“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.
“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.” – TRADER JOE https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/olive-tapenade-hummus-079901
I wanted a big tub of hummus when I went to Trader Joes but unfortunately they didn’t have the large 16 oz MEDITERRANEAN STYLE HUMMUS when I went. This OLIVE TAPENADE HUMMUS was the next biggest tub at 10 oz.
It looked like it was worth trying and I happen to LOVE most any kind of olive, but normally I wouldn’t think of mixing tapenade with hummus. Here the tapenade is just a bit on top of the hummus added as an add on. My first bite reaction was “yeah like i thought, those olives overpower the hummus a bit” but as I kept tasting it, I admit the combined taste of hummus and a bit of olive grew on me more and more with each bite.
I kept the olives more or less as is, on top. Dipping in with pita, I could control just a little bit of tapenade with mostly hummus. Keep that bit of tapenade as-is just on top and grab a bit as you eat or scoop it. Then you mostly have hummus with just a little tapenade.
Certainly I might put out a dish of olives with a dish of hummus so the two are flavors I would combine anyway. The tapenade does kind of work. Don’t mix it all together. Olive are strong flavors and hummus more subtle but the combo was not at all bad eaten with some pita. This is something you would have to decide for yourself.
I did add some 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. Even has a bit of capers in it.
Would you say this looks like Trader Joe’s wants to get in on the the popular “drizzling” trend of olive oil in a squeeze bottle? Are you thinking this looks like the popular “Graza Sizzle” oil?
Trader Joe’s is appropriately enough, calling their new oil that comes in a squeeze bottle, “Main Squeeze”. As usual for Trader Joe’s this is a more budget friendly item than say Graza’s line of oil. MAIN SQUEEZE is a blend of Mediterranean extra virgin olive oil from three counties: Tunisia, Spain, and Italy which is “packed in Italy”.
They are selling this 750 ml (25.4 oz) bottle for about eleven bucks – which is cheaper than some of the other oils they sell as many come in a smaller 500ml bottle, like the EVOO from California for example.
$10.99 is a fairly good deal for a 750 ml bottle. Graza brand oil sells now for about $17 at Target for this same 750 ml size bottle. I don’t have any of the Graza oil at home now one so can’t directly compare them. Graza oil is from one country, Spain.
They say this: “Imported from the Mediterranean, it’s a golden, grassy, and pleasantly peppery cold-pressed Olive Oil, ideal for everything from light sautés to dipping bread, and it’s contained within a consummately convenient Squeeze bottle topped with an adjustable spout. The squeezable design is perfect for drizzling over roasted veggies, burrata, or soups. It’s also versatile enough for dipping bread, making pesto, or general pan-frying and sautéing. “
I tried this Main Squeeze Oil and pretty much liked the taste. Yes, it does have “a golden, grassy, and pleasantly peppery taste with a mild kick on it’s aftertaste”.
One thing I don’t like? The nozzle. It’s not great. Hard to grip for a start. I found it tricky to open and close. It is very narrow, so hard to grip, and turn to open and close. It should be wider. I found I needed to grab it with something (towel, etc) to get a firm grip.
The nozzle also had a tendency to get gunked easily. I had to wipe it often as it got gunky after about two uses.
Now do I think the oil is as good as their best EVOO oils (the Sicilian and California ones)? No I would say just a bit under those two excellent oils, however they are more expensive. Those both cost more than this.
So is TJ’s MAIN SQUEEZE is worth trying if you want to try the whole “drizzle” experience. Its of course cheaper than Graza Sizzle EVOO. This says it is “$13.85/quart”.
Like all extra virgin oils keep it in a cool dark cupboard if at all possible to stay as fresh as possible.
$10.99 (750 ml, 25.4 oz)
“Packed in Italy; Oil from Tunisia, Spain and Italy”
Here’s my honest review of Trader Joe’s “Calabrian Chili Tomato Dumpling Soup”
This soup is really TERRIFIC. Taste-wise I was impressed at just how good this is. It’s really a great tasting tomato soup, full of flavor and just a bit creamy. This tastes like a wonderful homemade tomato soup you (or your Grandma) made.
A bit creamy and full of tomato flavor with great spice additions. Lip smacking yummy. Surprisingly good for something out of a jar. But you will get a great tomato soup.
A jar of this can make a super easy weeknight meal. So I recommend this as a great thing to have in the pantry. It should feed two with a few other things (salad.. bread….a veg)
One review I found on Insta says: “i love it so much. my husband & i think it’s one of the best tomato soups we’ve ever had ~ & we make homemade tomato soup, so that’s saying something! perfect amount of warmth/heat from the chiles”
Ok there is one thing. Dumplings?! Based on the name, you would expect that you would find dumplings, no? Guess what? I didn’t really see any dumplings in the whole jar of soup. I just found a few fingernail size pieces of something I assume used to be a dumpling.
Not just my jar either. I saw another reviewer complaining about how she found no dumplings in this to speak of, also just a few little bits. So just a heads up. The name says Dumplings but its pretty much dumpling free (or they just fall apart).
But you know what? I didn’t care too much as it’s it was so tasty, that really compensated for this one element which I can more or less fix – If you really want something in the soup do what I did. Add some cooked pasta.
Here’s what I did to make up for the missing dumplings. I just boiled up a bit of pasta till al dente. Drained it, then tossed the cooked pasta into the soup. I used a small handful of TJ’s Macaroni.
Sure you don’t have to to bother doing this, the soup is fine on it’s own. Don’t just throw in dried pasta as that may soak up quite a bit of soup. Pre-cook some pasta separately.
Which pasta that would work? Any small shaped pasta. Orzo, macaroni, fusilli, bowties. What about GNOCCHI? Why not?
While of course “spicy” is very personal, to both my wife and I who were reviewing this, we thought this was just a little bit spicy. Certainly not roof on fire spicy. In fact I could easily see one adding a small dab of TJ’s superb ITALIAN BOMBA sauce made with those same Calabrian Chilis, if you wanted this a bit spicier.
Ingredients include tomato paste, “dumplings”, and heavy cream, carrots, vinegar, honey plus spices.
In spite of almost no dumplings found, a super yummy all over a tasty tomato soup to have in your pantry!
Here is another what I might call “small lot” style coffee Trader Joe’s has introduced but this too, like the Mexico Chiapas, is not a Limited coffee but one they seem to intend to have on the shelves every day. As they say:
“If you’re a regular in our coffee & tea section, you’re likely familiar with our rotating roster of limited-edition Small Lot coffees—carefully sourced, single-origin offerings that tend to be available only in small quantities, and only for a short time. Trader Joe’s Costa Rica Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee captures the spirit of our Small Lot releases—high quality, single-origin craftsmanship—and thanks to our longstanding relationships with some truly exceptional growers, we’ve been able to secure sufficient quantities to be able to offer it on our shelves every day.”
This one is from COSTA RICA, grown high up in the mountains there.
“Costa Rica’s temperate tropical climate and rich, volcanic soil promote slow and steady growth, allowing the coffee cherries time to develop rich, complex flavors.”
They again list this as “Medium” roast but to me, like the Chiapas coffee, I would say this is just a wee bit darker. The beans being just a tiny bit shiny with oil and once again, I think the roast is perfect for the beans. as long as you know to expect beans that are “dark medium” or whatever you might call this.
The beans looked good, smelled good, and had a wonderful aroma when ground. The brewed coffee was tasty and had a deep rich flavor with hints of chocolate. “Inherently sweet with nutty notes”.
This is a quite decent coffee. Still I think I liked the recent Organic Mexico coffee just a tad more. I liked this Costa Rican better than the organic one from Peru. This is not marked “organic”. In any case, if you are into trying out TJ’s coffee’s as I like to do, I say this is at least worth a try for $10 bucks.
If you just want a recommendation of which coffee(s) at Trader Joe’s are worth buying for a first timer, I’d recommend the Fair Trade Organic BOLIVIAN coffee if you like a lighter roasted coffee. If you enjoy a darker roasted coffee (“medium” they say) I’d say try the ORGANIC MEXICAN.
“Trader Joe’s Amaryllis Bulbs come to us conveniently pre-sprouted and carefully hand-dipped in a paraffin Wax. Fascinatingly enough, all of the nutrients and moisture that the Amaryllis will require for growth & bloom are already packed into that one big, round, colorful, Wax-covered Bulb. Which means that when you get your Bulb home, you can just place it on a counter (or in a window—anywhere that receives filtered light is fine) and periodically turn it to encourage tall, straight growth. That’s it. No water. No soil. No constant watching. No kidding! The Amaryllis Bulb in Wax is the must-have, must-gift plant of the season, no green thumb required.”
So I got one of these. Both my wife and I were a little bit skeptical that this would work as they said it would. Or that it would work so well. It was just a waxed bulb with a tiny green shoot at the time peeking out at the top of this round wax ball, containing the amaryllis bulb. But guess what? It absolutely did work, and then some. I mean, Wow!
I placed the bulb in a sunny place. And waited. Thats it. It took about a 6 weeks or so. One could see where the flowers would come. About a week or so later there were flowers emerging and after about another week the thing looked magnificent as you can seet bloomed with 4 huge Amaryllis flowers.
This could be a fabulous gift. Maybe next Easter time?
“Our supplier gives the beans a light roast, highlighting the inherent notes of molasses, dark chocolate, sweet plum, and apple. You get a crisp, clean cup with dense, satisfying flavors.”
I am pretty sure this is the first coffee from Peru I may have tasted.
I found this latest Organic Small Lot coffee from Peru at Trader Joe’s to be pretty interesting, if not astunning remarkable find a few of the Small Lot coffees they’ve had in the past that were amazing (For that read my post on the UGANDA RWENZORI coffee). This is in the middle. Brewed up this was pretty good, a bit fruity with notes of “chocolate, molasses and apple or plum”. I get a bit of a wine-y after taste note that I usually associate with some African coffees.
Try this is you like to try every Small Lot they come out with, as I do, hoping for the best. This is not that but good. Overall though as my standard every day drink these days I prefer the Bolivian coffee they have.
I’ve thought about posting something like this for awhile, instead of a review. The issue: Wasting money. Wasting food. Argh !!! I’m sure you are with me. I just hate discovering produce wasn’t used fast enough and is basically garbage now. I hate to throw out food. I’m sure you feel the same. With everything costing more and more, frankly now it seems more important than ever.
We all know all too well, the horrible feeling of looking in a bag of greens or something only to find something black and melted and looking like it’s ready for the garbage. Some things go faster than other. Pre-washed soft little greens for one.
Say washed, ready to eat Mixed Greens at Trader Joe’s. I’ve found those really don’t last long. Great for 3, 4 days. They go bad pretty fast. Faster than almost anything else I buy at Trader Joe’s as the little mixed lettuces are very delicate. After four days, I will usually find a few rotten pieces deep in the middle.
So how do you keep your veggies and stuff from going bad for as long as possible?
Every vegetable and package presents a different challenge. A lot of stuff at Trader Joe’s is packaged in plastic. Most? Way too much plastic and of course Plastic doesn’t “breathe”. Moisture is both the friend and enemy with veggies. Just enough is good to keep them as fresh as possible. But if no air, it will rot faster.
My so called hack is a mix of air (holes) and paper towels to try to regulate the moisture in the bag.
AIR FLOW. What I usually do is I make holes if there aren’t any already. Even if there are (bagged carrots for example) I may add some more holes. What I do is a combination of things to regulate the moisture. Sometimes adding a paper towel in the bag to absorb moisture (and provide it slowly). On occasion both the two together, poking lots of holes and a paper towel in the bag. It’s tricky as you don’t want stuff to dry up, but not have too much moisture either.
For example take that bag of ARUGULA – which I buy frequently. The first thing I do before I put the bag in the fridge is take a sharp pointy knife – and STAB IT all over to make a lot of holes. Seriously stab it. Not two or three holes. I stab the bag maybe 10 times on each side. A lot of little holes to make it more breathable. I might slit open the bag and put a paper towel in along the side.
Mixed greens? Air holes and paper towels in the bag. Close up with a clothes pin or similar.
GREEN ONIONS – Same thing. Air holes all over.
Once you open a bag, which I usually do with scissors, i use clips or clothes pins to seal shut.
With green onions, sometimes I will remove them all from the bag and wrap a paper towel around the bottom which is barely moistened with a few drops of water to keep those root ends moist. A wonderful Cantonese chef I watch alot of cooking videos of, recommends standing green onions upright in the fridge, in a plastic bag with the roots wrapped in barely moist paper towels. That does work but I usually have them horizontal.
What about say a package of PERSIAN CUCUMBERS? They have cardboard on the bottom which is breathable, so better. The plastic wrapping them, I pierce all over and make (more) air holes. Keep loosely covered.
What about Trader Joe’s plastic square boxes of parsley or cilantro? I stab the plastic box like crazy to make holes in them and take a paper towel and wrap up the whole bunch of parsley in the paper towel. Maybe add a few drops of water to keep it moist – barely. Freshen every few days.
Another thing I do, is when things start to look no longer perfect is I will cook the greens when they get past prime time (a bit not garbage). Lets say I have half a bag of arugula left over, It looks a little past it’s prime but not too bad. Not great for a salad but not ready to toss in the garbage. So I cook it. I remove any really bad leaves, give it a quick rinse, and toss it in a pan with oil and garlic. Sauté it for a few minutes till wilted. Arugula is great to cook with too. Or if I’m cooking something, throw it in at the end for 1 minute or so till its wilted / cooked.
I really like this very versatile dressing. Sold in the refrigerated section near salad stuff. Sure this a “salad dressing” but it is also more than that.
Trader Joe’s has this to say about it: “When is a salad dressing more than a salad dressing? How about when it’s also a great dip, condiment, marinade, sauce…”
Salad dressing, a marinade, a glaze, a condiment, even a dipping sauce for your dumplings!
It can be used for all those and maybe more. This is really versatile and useful to have in your fridge. It is of course peanut-y and a typical Asian style mix of sweet and savory. We tried it as a salad dressing. Very yummy. After we poured some over mixed lettuce and arugula my wife said “I think this would also be great on noodles“… Yes! Toss some into your noodles. Or grilled chicken (use for a marinade and a glaze). Or Salmon. Or Shrimp. Or Baked Tofu. Or an omelet. A dipping sauce for dumplings. Cole slaw. Grilled vegetables…. you name it.
It is a bit sweet (from agave syrup) and of course very peanut-y. Has the tiniest amount of spice listed as the last ingredient but I can’t really detect any level of “spicy” here. If you want that, just add your favorite spicy stuff. You can even top with some crushed peanuts (this is smooth) for added texture. I really like this!
You will find it good on or with so many things. The cousin of this, also very good is TJ’s TOASTED SESAME DRESSING.
It lists 120 Cal per 2 tbls
$3.99 bottle (12 oz)
Great with chicken. Marinate some boneless breast or thighs in a bit of this sauce for 1/2 hour. Grill or broil them. Brush on some sauce in the last minute cooking to get a wonderful glaze. Serve with more sauce.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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