi burgers from Costco for a while now, but every time I go I can't find them, or I don't feel like shelling out $20-$30 for something I'm not sure I'm going to like. This 4-pack of mahi burgers at Trader Joe's caught my eye so I threw them in the cart to try. I served them on a toasted wheat bun with lettuce and some garlic lemon aioli I whipped up. They were slightly fishy to me, but I am a wimp in that department. Cameron really enjoyed them and I would definitely buy again. 


Sparkling Limeade
I was originally planning on picking up some of the sparkling pink lemonade that is so tasty, but sadly they were out. Instead, I decided to try the sparking limeade and am so glad I did! It's not overly sweet, which I was afraid of. Would be perfect with a splash of vodka during the summertime. ;)


Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken
Fettuccine alfredo is one of those dishes I do not get to cook as often as I like because it's not a favorite of Cameron's. Well, on this trip I decide it had been long enough since I deprived myself of it so I threw it in my cart. It was pretty good for being a frozen meal, but obviously not the best I've ever had. I would buy again to keep in the back of the freezer for when Cameron has a work dinner or something and I'm home alone. 

What should I pick up during my next trip?

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27 comments :

  1. The Orange chicken is amazing! It's not exactly waistline friendly, but we love it!!

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  2. Trader Joes truly is the best and they have so many unique things. Each time I go in I find something new. I recently tried the polenta which was awesome, I would recommend it! I have seen the chicken chili verde burritos before, but have never tried them. I think I need to add them to my list next time I am in TJs.

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  3. The chicken burritos are on my list for next time! I loved this review. I love the orange chicken too but within moderation. The fried rice is my go-to when I'm by myself for dinner. I like to get smoked salmon from there and use it on thin bagels with whipped cream cheese for breakfast. I also am OBSESSED with the garlic hummus and veggie chips.

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  4. Luckily, Trader Joe's is less than 1/2 a mile from my house, so I've done my weekly grocery shopping there for years. And I just love it! It doesn't hurt that it's so convenient, affordable, has plenty of unique and fun items, and has lots of healthy food! Some favorite frozen dishes are the orange chicken, gorgonzola gnocchi, beef and broccoli, and really anything. Their cheese section and wine section are my absolute favorites, of course!

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  5. Their frozen brown rice is a constant for us-- snip a tiny slit in the bag, microwave for 3 minutes, and you have perfectly cooked rice! This may appeal to me because I cannot cook perfect rice to save my life. If you like frozen dinners for lunch, their light Mac and Cheese is great, and the Diner Mac & Cheese (definitely NOT light) is AMAZEBALLS, and definitely an indulgence. Their frozen apps can't be beat for convenience (the mushroom turnovers are our favorite). I have to agree that the orange chicken is tasty, as well as their frozen beef and broccoli and Japanese Fried Rice. I also like to stock up on pantry staples like whole wheat couscous, quinoa/quinoa blend, and pasta-- perfect amounts for two people to get 2-3 meals out of and have on hand. Gah, I could go on forever!

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  6. Their turkey meatballs and frozen salmon are great! So are a bunch of their Indian dishes!

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  7. I will have to try these! You need definitely need to pick up their frozen chicken tamales, salsa verde, butternut squash ravioli, and shredded brussel sprouts. I haven't tried it but Eric loves their bibimbap bowl!

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  9. The mushroom truffle flatbread is to die for. Along with the mushroom risotto! Yummmm. Love Trader Joe's frozen section!

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  10. I love reviews and this is perfect since Columbia finally stepped up their game and got a Trader Joe's.

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  11. I'd love to have those burritos and also the orzo dishes on hand. Glad to get the review first :)

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  12. Ahhh yes another TJ's post. I always want to grab both of the first two products. They both sing to me but yeah the servings thing...an issue. I need my meat too! I thought the same thing when I saw the limeade. Add vodka!!

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  13. Yes!! I always through the chili verde burritos in my cart too!! Other staples of ours are the turkey meatballs (seriously so good), the chicken with lime patties (I forget what they're actually called! But something like that!), orange chicken (hubby's fave), and their canned chili is good too...the vegetarian one is my fave and has the best kick to it!!! TJ's obsessed right here. ;) xx

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  14. I am a HUGE fan of the brown butter gnocchi you find in the frozen section. So delicious I pair it as a side with chicken! Turkey meatballs are another always put in the cart item.

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  15. TJ's is the best! I am definitely picking up the chili verde and the greek chicken!

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  16. mmm the greek food sounds delicious!

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  17. We really like their Angus and Bison Burgers. We also get their chili chicken burgers from time to time, but given a choice, I prefer the beef. Also, I've found boxes of macarons in their freezer section. For being mass made and frozen, they are pretty good!

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  18. I have traveled an hour to shop at TJ's for years! I LOVE it! In addition to wine (Charles Shaw Shiraz, Vinho Verde, and Vinas Chillena Sauv Blanc are my go-tos), I love their garlic aioli mustard, reduced guilt pita chips, tzatziki, gnocchi with gorgonzola, marinara sauce, pizza margherita, pizza dough, and the list goes on :)

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  19. All of those sound so good! Our fav from Trader Joe's is the orange chicken...it is delicious!!

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  20. I go to trader joes every week and definitely have a few staples including the preseasoned ready to roast brussels sprouts- they are SO good and way too easy to pass up. I love the hummus salad dressing, especially made with a greek styled salad. Obviously you can't beat their wine selection and I just recently tried out the Trader Joes Chardonnay Reserve- yum! Looking forward to see what else you try!

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  21. We have been trying to stock our pantry and freezer with some easy meals for those nights we don't feel like cooking...I might have to check some of these out!

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  22. I don't go to TJ's enough but every time I do I'm super impressed. I wish we had one in WA. I love the Costco mahi burgers. I've never been a mahi person but they're my favorite "fish type" sandwich. Good to know TJ's has a smaller option. We should do a TJ's trip together!

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  23. Thanks for the suggestions! I love Trader Joe's! You have to get the Cookie Butter & Cocoa spread and the dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds!

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  24. Such healthy choices! I always pick up the self rising chocolate croissants in the frozen section. My TJ's go to!

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  25. Oh how I wish we had a Trader Joes! But then again, I do love my Piggly Wiggly!
    The Greek Chicken looks like it would be my favorite.

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  26. I love a good freezer meal from time to time for simplicity, but I find that the sodium content on them are RIDICULOUS. How's the sodium on this stuff? Some meals I've seen are more than what you should be consuming for a day...in one meal. Ugh.

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