5 Easy Trader Joe's Meals in 30 Minutes or Less

Consider this my official love letter to Trader Joe’s. The beautiful flowers, artisanal cheeses, delicious dips, and frozen foods, all at a low cost, make the otherwise mundane chore of grocery shopping a real treat! With so many tasty staples and seasonal items, there's always something to get excited about.

One of my favorite date nights with Nolan is something we call “Trader Joe’s Date Night,” and we pick up everything we need for dinner from TJ’s at random. Before we head into the store, we play four rounds of row-sham-bow, and the winner of each round gets to pick what we’re having for an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and what we will be drinking that night, respectively. We separate in the store, and we pick out our respective food items, and show each other what we’ve chosen before checking out. Then, we take it all home and eat whatever deliciousness we pick up! It’s a great budget date and you get to try fun, or new Trader Joe’s items.

Trader Joe’s was my go-to grocery store in college. I loved their specialty foods, and the price was always right. There are a million different ways to combine their novelty items to make delicious meals and not break the bank. The following list of recipes are some of my favorite TJ’s combos. Each recipe makes around 2-4 servings, and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

Enjoy!

1. Yellow Curry Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips, (sub. 4 chicken thighs)

• 2 small carrots, sliced

• 1 white onion, cut into wide slices

• 1 bottle Trader Joe’s yellow curry sauce

• 1 15oz can coconut milk

• 1 large russet potato, peeled and largely diced

• Optional: cooked white rice, cilantro, naan bread

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, on medium heat, add the olive oil and chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.

2. Next, add the carrots and onion to the saucepan and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the Trader Joe’s Yellow Curry Sauce to the pot along with the coconut milk and potatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Let the curry cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.

4. Serve the curry with white rice, naan, and a sprinkle of cilantro, if desired.

2. Wonton Soup

Ingredients

• 1 box Trader Joe’s miso ginger broth

• ½ bag Trader Joe’s chicken cilantro mini wontons

• Optional: green onion, miso paste, ginger paste, Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch, sesame oil

Directions

1. In a large saucepan on medium heat, add the whole box of Trader Joe’s Miso Ginger Broth. Add any aromatics that you might be using (ginger paste, miso paste, etc.) and bring the broth to a boil.

2. Once boiling, add the Trader Joe's Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the wontons are cooked through.

3. Serve the soup with sliced green onions, chili oil, and sesame oil, if desired.

3. Creamy Pesto Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

• ½ bag of frozen, cooked jumbo shrimp

• 1 lb fusilli (or any other short pasta)

• ½ jar of Trader Joe’s alfredo sauce

• ¼ cup Trader Joe’s pesto

• Optional: grated parmesan

Directions

1. Follow package directions on the shrimp bag to reheat. Set that aside.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the water and return the pasta to the pot with the heat off.

3. Add in the Trader Joe's Alfredo Sauce and Trader Joe’s Pesto to the pot, along with the reheated shrimp, and stir until the ingredients are well incorporated.

4. Serve with grated parmesan on top, if desired.

4. Greek Chicken Meatball Bowls

Ingredients for Meatballs

• 1 lb ground chicken

• ½ tsp salt

• Pinch of black pepper

• Pinch of cumin

• Pinch of oregano

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• 2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

• 2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

• 2 Tbsp finely diced red onion

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Ingredients for Serving (Optional)

• Grape tomatoes

• Romaine, chopped

• 3-4 cups cooked lemon rice

• Feta cheese crumbles

• Red Onion, sliced

• Trader Joe’s Tzatziki Sauce

• Pita bread

Directions for Meatballs

1. Combine all the ingredients for meatballs, except for the olive oil, in a large bowl until well incorporated. Roll the mixture out into golf ball sized meatballs.

2. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat and add the meatballs to the pan in batches. Sear them on all sides until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side.

3. Serve the meatballs with any of the desired toppings from the above list, if desired.

5. Everything But the Bagel Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients

• ½ cup cottage cheese (full or low fat)

• 1-2 oz smoked salmon

• ½ a Teeny-Tiny avocado, sliced

• 1-2 tsp capers

• Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, for topping

• Optional: chia seeds, sriracha sauce

Directions

1. Add cottage cheese to a bowl and top with smoked salmon, avocado, capers, and Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning.

Let me know which easy Trader Joe's meals I missed, and what your favorite TJ's meals are!

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