One ingredient, Chicken. A protein packed treat for dogs or cats.
Any dog or and cat will likely go nuts for these treats, I mean as in rip your arms off to get them. At least my two cats do. Now at six bucks a bag, these are not cheap however it is because its really “super concentrated” chicken, pure little pieces of freeze dried chicken breast. Maybe these two ounces of freeze dried chicken started off as a pound of chicken before they freeze dried it which removed all the water? So one or two treats should suffice (ha, that’s what you say human). Kitty guest Review: My two cats went absolutely bonkers for these, I just opened the bag and they ran into the kitchen from the other side of the house. How they could smell them I have no idea but clearly if you’re a dog or a cat you will smell them and go insane. These treats can also be used to put on top of food if your pet doesn’t want to eat for any reason (changed food brand or recipe, lack of appetite, illness…). In that case, you can just crush up a piece between your fingers and sprinkle the chicken powder on top.
The other good, and much cheaper, treat Trader Joe’s sells is the DRIED SALMON SKIN. They however are messier and smellier to deal with but at $1.99 a bag a good bargain and a healthy treat for cats and dogs (they are labeled “for dogs” but cats can eat too and love them, it’s just baked salmon skins)
I was pretty impressed with these new sausages, called UNEXPECTED CHEDDAR CHICKEN SAUSAGE. In fact I’m going to say these sausages are the bomb. We’re talking so juicy & flavorful. Overall flavor of these sausages is terrific. It’s Ingredients include chicken, unexpected cheddar of course plus caramelized onions and red bell peppers. Personally I really like the snap of the natural pork casing they use, but some have said they think it’s too “thick”* . They didn’t drip or ooze out cheese, if that’s what you are are expecting, its not cheesy like that, it’s more about flavor. I guess the cheddar just melts in and gives them a lot of flavor and obviously some juiciness. I thought they were delicious and we both really enjoyed these when we ate them for dinner as a dish with a side of sautéed potatoes and vegetables.
These can be served in many ways. Want super easy? Just grill them up a bit and put them on a good bun with mustard and sauerkraut. Maybe the TJ’s Brioche Hot Dog Buns! I did a “German style” dish with them with sauteed potatoes. I grilled the sausages on the stove. Along side the sausages, I made sautéed vegetables (potatoes, onions, peppers and some cabbage). The sausages with these vegetables were a really good combination and we enjoyed it all with slices of TJ’s MARBLE RYE bread and DIJON MUSTARD and some of TJ’s excellent SAUERKRAUT. Very German. OK the Dijon was French.
These sausages are already fully cooked. However I think browning them is a must. I just learned you should not prick sausages as we’ve been taught. That they stay juicier if you don’t prick them. OK one of them burst a bit on me but it was fine.
One of these sausages has only 160 calories, and while they are not low in sodium, they are not super high either, these sausages have a bit less sodium compared to TJ’s Andouille Chicken Sausages.
I think these CHEDDAR CHICKEN SAUSAGES are a terrific addition to all the other chicken sausages that Trader Joe’s carries. In fact for me, these are so impressive I’d say these go right to the top of my list of all of TJ’s chicken sausages. I would buy these again. These are $4.49 a package (12 oz) PS – * Personally I love the snap that a real traditional pork casing gives a sausage however if you don’t want it one reader writes he carefully peels off the casing before cooking them.
As the owner of a by-now very spindly 20 yr old rubber plant, I was pretty impressed at how robust and thick these Ficus Elasticas at Trader Joe’s were. They’re beautiful. $12.99
New at Trader Joe’s: Creme Fraiche is kind of the French version of sour cream. However its a bit different, and better that sour cream as it has more butterfat plus is a bit more tangy. This is the first time I’ve seen creme fraiche at Trader Joe’s. This is a welcome addition to the dairy stuff. Lots of ways to use it. Use it in cooking. Also fabulous au naturel topped with berries and a little sprinkle of coconut sugar.
This FRENCH CULTURED BUTTER IS BACK IN STOCK. At the moment. There are times you might not see it, but it does seem to come back eventually.
(July 2022) Trader Joes’s terrific butter, their FRENCH CULTURED BUTTER was missing for some time recently. Today I saw it back on the shelf (at NYC, 72 St TJ’s). TJ’s French Cultured Butter is beloved by probably thousands of devoted Trader Joe’s shoppers. Many readers wrote in to the Comments, that the butter had been Discontinued.
I do have a feeling TJ’s has been having serious supply side and pricing issues like every other store, and perhaps especially now with their international products which are probably even more tricky to source. So while I am happy to see some on the shelves here, I find it a bit troubling they didn’t bother to put out a sign for the French butter. So fingers crossed its back, and will stay for good. Please let us know in Comments if it comes back in your local TJ’s and location.
The Irish Kerrygold butter has been in steady supply on the shelves, and that is also a good premium butter. It may be the only one TJ’s stocks eventually.
UPDATE: Aug 2022 – The French butter appearance seems to have been temporary; Its a Cat and Mouse game. It was all gone for awhile. Then a few weeks later I saw the French butter on the shelf still with no signs for it, so its a bit of a mystery and maybe they just can’t get it in a steady supply. To Be Continued folks….
Update: Sept 2022 (its been hit or miss, lately miss. Not on shelf today. I think they’ve just been putting all the stock out as it lasts until it’s exhausted?)
Update: Oct. 2022 – Well, the French Butter seems now totally gone from the shelves along with the Kiwi butter (double sigh)
In the imported premium butter category TJs offers one now – Kerrygold Irish Butter. Which is a good premium butter too.
SEASONAL ITEM (summertime): Fresh HATCH CHILE peppers from New Mexico. Some are marked HOT and some were MEDIUM and even MILD. These famous peppers have almost a cult following. These are seasonal items I remember seeing a few years ago at Trader Joe’s, pre-Covid, here in NYC. If you want to try these grab them ASAP as they are not around for long. Roast them on the grill or under the broiler to bring out the flavor. I have also just sautéed them until slightly charred. You can enjoy them all year in a dried flaked version at TJ’s as Hatch Chile Flakes. The sign has a mistake and says they are from “Mexico” nope, the Hatch valley is in New Mexico !
Good price on a good extra virgin olive oil from Greece, single origin, Kalatmata oil. I really like the attractively designed tin it comes in. “Bright and grassy in flavor with a light bitter finish”. I liked this. 16.9 oz. Super for five bucks. TK’s has another Greek kalamata oil too for only a dollar more, $5.99.
TIP: Get as crispy as possible and pair with TJ’s excellent MANGO CHUTNEY for added flavor
I’m not vegetarian however I like to try out vegetarian products, especially Indian ones. I might venture to say Indian cuisine has most flavorful vegetarian food of any country. Its really one of the great world cuisines.
Trader Joe’s has some decent Indian food products. Some have found to be just so-so however they sell a few that are quite good and really tasty. I’ve reviewed a number of them and many have got a rave from me. For example CHANNA MASALA and PALAK PANEER, both very good Indian prepared frozen entree items.
Which brings me to this one. Trader Joe’s (seemingly popular) VEGETABLE MASALA BURGERS. I mean the picture on the package looks enticing. Not too mention they are called “Masala Burgers with Authentic Indian Spices“.” (“Masala” refers to mixed Indian spices).To be honest when I tasted this, my first thought was where are those “Authentic Indian Spices”?
Personally I find these TJ “masala burgers”pretty ordinary tasting and way under seasoned. Sure, I agree Indian food is not always highly spiced, but generally, it is very flavorful, especially potato dishes. I am thinking for example of Masala Dosa made with potato (Aloo Masala which literally means spiced potato). So my short review is I find these to be Just OK. Pretty Meh. That’s just my opinion of course. This site has gotten quite a bit of Feedback from lots of readers that they like these Masala Burgers quite a bit! Vegetarians especially seem to appreciate these vegetarian / vegetable burgers. I think of this basically as a mashed potato burger with a few veggies. The concept is not bad, I just find the execution not up to some of TJ’s other Indian foods I have mentioned before.
So this is one of those items which you will just have to try and decide for yourself. At least be sure to pair these with the great MANGO CHUTNEY and some good sauce(s) you like.
One burger has 140 calories.
Trader Joe’s does sell quite a few tasty Indian foods which I find quite good in the frozen section. For example, the super tasty CHANNA MASALA (chickpea curry) which I love as well as the BHAINGAN BHARTA (eggplant) and superb PALAK PANEER (spinach) entrees. All three of these I find excellent. Some people really like the Samosas too. Perhaps you could pair these Masala Vegetable Burgers with the Palak Paneer spinach dish, or Channa Masala for a good combo?
HOW TO COOK : These are already fully cooked however you still need to brown them up before eating them. Cook them in a skillet for 3-4 minutes per side in a little butter and oil until they look golden brown and delicious. They should get nice and crispy looking on the outside. The crispy texture makes these.
TIP: Do not microwave these as they will not get crispy!
If you have curry powder I would suggest a sprinkle. At the very least I would add a little crushed garlic or even garlic powder if you make them.
Be sure to enjoy them with something full of flavor like the excellent MANGO CHUTNEY
I think they needed a little something to them to jazz them up. Maybe Sriracha or Peri-peri sauce. Zhough. Bomba. Magnifisauce. The thing that perked this up a little bit for me was putting on a little TJ’s TAMARIND SAUCE, basically a tamarind chutney sauce. Perhaps some CHILE CRISP would be good for these?
I think these may really benefit matching with Trader Joe’s Mango Chutney
My wife told me “just one is enough” for her – not a good review as she likes most anything I make. So personally we didn’t find these as good as some other Trader Joe’s Indian frozen items. But again, these seem popular with readers saying they really like these Masala Burgers, especially if they do something to it to jazz them up. I have two good friends who are vegetarian who told me she loves these TJ’s Vegetable Burgers and buys them all the time.
As they say, to each his own.These might be worth checking out to see what you think, especially if you need vegetarian options. Add some spices to these and fix them to your liking!
Vegetable Masala Burger $3.49 (4 burgers, 10 oz)
(NOTE: Contains Wheat, bread crumbs)
INGREDIENTS: POTATOES, CANOLA OIL, CARROTS, GREEN BEANS, BREAD CRUMBS (WHEAT FLOUR, SUGAR, YEAST, SALT), BELL PEPPERS, ONIONS, CORN, WATER, SALT, SUGAR, SPICES, GINGER, CELLULOSE GUM, GREEN PEPPER, CITRIC ACID, TURMERIC
Want to make these yourself? Here’s a recipe for ALOO masala…. for patties, just form them when cool, chill for a bit in the fridge then fry them up. I bet they would taste spectacular. In the recipe you can see what kind of mixed spices are typically used used for aloo (potato) masala ….
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