Trader Joe’s PIZZA BIANCA

01 Mar 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in baked, cheese, DIY, frozen, General, Italian, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


FROZEN

Trader Joe’s Pizza Bianca (Made with Parmesan cheese sauce, Mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, Onion and Rosemary)

Trader Joe’s added this slightly “controversial” pizza to their line of frozen pizzas, many of which are pretty good.

“PIZZA BIANCA” is of course a white pizza, meaning it doesn’t have tomato sauce or tomato.

This pizza is made with three different cheeses which make a rich, creamy and delicious sauce which also includes some onion and rosemary. The description on the box sounded intriguing to me, even though I admit I am a bit of a traditionalist and generally think of pizza having tomato of some kind on it.

However the word from the internet was that Trader Joe’s new PIZZA BIANCA was good. Really good. So I thought I should try it. My honest review?

If you served this to friends and hid the box you could probably fool them that you ordered pizza in.

This white pizza is really tasty! I must say I was impressed at just how tasty this actually is. I found it pretty delicious and my wife loved it as well. So this new pizza is yet another very good frozen pizza you can get from Trader Joe’s, which has a ton of good ones to choose from. And, another great buy for a pizza at just $4.99. Which can feed two.

(right out of the package)

The crust has been partially pre-baked, as you can tell from a few dark spots on it already.

When I was preparing I did have an idea to Hack this Pizza Bianca.

Who says it has to be completely white? I love me some tomatoes, so think “why don’t I cut up a tomato and put some on!?” It’s not a bad idea at all. As a test, on half the pizza I put some sliced Roma tomato.

Guess what? It’s fabulous also that way. We both loved the result. Adding tomato is not a sin. I would say its a terrific hack for you to try as well. Though try it on half to start with, so you can taste it as intended too. It is very tasty “au natural”, but I loved it with some fresh tomatoes (use Roma or cherry tomatoes sliced). Trader’s suggests topping it with some arugula for nice veggie flavor to mix in with the cheesy sauces.

I might recommend trying either after you try it the first time, just “bianca”. Just so you can see this is versatile. You could even add Prosciutto after baking though that would be even richer.

The crust is thick and chewy with a nice flavor. The mix of Parmesan cheese sauce and all the other cheeses are delicious, with the back notes of onion and that rosemary.

(before baking – yes i put some tomato on half!)
(after)

HOW TO COOK PIZZA BIANCA – As per the package: Pre-heat oven to 400 (Give your oven a good 1/2 hr to get to steady temp). Place the pizza on a baking sheet, sheetpan or foil in the center of the oven. Bake at 400 for 14-16 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the pizza is heated thru (bubbly). I turn at the halfway mark as many oven heat unevenly.

“Enjoy pizza as is or top with arugula for a zesty contrast to the rich melty cheese”

TIP: Brush the edge with olive oil

Slice and enjoy!

Trader Joe’s PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI CHICKEN MEATBALLS, review

04 May 2025 3 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, Blog, Changed, DIY, fresh, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


“Seasoned, fully cooked, gluten free. “

Trader Joe’s “Pineapple and Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs”

I previously tried, and gave a good review, to the regular Trader Joe’s “Chicken Meatballs”. Those original chicken meatballs seem to me to be quite a popular Trader Joe’s item. So popular that often I even find these were sold out.

Both the original version and this new Pineapple Teriyaki version of the meatballs, come already cooked and are sold in the refrigerated case. I have bought the regular chicken meatballs pretty often as I find they are a really handy item to have in the fridge. You can use these meatballs to come up with a meal, fast and easy, so are very handy. Plus as they are vacuum sealed, these can last quite some time in the fridge unopened, easily a week or more.

I am guessing the original flavor meatballs were so popular item that Trader Joe’s decided to come out with another flavor. Which are these new ones, the Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs.

If you are a fan of the original ones, you will probably like this new version as much as those. Maybe even more. Both are made from “all natural, minimally processed chicken with no artificial ingredients“. The Ingredients include: chicken, dried pineapple, tamari, mirin, sea salt, sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, pepper, ginger, garlic, rosemary….

Here’s what Trader Joe’s says about the new Pineapple Teriyaki version (link)

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/pineapple-teriyaki-chicken-meatballs-081225

“… Now available in our refrigerated cases on an everyday basis, Trader Joe’s Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs are made with all-natural ground chicken, are certified gluten free, and arrive fully cooked, so that all you have to do is heat them up in the oven, microwave, or air fryer, then serve. On their own, they make a great savory snack or appetizer (especially when paired with something tangy to dip them in). They’re also awesome when tossed with your favorite noodles (we’re particularly partial to our Squiggly Noodles), and make a mean meatball sub with our Sandwich Rolls, too.”

So how do the new meatballs compare to the original version? Well, here’s my honest review.

I liked the original ones and I like these too. I find the new Teriyaki version quite good. Possibly even a little better than the original meatballs? These have little more flavor, just a touch (not much) of sweetness and are softer. I did not find the added flavors too strong, these are the subtle side. The pineapple and teriyaki flavors don’t overpower things. They taste just slightly sweet. Texture wise I think these are a bit softer than the original meatballs, due to the added ingredients, dried pineapple and pineapple juice. I found the original meatballs could get a little rubbery as they have just meat with nothing else. Also there seems to be a few grill marks on these as if they were perhaps grilled?

Meatballs in an Asian Stir Fry with Broccoli and Peppers

Like the original meatballs, I think the best methods to cook these would be either stove top, baked in the oven, or in an air fryer. All which will give them a little browning which helps these. I don’t think these meatballs will be as good simply heated in the microwave as they won’t get browned.

In my original review, I mentioned these meatballs benefit in flavor with a bit of browning (aka the Maillard reaction)

To try these new meatballs, I thought I would use them first in an Asian style STIR FRY with vegetables (see above).

For my stir fry, I sliced the meatballs into about thirds. I got them browned up by stir frying them in a wok with a tablespoon of oil. After about two minutes like that, I tossed in my cut up veggies, red peppers and broccoli then continued to stir fry everything. When it all looked just done in maybe 4 minutes, I added in a basic Asian sauce*.

The dish turned out quite good. We served it with rice.

Another time, I grilled these sliced in half, up in a pan in olive oil along with yellow peppers and a lot of fresh garlic. Very yummy.

You can try pairing the grilled meatballs with a variety of sauces. For example Trader Joe’s new Korean Yangnyeom sauce would match well as its savory, a little sweet and slightly spicy. So many other choices to consider for sauces. SWEET CHILI sauce for one?

If you want to go “full Hawaiian” I could see using these to come up with some kind of dish in that vein, grilling these with some pineapple cubes (fresh or frozen) and for a sauce additional Teriyaki (soy sauce, sugar and a pinch of vinegar.) Add a little cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.

Too complicated? OK, a even easier, simple Terikayi sauce recipe: soy sauce, brown/dark sugar, a splash of lemon (or vinegar) for tartness, a pinch of cornstarch (or even flour if you stir it in smoothly) Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

If that’s still too complicated, use TJ’s SOYAKI! I saw someone on TikTok just dump a package of the meatballs plus a jar of that in a pot. Not what I would do but they said, “good”

I think these meatballs would be a great addition as TJ’s suggest for a dish made with their SQUIGGLY NOODLES.

I didnt try the combo yet but think these might match well with Trader Joe’s new Japanese item, OKONOMIYAKI. Slice them and get them nice and grilled to serve with them.

A package of Pineapple Teriyaki chicken meatballs is $4.29 (12 oz). That’s 30 cents more than the regular chicken meatballs which are $3.99.

Six meatballs are stated to have 160 calories, and 13g of protein

Sauce recipes for ideas below…

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/259887/simple-teriyaki-sauce/

Homemade Asian Stir Fry Sauce
@soochefco

Day 59 is for this EASY 3 ingredient teriyaki pineapple chicken meatball skewer dinner! Ingredients: ✨Costco teriyaki pineapple chicken meatballs ✨Costco Mini bell peppers ✨Trader Joe’s frozen fried rice Directions: ✨Heat your skillet to medium heat. ✨Add in peppers – cook a few minutes. ✨Add in meat balls – cook for 6 minutes or until til brown. ✨Microwave one cup of rice for 2 minutes. That’s it! Serve and enjoy! #foodtiktok #3ingredientsrecipes #easyrecipe

♬ Calm background music with acoustic guitar and saxophone(1288148) – ame
@sarahaldridgeinthehouse

10 minute Trader Joe’s meal: • TJ’s Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs seared • 1 can pineapple chunks drained and seared (save the juice) •1 green pepper diced •1 handful TJ’s sweet jalapeño’s diced • 1 Tsp minced garlic • 1/3 cup pineapple juice • 1/3 cup soy sauce • 1 Tsp corn starch • 1 cup cooked Jasmine Rice Combine and top with sesame seeds #weeknightdinner #mealprep #traderjoeshaul #dinnerideas #cookwithme

♬ Luxury and fun big band jazz(1324443) – Ponetto

Trader Joe’s Kimchi Fried Rice

19 Mar 2012 3 Comments

by promacnyc in Blog, General, New, Products, Rant, Trader Joes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


 

TJ’s Kimchi Fried Rice

Disclaimer: I only tried this at the Sample Station. In fact I confess the Sample Station is the locus where I usually gravitate to almost immediately after I enter Trader Joe’s. I check out if they have something interesting to taste that day, and of course to grab myself a little cup of free coffee. Don’t you? Truly the Coffee Station is one of the best things about Trader Joe’s, isn’t it? Every supermarket should copy them; going shopping would be much more fun.


Kimchi Fried Rice is a fairly new item and TJ’s seemed to be promoting it quite a bit. Recently it was the product “on sample” 2 or 3 times that I had been to TJ’s of late. What I found funny was they had a sign next to the samples: Its said something like, “Warning: Spicy! Try at your own risk! If you can’t take spicy food, be careful!” Then I tasted it and my first thought was “Huh? This is spicy?”. Seriously to me it was about as spicy as baby food (I can take the heat). I started discussing this disconnect of the “WARNING” sign with the TJ employee who was in charge of the Sample Station at the time. He was of the same opinion – the Kimchi Fried Rice is not spicy at all! He cracked me up when he told me however how many people actually complained “Jeez this is so spicy” after they tasted the Kimchi Fried Rice on sample. So many that they put up the “warning, spicy” sign!

So here is what I thought after tasting the Kimchi Fried Rice. My wife is Korean-Japanese. So I knows me some Kimchi Fried Rice (the authentic Korean kind). I adore it. I can even cook a decent version myself. So if I compare that taste to this stuff, I just have to say this is a pretty bland, insipid version. The two times I tried it was soft and fairly mushy, plus it had barely any kimchi taste; To me, its flavor profile was just weak, which I attribute to an industrial production of such a “homey” dish. For one, truly Kimchi Fried Rice needs real garlic flavor, as well as Kimchi. This barely even had any garlic nor Kimchi flavor for me. The real thing is a fantastic dish, and this? Frankly to my tastes perhaps it would be suitable for babies (ok maybe Korean babies). Now having said that – Trader Joe’s does have a decent “ethnic” fried rice. TJ’s JAPANESE FRIED RICE is actually pretty good. In my years,  I’ve eaten tons of both Kimchi fried rice and Japanese fried rice and know what these should taste like, and I can cook decent versions of both.

So, sorry Trader Joe’s but in my opinion your KIMCHI FRIED RICE is a big miss!

If you try it, also try the JAPANESE FRIED RICE next time and see which you prefer. Pretty much same as TJ’s another new “Korean” addition, Trader Joe’s Kimchi, which I found such a poor product I actually “returned” it! Perhaps those who don’t live in a city where you can buy real kimchi sold at a Korean market, might think “so this is kimchi, tasty”.  Actually if you had real Kimchi you would know this stuff is not even close to being as tasty as a real Korean-made kimchi – for example this brand (Tobagi) of Napa cabbage kimchi I get at H-MART supermarket on 32nd Street (Manhattan’s Korea Town). If you A/B taste tested this prepared kimchi vs. the Trader Joe’s version? It would be almost a joke, its just no comparison! Anyone who’s been to a Korean restaurant will know the real taste of kimchi. At $1.99 (10 oz) you can try TJ’s version and see for yourself. Let me know what you think.

RANT

Kimchi bokkeumbap, kimchi fried rice in Korean...

Kimchi bokkeumbap, kimchi fried rice in Korean cuisine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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RECIPE FOR CRYSTALIZED GINGER

26 Jan 2012 2 Comments

by promacnyc in Rave, recipe, Recipes, Trader Joes Tags: , , , ,


Dear Trader Joe’s

We are fed up waiting for you to get back the “Uncrystallized Candied Ginger” in stock.

So here’s a recipe* to make your own, people!  OK. It may not be quite as good as the TJ’s stuff, but it will be tasty and give you your needed ginger candy fix!

RECIPE FOR CRYSTALIZED GINGER

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh ginger root
  • non-stick spray
  • 5 cups water
  • Approximately 1 pound granulated sugar

Directions

  • Spray a cooling rack with nonstick spray and set it in a half sheet pan lined with parchment.
  • Peel the ginger root and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices using a mandoline.
  • Place into a 4-quart saucepan with the water and set over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the ginger is tender.

Transfer the ginger to a colander to drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Weigh the ginger and measure out an equal amount of sugar. Return the ginger and 1/4 cup water to the pan and add the sugar. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar syrup looks dry, has almost evaporated and begins to recrystallize, approximately 20 minutes. Transfer the ginger immediately to the cooling rack and spread to separate the individual pieces. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Save the sugar that drops beneath the cooling rack and use to top ginger snaps, sprinkled over ice cream or to sweeten coffee.

PS The fresher the ginger (and younger) the better!

recipe: *courtesy of Alton Brown; Food Network

TJ’s FRENCH GREEN BEANS (Haricots Verts)

01 Jun 2011 21 Comments

by promacnyc in General, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, Trader Joes, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


UPDATE! SUMMER 2019 – out of stock all year, this product has finally is back in stores !

 (Updated, Nov 2019) This product is in stores!

RAVE

These can easily be on any Trader Joe’s Top 10 List.

Easily best “first try” of a TJ product in a while, I was quite impressed with the quality of these frozen green beans. These are are extremely high quality French Haricots Verts (“green beans”). They are “IMPORTED FROM FRANCE”. These Haricot Verts are the real McCoy and a super bargain. 

French “Haricot Verts” are better and higher quality bean than our usual standard green beans. Haricots Verts are a skinnier French green bean variety, thinner and more tender than our regular US green beans.. These are the expensive-ass skinny green beans you get next to that $35 entree you ordered when you go to an expensive restaurant. When I see fresh HARICOTS VERTS, imported from France, at a top green grocer like Fairway for example, which does carry them, they are always quite expensive, something like $8-10 per lb? As opposed to $2/lb for our “normal” fresh green beans. I always think ‘who can afford to buy these 12 bucks a pound green beans?! They must have money to burn.’ Well now thanks to Trader Joe’s great buying skills, all of us non-Rockefeller normal folks can afford to buy these wonderful French green beans, just they’ve come flash frozen.

TJ’s sells a package of the frozen HARICOT VERTS in a 24 oz bag. (1.5 lbs) for $1.99! Do the math, thats comes out to about $1.50/lb so thats about the same price or LESS, than I might buy regular fresh green beans (a price check followup in April 2012 show this is still the same price!) 

These are those same wonderful thin, french haricots verts, all prepped and ready to use, which have been flash frozen. Dark, nice green color. Blanched for a few seconds prior to being flash frozen. Certainly easy to use: they are all prepped (tip and tailed) which you would spend time doing with fresh beans. This is a big time saver as prepping beans is the one thing I don’t like about when I buy fresh green beans, they take a bit of work to tip and tail a pound of beans. These come trimmed and cut into bite size lengths, ready to use. Handy. To cook, throw them in boiling salted water.

Or you can also just toss the beans into a hot sauté pan with some butter and oil (and garlic?) Cook either way for only 1-2 mins till just tender. Don’t overcook these! You can easily ruin them. With a bit of minced garlic and butter you have a nice French side dish of haricots verts, ready in minutes. Salads? Yes! I threw them into a salad after boiling them for about 45-60 seconds, dumping them in a colander and running cold water to cool them, and they were really good tossed with some good Virgin Olive Oil and White Balsamic vinegar…Delicious. Toss in some diced hard boiled eggs, and parsley, and you have a nice “salade composé”. I also use these a lot by just adding them to any dish I’m making, generally breaking them in half first as I add them to stews, soups, etc…..

haricots verts cocoCategory:Green beans

haricots verts cocoCategory:Green beans (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To sell at this price, I can only imagine these are one of those items TJ’s makes a huge deal with the farmer or vendors. TJ’s purchases in such huge quantities directly from the vendor and they say pays in cash for the next crop and thats how TJ’s makes deals so they can sell products at such bargains (case in point is Olive Oil, right? They buy HUGE massive quantities from vendors all over the world)

Anyway TJ’s FRENCH GREEN BEANS (Haricots Verts) are my new favorite vegetable, and are now on my “always these have on hand” Trader Joe’s List. I now always buy a package to have in my freezer at all times. Right next to TJ’s Frozen Peas and Frozen Edamame, also all staples in my house.  These are very versatile things to have on hand at all times. Try them, you won’t be sorry.

RECIPE: Haricots Verts With Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

(If you make this remember the recipe assumes using fresh haricots verts so adjust the cooking time down)

Have you tried this product?  Let me know what you think in the comments section!

NOTE: THIS WAS M.I.A FOR SOME TIME AS NOTED BY MANY READERS. I INQUIRED ABOUT IT WITH THE CAPTAIN AT MY LOCAL TJ (NYC) WHO TOLD ME THE PRODUCT WAS NOT DISCONTINUED, THEY RAN OUT OF IT, AND HADNT BEEN AVAILABLE FROM THE SUPPLIER. HE TOLD ME THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE NEXT HARVEST AND SHIPMENT TO COME IT. IT SHOULD AGAIN BE AVAILABLE IN JUNE (2019) – As of July 2019, I still don’t see it

AUGUST 2019 – I think I found it again finally!!  Package looks different (white bag instead of clear) and instead of “Trader Joe’s” label says “DU JARDIN” but seems to be the Haricot Verts “extra fine green beans” “Product of France”…. so this must be it?…Except now bag is 16 oz instead of 24 oz and its $1.99. So price went up. Of course.

UPDATE2 (SEPT 2019) This product (original package) is back in the stores!