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Trader Joe’s Meal Ideas

Hey guys! HAPPY FRIDAY! I’m looking forward to this weekend because my parent’s dogs are coming to stay with us while they visit Layne + Marco in D.C.  Yay for a house filled with pooches! 

This week we did our grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s and I wanted to share the meals we made.

I’m not sure who Zoey is…but Happy Birthday! 

With a lack of appetite (yet non-stop hunger) that has come with pregnancy, if a meal isn’t easy to make…I’m not cooking and we’ll be eating out.  I figured Trader Joe’s would be good for some quick meals that even pregnant me could handle making.

First up.  I prepped enchiladas for my lunches.  I can totally see myself making some version of these for lunches for the rest of my pregnancy lol.  They were satisfying and filling regardless of what my appetite was saying.

These come together so quick.  I brown ground meat in a skillet.  Then I add in the cabbage mix + jar of salsa and cook until the cabbage mix softens.  Then I wrap up the filling + some cheese in a tortilla.  Top with salsa + more cheese and bake for 30 minutes.  Done.  These lasted for 4 lunches and I didn’t get tired of them.  Fabulous.

Next.  My favorite frozen meal at Trader Joe’s is their frozen sweet potato gnocchi.  Have you tried it? I imagine in the future I’ll share a post showing all the delicious recipes we make with this gnocchi.  It is one of my very favorite products TJ’s makes!

Here we sautéed asparagus + gnocchi + some pepperoni that we got to put on the below pizza.  Came out great!

This week we also made pizza.

Just topped the crust with pizza sauce + cheese + salami type of meat + capers for me bc I’m feeling the salty.

Another night I made us stir-fry with Trader Joe’s Tempura Chicken that came with a sweet and sour sauce + some leftover broccoli we had in the fridge (I love that Taylor Farms sells mega, giant bags of broccoli.  They last in our fridge for like 3 weeks and make for an easy stir-fry addition) + TJ’s frozen brown rice.

And the last meal we made was nachos!

Chips + cheese + beans.  I ended up hating this bean dip because it was SUPER smoky.  I hate smoky things.  I like smoked meats, but smoky flavored things…gross.  Like a smoked gouda…ew.  It tastes like you’re chewing cigar smoke lol.  I’m not a fan.  I wouldn’t buy this dip again.

And those were some of our meals! If you’re in need of it, I hope that gives you some meal inspiration for next week.

I hope you make it a great weekend! See you back here on Monday :)

32 comments

  1. These look delicious! I love Trader Joes. I bought a jar of cookie butter there and have been spreading it on pumpkin french toast for breakfast. Amazing.

  2. I love the sound of all of these! So quick but flavorful. I love cooking both more complex and simple meals. Sometimes you don’t want to spend much time but still would like a fabulous meal. :) I hope you feel better in your final stretch! <3

  3. Me too!! I hate smoky flavored things!! My husband thinks I’m crazy. I need to try that sweet potato gnocchi!

  4. These all look delicious! I tried that sweet potato gnocchi mixed with some frozen veggies in butter sauce (also from TJ’s) earlier this week and it was life changing! Have an awesome weekend :)

  5. I just love Trader Joe’s. The frozen rice is my lifesaver. My local TJ’s is the most wonderful place–the staff is so friendly that I’ve even emailed the company about them. My only bummer is that I think my store is on the small side–whenever I see blog roundups of Trader Joe’s products, I see so many that my TJ’s doesn’t have!

    Did your TJ’s building used to be a theater? It looks so cool!

  6. Next thing I’m buying there is that Sweet Potato Gnocchi

  7. Weekend plans: sweet potato gnocchi!

  8. I LOVE Trader Joes! My husband and I like to make pizza on their frozen Naan bread (thank you Trader Joe’s checkout girl for that suggestion). It is AMAZING!

  9. My son LOVES those frozen pizza crusts! I always have two packages in the freezer!

  10. Trader Joe’s is my favorite for quick meal ideas! Love their frozen pizzas and tamales. Those enchiladas you made sound fabulous!

  11. omg these are genius!!! i seriously don’t think trader joe’s could be any better at providing easy (& healthy!) options. i definitely need to try those enchiladas asap, and the nachos at the bottom! i actually do like smokey things, so your review is helpful! thanks for sharing and have a great weekend, lady :)

  12. Do you have any blogposts that focus on cooking for 1?

  13. We are lucky enough to live down the street from a TJ’s and it makes my life so much easier! We’ve accumulated quite a stash of meal hacks- my latest one was a HUGE hit w hubby and two little ones.
    -1/2 bag chicken or pork gyoza(full bag goes for 2.99)
    -1 bag Asian stir-fry vegetables(2.29)
    -1/2 bag chicken chowmein noodles(full bag is 2.99)
    -1/2 bag orange chicken(without the sauce) (full bag is 4.99)
    In a large skillet, brown the gyoza according to package directions. Instead of adding the water, cover with the frozen vegetables. On top of those, put the frozen chowmein noodles. Cover and let it steam for 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, defrost the nuggets of chicken in the microwave(2 min), then snip up smaller with some kitchen shears. Crisp it up in a dry skillet (5-6 min on high) and make sure it’s heated through.
    Stir the packet of chowmein noodle sauce into the main dish and top with crispy chicken bits.
    This makes an enormous mound of tasty food that hits all the takeout taste/texture points for me. This amount served 2 hungry adults and two little kids plus leftovers for about two lunches for just under 10$, and like, 15 minutes. If you had a huge pan you could cook all of the components and have lunch for longer.
    Trader Joe’s for the winnnnnnn????

  14. Thank you so much! I desperately needed easy meal inspo!

  15. sweet potato gnocchi sounds magical…sweet potato ANYTHING is magical

  16. Oh man I hate smoke-y flavored things and didn’t realize it until recently. You described it perfectly!

  17. I’m SO curious about the gnocchi. Thanks for sharing. Adding these as some items to try soon.

    We love their fried rice – I add an egg or two for extra protein and it hits the spot.

  18. Tradie Joe’s is an hour away from here! (crying emoji face) This all looks so good!

  19. Do you boil your gnocchi first or just heat in pan when sautéing the rest? Do you put any sauce on it ever? I have a pumpkin gnocchi I just picked up and not sure what you’d top it with!!

    • This one comes with a butter sage sauce that is fantastic (!) and it’s made to just heat up in a pan, instead of boiling like you have to do with traditional gnocchi.

  20. Pingback: Monthly Meal Planning Update with a Sample – Montessori-ish Mom

  21. Hi, just wanted to drop in to say I’ve been making these TJ enchiladas regularly since you posted this. Thank you, even making them tonight ha!

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