As I mention every Fall while I’m not one of those people who goes nuts when Trader Joe’s comes out with all the pumpkin stuff, on occasion I do see something that looks interesting and peaks my interest
Like this : Trader Joe’s SLICED PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH BREAD. I saw loaves of this bread featured in the New Items area. Supposedly shoppers are raving about this bread and snapping it up. So I got one to try out. Here’s my honest review.
I like it, for one thing, that it does taste of pumpkin and its fairly subtle. Not overly flavored with spices which I find cloying. Here those pumpkin spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) are subtle. It has a slight sweetness but tastes like bread not dessert.
This bread is made with pumpkin puree which is the third ingredient listed (flour, water, pumpkin purée). Its got a nice dense crumb, tastes a tiny bit sweet plus has a tiny bit of tang of sourdough, and that’s in quotation marks as I think of this as a “sourdough style” bread.
As is untoasted, I thought it tasted OK, however like many breads my feeling with this is you need to TOAST it! This is great for toasting or grilling. This bread makes fantastic toast. That is what you want to do with it. First I just toasted it and tried it simple ,just spread with good butter. Simple and delicious. Also excellent with Which Jams? Experiment and find your favorite combo. Trader Joe’s APPLE JAM?
FRENCH TOAST. I didn’t try it yet but I know this Definitely would make fantastic french toast. Make that with this bread over the holidays?
What about using this for a Grilled Cheese Sandwich? I got the idea somewhere on the internet to make a grilled cheese with this bread. It sounds a little odd but you know what? They were not wrong. We really liked the way these came out.
Cheese: I saw the recommended one to use as Trader Joe’s GRUYERE CHEDDAR MELANGE and that’s what I did.
Here’s the PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH GRILLED CHEESE.
Slice up your Gruyere Cheddar Melange cheese, then spread the bread slices with a thin layer of your favorite mustard. I used a mix of Dijon and Regular mustard. Add a decent amount of cheese and carefully close up the sandwich. Grill in a heavy pan with a bit of butter on medium. Let it grill up for about 3-4 minutes per side until it looks nice and Golden Brown and Delicious (check occasionally after 2 3 minutes, it can get dark easily) Flip the over carefully, press gently with a spatula until the second side is done and the cheese is all melty and delicious. Serve with pickles.
I’m sure also great with a cheddar but I have to say, that gruyere melange perfect, subtle and nutty and matched perfectly with the pumpkin sourdough.
My only complaint with this its kind of small, just over a pound of the bread for five bucks. Our loaf went pretty fast! We were fighting over who would eat the last slice of this toasted.
Certified Organic, 13g Whole Grains per serving, 70 cal slice
This is a NEW ITEM (AUG 2026)
21 Grains and Seeds Thin Sliced Organic Bread, with whole wheat and “organic seed and nut mix” containing organic sunflower, flax, pumpkin, sesame, black sesame, poppy, millet, rolled oats, quinoa, rye, spelt, yellow corn, amaranth, buckwheat, khorasan, purple corn, brown rice, sorghum, vital gluten, seeds and flours and other goodies like molasses.
A very nice slightly nutty tasting light brown whole wheat bread. Sliced thinly. One slice is 70 calories.
Made great toast with this as well as grilled cheese sandwiches. I would buy this again.
$4.49 for a 20 oz loaf
“Trader Joe’s Organic Thin Sliced 21 Grains & Seeds Bread is multi-faceted. Each Grain and Seed contributes its own characteristic taste and texture to produce a brown bread that is moist and slightly sweet, with a satisfyingly robust flavor. It’s excellent for sandwiching Organic Reduced Sugar Strawberry Preserves and Creamy Salted Peanut Butter. It’s also fantastic when two pieces are toasted in a pan with a generous number of Cheddar & Gruyere Mélange slices all melty in-between. And since our supplier has Sliced each loaf nice and Thin, it’s ideal for smaller-portioned sandwiches and toasts: each Slice comes in at about 70 calories.”
You will find these pickles in the Refrigerated case at Trader Joe’s, near the sauerkraut and kimchi and all that good pickled stuff. Wait? Trader Joe’s sells pickles in the fridge as well as the jarred kinds on the shelves?! Yup, you should check these out.
If I can buy refrigerated pickles, that’s what I will usually go for, over the shelf stable non-refrigerated ones on the shelves.
Why? Jarred shelf-stable pickles have been pasteurized so they can sit safely at room temperature for a long time. Refrigerated pickles have not been Pasteurized (with heat). I find the cold, fresh pickles in the fridge generally have better, firmer texture. Crunchier.
Pasteurizing kills bacteria, even the healthy kind we like! Pickles in the refrigerated section are unpasteurized, kept cold to slow down natural fermentation processes.
My review: Trader Joe’s refrigerated Kosher Dill pickles were very tasty, nice and fresh tasting with garlic and dill flavors with nice crunch. The ingredients include coriander garlic, mustard seed, coriander, bay leaf, dill…. all the classic kosher pickle flavors. What I would call a “full sour Kosher pickle”, dark green.
These Trader Joe’s fresh refrigerator pickles come in two shapes, Spears or Slices, as you prefer.
A sandwich with a pickle is heaven. Either are perfect for a GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH. Maybe with IVY’S RESERVE RED….
These Sausages are made with organic ground chicken, organic sweet Italian seasoning, organic basil, organic garlic, organic paprika and celery powder. The seasoning is good. These are a good thing to have on hand in the fridge to come up with an easy protein and meals.
I found these sausages quite tasty. Grilled up for example simply as I made them here with just some green peppers in olive oil with garlic. You could add lots of other things, like onions and tomatoes. Serve that with rice, or buttered pasta or what have you. Or just grill them and put them on a some toasted bread or a brioche bun.
TJ’s says “the mixture is stuffed by hand into natural casing and hung on racks, where it cooks at a low temperature for a long period of time. After cooking to perfection, the casing is removed and the sweet-smoky sausages are ready to enjoy”
Are these sweet? No, the word refers to “sweet or hot” Italian sausages. If you want spicy/hot using these, of course all you have to do is just add your favorite spicy thing. For me, these are great with TJs terrific Italian BOMBA.
FRIED / BOILED – I think they taste best using the STOVE TOP or GRILLED methods, even if just in a pan with a little oil or butter, either sliced on a diagonal or whole. Just simmering / boiling may be a little too plain, i think some browning up does add quite a bit of flavor but that’s your call.
If not using the whole package, just wrap tightly and freeze the rest for later use. They will defrost fast.
Trader Joe’s SWEET ORGANIC ITALIAN CHICKEN SAUSAGE is $5.99 (the package contains five sausages) They used to be 4 bucks (sigh)
They have no added nitrites or nitrates, One sausage is 110 calories
I would buy these again.
PS – I think these would match up great with the popular SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI dish…..
Trader Joe’s has added this pasta shape to their selection of organic premium “artisanal” pastas, cavatappi which means “corkscrews”. They say it’s one of their favorites. Having tried it, it’s now one of my favorite pastas as well that they sell.
ORGANIC CAVATAPPI look kind of like a long twisted macaroni with ridges. The shape and the ridges are designed to hold sauces.
Cavatappi is an excellent addition to Trader Joe’s line of premium pastas. They still sell some pastas for 99 cents. This one is $1.99. What makes “premium” pasta premium and worth more? TJ’s premium pastas are a level up from the regular ones. Think of high end pasta like you see in specialty stores, many of which are $4-8 a pound. The better, high end pastas mean things like being bronze die cut, made from organic semolina wheat, usually are slow dried, etc. All of which makes for better pasta.
“Made in Italy for Trader Joe’s by our skilled supplier in Italy using organic semolina wheat. “
Cavatappi is perfect for marinara, or alfredo sauces. It’s also great used for baked mac and cheese and is great for cold pasta salads. Its shape helps it hold onto sauce in different ways, offering lots of flavor and a nice chewy texture.
“Cavatappi makes a consummate complement to a marinara or alfredo, makes a marvelous base for a baked mac and cheese, and produces a primo pasta salad for picnics and potlucks.”
I made a delicious (tuna and pesto)pasta salad using the cavatappi
Tuna & Pesto Pasta Salad: Boil a cup of cavatappi pasta in in salted water for 9-10 minutes or until done to the way you like (me, al dente). Drain the pasta and rinse in a colander under cold water until cooled down to room temp. Place pasta in a bowl, and add 2 tablespoons of Trader Joe’s jarred PESTO (adjust more if you need it). Add a can of tuna in olive oil (I used the oil and juice too, your call). Add juice from 1/2 lemon or more. (option, add a handful of chopped parsley or arugula) Mix well and serve.
Trader Joe’s ORGANIC CARROTS (multi-colored) $1.99 for 2 lbs. And also regular organic carrots .99 cents for 1 lb.
We are trying to reduce our carb intake a bit. One idea to help do that is to make up the plate with even more vegetables.
I happen to love carrots, so they are a good pick for us. Carrots are super healthy and fortunately pretty cheap at Trader Joe’s, where they sell for $1 a pound for ORGANIC CARROTS. Pictured here are the multi colored ones Trader Joe’s sells, which besides the standard orange carrots they have some with other colors, like red and yellow.
Here’s two EASY RECIPE ideas using carrots, one cooked and one raw, in a salad. The one printed on the bag is good too (“spicy rainbow carrot coins”) though more complicated than the ones I’m adding below.
Sautéed Moroccan style carrots
Slice up your peeled carrots. Put olive oil in a pan or pot and add 2 cloves chopped/grated garlic. Sautée 30 seconds. Add a 1/2 diced onion. Add carrot slices. Add 1 tsp ground cumin, a dash of cinnamon. Saute on med heat stirring often till they look a little seared, 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat and cook until done, 5-10 minutes.
Easy Moroccan Style Carrot Raisin Salad
Use a box grater or the like and grate up 2 or 3 large peeled carrots into a bowl. Add 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (added points if you grate in some zest). Add a handful of your favorite raisins. Add either a clove of fresh garlic (chopped or grated) or a 1/2 tsp of powdered garlic. Add a good amount of ground cumin (1/2 tsp). Add a good spill of extra virgin olive oil. Add a splash of vinegar. Stir to combine and let marinate for at least 10-15 minutes. (I had pomegranate seeds in the fridge so added them, optional but really nice addition)
“Smoky, savory and lightly sweet with hints of maple”
I’ve already reviewed a very good sliced ham Trader Joe’s sells, which is their ROSEMARY HAM
This one is also quite good. It’s their uncured organic Black Forest ham, which has a lovely smokey flavor.
Uncured means it uses no added nitrates/nitrites. It’s cured with natural seasonings such as organic celery seed, organic vinegar and organic honey. “All vegetarian feed, no added hormones, antibiotics”
Low in fat, 2 slices have 60 calories with 11 gr of Protein.
Wood smoked with hickory, which gives this a wonderful flavor, it’s great for sandwiches and may other things. It made a great omelet, where the smokey flavor came through beautifully.
It would work great on a #cheeseboard. I would love it with some smoked Gouda on a cracker for double smokiness.
I would buy this again.
$5.49 (6 oz)
“TJ’s Uncured Black Forest Ham is deliciously lean, packed with protein, and notably free of added nitrates and nitrites—in other words, the ideal choice for creating simple, delicious school lunches, work lunches, or even just an anytime snack. It has an artful smokiness and tender texture, adds a remarkable depth of flavor, especially when stacked up with slices of Pepper Jack cheese or add-ons like sweet & spicy pickle chips.”
(hope you find it. this pizza’s very popular & sells out fast!)
TRADER JOE SAYS: “With its rectangular shape, deep, crispy-edged crust, and golden underside, Detroit-style pizza has been wowing pizza fans and converting thin crust devotees since 1946. Believe it or not, the original Detroit-style pie was said to have been baked in steel pans originally used for auto parts!Trader Joe’s Detroit Style Uncured Pepperoni Pizza is decidedly not assembled in auto part pans, it is packaged in a rectangular, oven-friendly pan that’s sprinkled with cheese prior to pizza assembly. This crucial step delivers the golden, crispy-on-the-underside and pillowy-on-the-inside crust that’s characteristic of a Detroit Style pie.“
Very popular item! Sells out fast? If you are looking to try Trader Joe’s (new) DETROIT STYLE UNCURED PEPPERONI PIZZA all I can say is GOOD LUCK finding it in the freezer case. If you don’t see it, ask the front desk, as to when it comes in.
Most of the time I went looking to buy it all I found was an empty shelf. Since it came out it usually seems to Sell Out fast. Naturally I have a feeling this is due to social media.. At the moment, this is a hot item. I guess each store gets a certain amount per day and whatever they get, sells out pretty fast.
When items get very hot, I always wonder – Is it really that good or is it just Hype due to social media?
When I finally saw it in the freezer, I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed one to try it and here’s my honest review. First I should say as a native “Noo Yawkah, and lover of our classic styles of pizza, I’ve never been a big fan of thick crust pizza and as you can see, the crust here is pretty thick.
But GUESS WHAT? Tasting this Trader Joe’s pizza all I can say is this item is popular for a reason\I never had a Detroit pizza in my life so I can’t judge how accurate Trader Joe’s version is. My wife and I both enjoyed eating it, despite the amount of crust.We found this to be quite tasty and yummy. It really hit the spot when we were in the mood for pizza for dinner. And yes, I made dinner a bit healthier by making a veggie side.
Yes it is pretty dough-y for me, but overall, quite tasty. All the elements were good. It had a nice thick tomato sauce, very flavorful and very tomatoe-y, It matched perfectly with the nice amount of cheese. The star of the show is of course that pepperoni.
The uncured pepperoni on this pizza is EXCELLENT. Not greasy. No pool of grease you see usually see on pepperoni pizza. Nor did it shrink up a good deal into cups like some pepperoni. Spicy? Not to us taste buds. I thought this uncured pepperoni was pretty mild.
What I’ve learned with this pizza is how to make this as good as possible. The main point being, make sure to get it well baked. See the last pic for how it looked when we ate it (i made some veggies for a side) It does come in a paper pan which you can put right in the oven for convenience.
TIPS: The package says bake in the included oven safe paper pan for 23-25 minutes at 425F. Rearrange the pepperoni evenly.
As you see, I made our meal a bit healthier adding some veggies to our dinner… It was all SO YUMMY!
Notes:
I thought a metal pan might give it a better bake than the paper one it comes in (seeing as a real one is baked in a steel pan, right?) So I took it out of their pan and put the pizza on a small sheet pan. At the very least, even if you use their pan, put that on top of a sheet pan or cookie sheet. Anyway your call on that. I should try both methods..,
Of course all ovens vary widely. In ours, it definitely needed more than their listed time (23-25) at 425 to get really well baked, which is what I tink you wantwith this pizza. It should look like the picture on the box. Deep deep brown cheese. After the recommended time, I tried it and decided the crust wasn’t nearly baked enough. I put it back in the oven. In our oven it needed another 5 minutes to get nice and deep brown all over. I also added a squirt of olive oil on the bottom of the pan to give the crust some help as it was a bit dry. Olive oil will help brown and crisp the bottom and improve it quite a bit. Figure perhaps 30 minutes baking time? Check it often towards the 25 minute mark and adjust as needed.
Be sure to let your oven get nice and pre-heated, give it a least 10-15 minutes after it hits temp before you put in the pizza.
I think I could have even brushed on some oil on the edges/sides. It looks a little dry as you can see; easily fixed with some more evoo. I will do that next time.
Personalize with your own Seasonings: I added my normal seasonings I like; slivered garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper…. Feel free to do what you like to your pizza. I hit this after it came out with some fresh grated pecorino. I had fresh basil which of course was terrific on it. Do your own thing and enjoy! But even as is with nothing, this is quite good.
How big is it? 24 oz. (1 1/2 lbs) Now my wife thought the two of us should eat the whole thing. We could have, but I was the voice of reason and said, let’s eat 2/3 of it and leave a third. She fought me bitterly and snuck in a few bites of the leftovers.
Just know if you eat the whole thing all by yourself, figure 1750 calories. Personally I wouldn’t but that’s your call.
Not a bad deal at about $8 bucks for a pizza that can feed 2 or 3 people. $7.99 makes it one of TJ’s more expensive pizzas due to the quality pepperoni.
(TIP: one reader suggests using the included pan but putting a sheet pan under that. They said it did get very well browned up on the edges in that pan)
Trader Joe’s frozen UNCURED PEPPERONI DETROIT PIZZA $7.99 (24 oz)
People say this is one of the best pizzas Trader Joe’s sells.
“This awesomely herbaceous spread was designed expressly with bagels and lox in mind—we find the notes of Dill are particularly suited to bringing out the best in smoked salmon or Steelhead Trout. That said, it also happens to be great when simply enjoyed with crackers or charcuterie, and a mixed-in spoonful will add all kinds of depth to a pan of soft, scrambled eggs.” – trader joe’s
The internets seem to have gotten a bit abuzz about this new Trader Joe’s spread. I loved the last one I tried (whipped feta spread). So I got this newer one to try out for review.
I opened it up and tried a small taste of it. Is this dip any good? Yeah Baby! Here’ my honest review.
Yes, yes, yes! I love it. I found this just SO good! Very dill-y and herbaceous, and I am a fan of dill. If you like it, you will also love this. Corny but yes this is “dill-icious” as they have named it.
Trader Joe’s say it was designed to match with smoked fish. For sure! They suggest spreading it for a “shmear” on a bagel, then top with some smoked salmon, or smoked trout or what have you. Certainly this will be wonderful for matching with any kind of smoked fish.
It is good for other things too of course. I liked it just as a dip with veggies: sticks of carrots and cucumbers, radishes, peppers. Anything.
It also tasted great simply spread on a few crackers I tried it with. I then spread it on TJ’s yummy Euro Grains Bread which I topped with slices of cucumber. This combo was excellent. Try it on that wonderful bread or crispbread.
Whipped Feta Spread is made with 51% feta cheese mixed with cream cheese, Greek yogurt and olive oil.
“Tangy feta cheese whipped with cream cheese and smooth Greek yogurt. Mega-dippable”
“To create this Spread, our supplier whips fresh Feta with cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and a bit of olive oil to create a creamy, ultra-spreadable, mega-dippable concoction”
The people at Trader Joe’s seem to love to come out with all kinds of spreads and dips. Some have been better than others. This one? It is very good. I am loving it.
They say this: “Feta fans also know that feta cheese’s crumbly texture can be somewhat limiting in certain culinary contexts. Now, thanks to Trader Joe’s Whipped Feta Spread, feta fans will also soon know the delight of enjoying it with unbelievable ease—on a bagel, on a chip, at the end of carrot stick, and beyond!
Yes, yes, yes. This makes the feta smooth and creamy into a fabulous tangy spread/dip. Not too salty either. Just right.
It is great used as a dip for some sliced vegetables. I cut up cucumbers and carrots and tried that as a dip for them and loved it. It’s equally great spread on a bagel or crackers, what have you. I can see this added to sauces, dolloped out on top of a pasta dish or a pizza. Top it with a pinch of honey (or hot honey). Very versatile stuff.
I love the ideas you can get from how they used it here on this shot from Trader Joe’s site. Spread out like hummus as a dip on a plate and gussied up with olives, olive oil and lemons. Served with pita bread of similar breads.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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