Little mini pepperoni sticks divied into 2 cute “snack packs” of about one ounce each.
I saw these on the check out line at Trader Joe’s yesterday. I could not resist this cute package so picked one up and honestly, when I got out of the store, I opened up the package and took a bite of one of these sticks. I have to say these are really tasty and brought me back to when I was a kid and bought “Slim Jims”. Probably these have way better ingredients.
They are neither hard nor soft, just the perfect texture and taste. These are a snack-sized helping of slim, perfectly chewy Pepperoni Sticks made from uncured pork. (No nitrates or nitrites are added, except those naturally occurring in sea salt and cultured Swiss chard powder). Very savory and tasty, pork-y goodness. Even could go on a #cheeseboard.
My package went pretty fast. Health food? No, of course not, these are a occasional treat but the ingredients are not mysterious and they are not very fatty. Sodium is pretty high! A whole package (both sides) contains 1050 mg sodium, or about 56% the allotted recommended daily sodium level .
However if one ate half a package at a time, as an occasional snack/treat not too terrible. Just so you keep an eye on that. Me I can eat about 4, 5 sticks and be satisfied.
I actually really love a good hot dog, however as someone who tries to watch what they eat, hot dogs now are something I will basically only eat once a year – on July 4th! So when I do eat a hot dog, it’s got to be really good, of course, and would prefer it be one that is at least trying to be one of the “healthier” versions. But still really tasty.
For me, Trader Joe’s Organic Uncured Grass Fed All Beef Hot Dogs fits the bill exactly. Most important, these are good and tasty hot dogs, that are made better than many others that have questionable ingredients, something hot dogs are notorious for. These have good ingredients. Made with USDA certified organic beef from grass fed cows. They don’t contain added nitrates or nitrites as preservatives (ie, “uncured”). They use natural ingredients to “cure” them, specifically celery and sea salt. The ingredients are not mysterious. The rest of the ingredients are all organic seasonings, things like garlic puree, minced onion, paprika, and red pepper flakes. “No fillers. No kidding”.
We got these for a July 4th get together this year and these dogs were a big hit. Everyone commented on how good the hot dogs were. Nice and tasty, well seasoned the way I like my dogs with: “Organic black pepper, organic ginger, organic nutmeg, organic red pepper, organic paprika, organic garlic powder, organic onion powder, organic coriander, organic celery powder, organic garlic puree….”
These were so yummy on those good buns with good sauerkraut. I can’t wait for July 4th to roll around year again! You and your kids however may eat them anytime you are in the mood for hot dogs and want them to be as good as possible.
110 calories per hot dog
$5.99 (10 oz package, which has 6 hot dogs)
I would buy these again.
“NO PRESERVATIVES; KEEP REFRIGERATED BELOW 40 F AT ALL TIMES”
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.“
-If you are looking to try Trader Joe’s (new) DETROIT STYLE UNCURED PEPPERONI PIZZA all I can say is I wish you LUCK finding it in the freezer case. If you don’t see it, ask the front desk, as to when it comes in.
I was looking for it over days and days and most of the time, all I found was an empty shelf.
Since it was introduced, it seemed to Sell Out, fast. Naturally this is due to social media, as at the moment this has been 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, and grabbed one to try.
Here’s my honest review.
First I should say as a native “Noo Yawkah” and a lover of our classic style of pizza, I’ve never been a big fan of thick crust pizza. The crust on this pizza is pretty thick as you can see in the pix.
But GUESS WHAT? Tasting this Trader Joe’s pizza all I can say is I see why this is So Popular. I never had a Detroit pizza in my life so I can’t judge how accurate Trader Joe’s version is to a real one, but this is very good.
My wife and I both enjoyed eating it, despite the amount of crust. We found this to be really yummy. It really hit the spot when we were in the mood for pizza for a dinner. And yes, I made dinner a little healthier by making a veggie side dish!
Yes it is pretty dough-y for me, but overall, it really is quite tasty. All the elements were good. A nice thick tomato sauce, very flavorful and tomato-y, which 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, there was no pool of grease you see usually see on pepperoni pizza. Nor did it shrink up into cups like most pepperoni does.
How Spicy? 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.
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.
Of course all ovens vary widely. In ours, it needed more than their listed time (23-25) at 425 to get really well baked, which is what I think you want with 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 22-23 minute mark and adjust as needed.
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 we should eat the whole thing. We could have, but I was the “voice of reason” and said no, let’s eat 2/3 of it and leave a third for leftovers. But the wife fought me bitterly and snuck in a few bites! Yes, she really like this.
Not a bad deal at $8 bucks for a pizza that can feed 2 or maybe 3 people. $7.99 makes it one of TJ’s more expensive pizzas due to the quality ingredients of that pepperoni. But the quality is there. So worth it.
People say this is one of the best pizzas Trader Joe’s sells.
Just know if you ate the whole thing all by yourself, about 1750 calories. Personally I wouldn’t do that, but that’s your call.
Trader Joe’s frozen UNCURED PEPPERONI DETROIT PIZZA $7.99 (24 oz)
I would buy this again.
(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 in the included pan)
TRADER JOE ‘S says: “In the center of each tub lies a just-right amount of briny Olive Tapenade made with black olives, manzanilla olives, capers, and olive oil. Not to be out shined by its piquant partner, the Hummus base is special in its own right. With twice the tahini of traditional hummus, it’s especially smooth and nutty with complementary sweet and savory flavors.”
I wanted a big tub of hummus when I went to Trader Joes but unfortunately they didn’t have the large one I usually go for, the 16 oz MEDITERRANEAN STYLE HUMMUS.
This OLIVE TAPENADE HUMMUS was the next biggest tub at 10 oz.
It looked like it was worth trying as I happen to LOVE any and all kinds of olives, however normally I wouldn’t think of mixing olive tapenade into my hummus. Here the tapenade is just a bit on top of the hummus as an Add On ingredient.
My first bite reaction was “yeah like I thought would happen, the olive tapenade kind of overpowers the hummus”. However as I kept tasting it, I had to admit the combined taste of hummus with just a bit of olive grew on me, more and more with each bite. I was careful to keep the tapanade as is, on top, separate, and not mixed in with everything.
That way scooping a bit onto the pita, I could control the balance, just a little bit of tapenade with mostly hummus. Keep that bit of tapenade as-is, just on top, so you can have mostly hummus with just a little bit of tapenade.
Certainly I might put out a dish of olives with a dish of hummus anyway. The tapenade does kind of work. Don’t mix it all together. Olive is a strong flavors, hummus more subtle but the combo was not at all bad eaten with some pita and “controlled” with careful selection.
I did add fresh lemon juice and some good EVOO and those certainly elevated everything. I might not buy this again but think this is worth trying if you are a big fan of olives, like I am. This even has a bit of capers in it.
Here’s what Traders has to say: “After the runaway success of our Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips, including their record-breakingly early entry into the Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame, we knew that they needed a companion within the snacks section. Where their Chile Lime cousins are tangy and hot, these Ranch Rolled Tortilla Chips are creamy, herby, and well-rounded. They get their bold, yet markedly mellow flavor via a suite of savory seasonings and spices, including buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley.”
The wonderful Chili Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips are among Trader Joe’s most popular snack items they have come out with. Me, I am crazy for them. I adore them. I love spicy. The Chili Lime chips have crazy strong flavors and are quite spicy.
But they are not for everyone. Especially those sensitive to spice or strong flavors. My wife does like some level of spicy but she really doesn’t like the Chili Lime rolled chips at all. She says they are just too strongly flavored and way too spicy ( I”m not complaining as I don’t have to share mine 😉
So as popular as the spicy ones are I imagine Trader Joe’s figured there are people like her who find them too strongly flavorerd. Which must be why they figured lets come out with another version of the Rolled Tortilla Chips. Which is this one. Not spicy. Mild. Ranch Flavor flavor.
My wife likes these more mellow Ranch ones! I will have to share…..
TJ’s gave this variation a buttermilk ranch flavor that includes dried onion, parsley and other seasoning.
On the internet you get that this one is another hit. Some people really like this version. and say things like “the bag didn’t even make it all the way home. i ate the whole thing”!
Not as bold as the original OG Chili Lime these have a mild flavor of course so may appeal to more people, my wife being one. The are great on their own or equally great with a dip or guacamole. I liked them dipped into some DILL CREAM CHEESE SPREAD. They are good with cheese too.
I love the original spicy one a bit more as it’s so zingy spicy and unique but I do like this new RANCH one too, and you may end up buying both kinds!
I would buy it again.
$2.99/9 Oz
On a side note though it doesn’t say Gluten Free, I kind of think they may be? Just corn, no wheat that I can see in the ingredients
Trader Joe’s Kettle Cooked Olive Oil Potato Chips are a popular, crunchy potato chip snack.
INGREDIENTS : Potatoes. Olive Oil. Sea Salt
These are made from only three ingredients: Potatoes, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt. Even though we are not big eaters of potato chips, we found these to be incredibly tasty. Even addictive!
I would call these “gourmet” potato chips. The olive oil imparts great flavor.
The flavor profile of these is very simple and pure, as there is no other flavor added, just potatoes with a touch of salt, with the fruity flavor of the olive oil coming through. All of which makes these taste better than most standard chips.
These have amazing crunch. Like most chips described as “kettle cooked” these chips are cut thicker than regular potato chips such as “Lays” and the like. These have a great texture. Crunchy and delicious. These could probably hold up to most dips.
Now we did find these to be just the tiniest bit on the greasy side, so be aware of that. However since this is olive oil I imagine this is part of the appeal. Another plus is that some people want things made with “non-seed” oils. So this fits that bill, though the words “healthy potato chips” are an oxymoron!
As far as calories goes, the bag says 16 chips have about 140 calories.
I’ve never written a “review” of fruit before so this is a first for me. Why now?
I was at Trader Joe’s, looking for the new Ranch flavor rolled tortilla chips and could not find any on the shelves. So I asked one of the employees if they had any in back. He went and found what he said were the “last two bags”.
I was thankful, of course, and we started talking a little bit and he asked if I had every tried “Dekopan”. He said you have to try it. I drew a blank. I had no idea what that was. He walked me over to where oranges were. He pointed out a large weird looking bumpy skin, giant mandarin orange with a bumpy top knot. He said they’re expensive but actually worth it. It’s a “premium” fruit. Very seasonal, only available for around 3 months. A TJ employee cult favorite which they wait for all year.
So I had to get one to try. How is it? Well it perhaps actually is The best orange/mandarin I ever ate.
It is Huge. A pound each? So juicy and sweet. So easy to peel, it just slipped out of its skin. Smells fantastic. No seeds! I can see what a Trader Joe’s Cult Favorite.
Also probably at $2.49 each, the most expensive orange I ever bought. Yikes. Still, at other stores they might be even more expensive than that.
But its huge and really really good and a rare treat.
So even if just once, I would also say, “you’ve got to try this” while you can as it’s seasonal (around Jan-April) only available for about 3 months.
When my wife and I tried it after dinner we were both so impressed with the taste and while expensive, very special indeed. Just so delicious and a treat for a dessert. A way healthier dessert than the cake we had. By the way, its so huge it was shared by us both.
I got one for $2.49 weeks ago. Just saw them now weeks later I saw them bagged (about 5?) for maybe $6, way less per orange. Probably end of season and they need to get rid of them.
GOOGLE: Trader Joe’s Sumo Citrus (Dekopon) is a highly anticipated seasonal fruit available roughly January through April. Known for being very large, seedless, incredibly sweet, and easy to peel, these premium mandarins feature a distinct top-knot bump.
Key Details About Trader Joe’s Sumo Citrus:
Seasonality: Typically available in the winter and early spring, specifically January to April.
Taste & Texture: Extremely sweet (high Brix count) and juicy, with a texture closer to a tangerine than a standard orange.
Appearance: Distinctive, bumpy, thick rind with a “top knot” bump, making them easy to peel.
Price: Known to be expensive, with individual fruit priced around $2.49 and bags sold for roughly $5.49–$5.99, but still cheaper than at many other retailers.
Origins: Originally developed in Japan in the 1970s, now grown in California’s Central Valley.
“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.
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