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.
(Scroll to end for latest update on the status of these which have been MIA for months!)
RAVE
“Perfect for hummus and dips and for sandwiches. Heat and enjoy!” (frozen)
I really love good pita bread. The fresh “pita bread original pockets” at Trader Joe’s have been OK in a pinch but its far from what I would call good pita (not too mention they used to give you 6 and now its just 4! Shrinkflation in action)
This “original pita bread” ($1.59) Trader Joe’s is fairly large, and on the thin side. I’ve always found these not sturdy enough to count on to make a pocket in, and hold the food. They kind of tend to fall apart when you fill them with ingredients as you eat them as they are so thin.
This has changed with this new pocket bread/pita. You want these!
With the new Egyptian Baladi sourdough pocket bread Trader Joe’s finally has an excellentand authentic pita which is sturdy enough to split open and make a pocket that will hold ingredients. Say for a falafal sandwich. And it’s Delicious. The BALADI SOURDOUGH POCKET BREADS are made by an Egyptian bakery for Trader Joe’s. So the real McCoy. These say “Product of Egypt”. Baked, then frozen, so as close to fresh as possible.
Trader Joe’s says: “We now offer Trader Joe’s Baladi Egyptian Sourdough Pocket Bread in our freezers. Made for us by a supplier in Egypt, these versatile (vegan) Baladi Pocket Breads take only a matter of minutes… to heat… before they’re puffed up, toasty, and ready to eat. Once heated, they have a tasty, slightly tangy Sourdough tinge to their flavor profile, and are ideal for stuffing with your favorite fillings. We’re partial to going with a classic combo of Falafel, chopped cucumbers, and our Garlic Spread-Dip, though they’re equally excellent when stuffed with our Gyros or Shawarma Chicken Thighs, too. And, of course, you can just serve them for dipping in hummus or tahini, as they do in Egypt.”
Here is my honest review of Baladi Pocket Bread. Wow. These are EXCELLENT. A great product. I was so impressed at how good these are and found them these pita breads to be so tasty and satisfying. They were even delicious just eaten simply with butter on them too as bread with our meal. Versatile. Between this new Baladi pocket bread and TJ’s Lavash I am super happy to have these Middle Eastern bread options.
Nice light whole wheat flavor. Natural ingredients. No preservatives. They come frozen in a resealable bag, with 5 breads inside the package and cost just $2.29. What a great deal. They are soft, fluffy inside yet sturdy enough for a pocket, or to use to scoop up any dip like hummus or what have you, pick up foods, hold up to falafal, or use for any sandwich, or even I think used as the base for mini pizza (see below).
Match these with your favorite hummus for sure!
HEATING: I took them out for about 10 minutes, left them out on the counter to defrost a bit (optional). I heated them, trying two ways; in the oven and on top of the stove in a covered pan. About 4-5 minutes. Both methods worked fine. In a pinch you could nuke them from frozen, but I think they will still benefit from a few seconds over the burners turning and flipping for the best texture like they just came out fresh from the oven they were baked in.
PS – I did try them for the base for pizza. Came out quite tasty! I’d say it kind of worked for a pizza base, if you are OK with the knife and fork kind of pizza. Next time I may split one open and just use the half for a thinner base, and see if I can get more of a bake on the bottom and get it more crisped up. Worth trying for easy pizza.
UPDATE – (Aug/Sept ’25) Unfortunately Trader Joe’s Sold Out of all the stock of these quickly as these seemed to have gone Viral on social media soon after they first appeared. Trader Joe’s staff looked it up for me and said, they are waiting for new stock to arrive, Late Fall or Early winter. They expected it sooner but that it was likely held up due to tariffs(!)
UPDATE 2 – MID OCT 2025 – HURRAY! THESE ARE FINALLY BACK!!
“Have you heard about umami? You’ve most certainly tasted it, even if you’ve never heard the word. Umami is the word used to describe the fifth taste – in addition to sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Taken from Japanese, the word translates to ‘pleasant savory taste’, and really, it’s just that. And it’s really just something you’re going to want to put on everything. To create this Umami Seasoning Blend, we began with kosher salt, and used a flavor base of porcini and white button mushrooms – earthy mushroom flavor really is the cornerstone of umami, which is why we named it Mushroom & Company. The ingredient list also includes onion, mustard seed, red & black pepper, and thyme… If you follow an eating plan like we do, also known as Anything and Everything, Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend will elevate the flavors of Anything and Everything, a sprinkle at a time” – Trader Joe’s
I’ve read some discussions on Reddit where people wonder if this seasoning actually “does anything”. Trust me, it does. Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Seasoning Blend is useful. It contains two kinds of mushrooms, porcini and button, along with other seasonings. Mushrooms contain glutamates. Glutamates give food that “umami” taste.
Sometimes when I’m making something and it just tastes a little flat, and I don’t know what to add to make it taste better, I frequently turn and try adding a bit of this seasoning (aka Magic Mushroom Powder) and it usually does just the trick of making things just taste better. Seriously you won’t know until you’ve tried this magic powder. For just one little instance where I use this really useful is ground turkey. I add this seasoning to ground turkey to improve it’s bland flavor, for example making turkey burgers. They are vastly improved with the Umami seasoning. Or chicken, fish, veggies, tofu, eggs or frankly anything for that matter.
As this blend does contains some salt, you want to use a little less salt than you normally might add, Use this and correct the seasoning to see if any additional salt is needed. However I don’t find this seasoning blend to be a salt bomb, it’s got a lot of other ingredients. I’ve even come up with using this seasoning to create a little veggie broth in a pinch.
“….tart, tangy, and umami-rich flavor…. Traditionally made with a base of rice vinegar, bonito broth, rice wine, and some manner of citrus juice, Ponzu is a pitch-perfect sauce for seasoning fish for poke and sashimi, but that’s hardly where we’d stop. Made for us by an expert supplier in Japan, Trader Joe’s Ponzu Sauce can add an element of sweetness, savoriness, and richness to all sorts of dishes, from the simplest of rice bowls to the most complex of marinades.” – TJ website
Ponzu is a classic, traditional Japanese sauce which gives umami flavor to things and is usually made with soy sauce plus yuzu citrus. This version is a soy sauce (shoyu ponzu).
Here’s just one idea to make a super easy summer dish. Take a piece of the very good organic SILKEN TOFU, and pour on ponzu sauce. Done. If you want, add chopped scallions, maybe sesame seeds. That’s just one example of how I use this ponzu sauce.
Trader Joe’s version of ponzu is quite tasty. Savory with citrus-y notes and a little sweetness. Even my (Japanese) wife gave this ponzu a thumbs up.
You can use it as a marinade for chicken or fish, then glaze it on at the end and serve on the size as a dipping sauce too. I have found this a very useful item to have in the fridge.
“….for pretty much any savory application in the kitchen, and especially so for making flavorful salad dressings, dipping with tempura, pan-fried gyoza, and other crispy appetizers, or mixing into burger patties for an extra bonito-powered boost of umami.”
Great for a dumpling dipping sauce too. If you want spicy mix in some chili crisp.
If you want even more citrus flavor (I do) just add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Asian style salad dressing Mix some ponzu with a little lemon juice and tahini.
According to Trader Joe’s, this pasta, organic lemon Torchiette (meaning “little torches”), was included in those nice gift worthy imported pasta assortment boxes during the Holidays, if you remember, they came in a trio of high end Italian pastas and made a nice gift. I think those were $10. Trader Joe’s got feedback that people especially loved one of the three pastas in the gift set which was this one, “Organic Lemon Torchietti”. So Trader Joe’s decided to come out with it as a stand alone item in a 1 pound box.
I liked this pasta a lot, and think these are well worth trying. This Torchietti is a really good, very high quality Italian pasta from a good manufacturer. I could see some fancy store easily charging three times what Trader Joe’s is selling it for ($3.49)
Trader Joe’s says this: “Shining brightly with Sicilian lemon flavor and a complementary yellow hue (thanks to the addition of organic turmeric), these short, wavy, organic durum wheat noodles are extruded through a bronze die, creating a ridged exterior that makes them an exceptional vehicle for an array of sauces. Try tossing them in an olive oil, pesto, or Organic Vodka Sauce. Or for a double dose of lemon, Limone Alfredo Sauce. In addition to this sauce-supporting superiority, Trader Joe’s Organic Lemon Torchietti are equally excellent in hot and cold preparations – let pasta salad season begin!”
Ingredients are : Organic Semolina Durum Wheat, Water, Organic Lemon Oil, turmeric (for color)
COOKING: 6-7 minutes in boiling salted water.
The pasta is very good, I tasted it plain, it had just the slightest hint of lemon, from the lemon oil used to make it. The shape and being bronze die cut means the pasta holds sauces very well.
TJ’s does suggest pairing this Torchietti with their LEMON ALFREDO SAUCE which is I’m sure is a good combo, and one I will try later. First, I used these Torchietti with that “LEMON PESTO” to come up with a lemon themed pasta dish. Adding to the pesto with extra lemon, olive oil, butter, Pecorino, and a few grilled lemon slices. The dish turned out very good.
(TIP: I took the pasta out early at around 4 minutes as I was going to continue cooking it in my sauce for another 2+ minutes with my sauce for al dente pasta)
By the way, I bought them 2 weeks ago, and they were $2.99, which Trader Joe’s website also says is the price. I go back yesterday and I see the sign now says $3.49?! Is this price increase due to Tariffs coming into effect?
These can work in a hot dish but they suggest these would be good for a pasta salad too. I agree. The unique twisted shape really is good for holding sauces. And I would not just think “lemon” with the pasta, I could easily see pairing this with any of your favorite sauces. The lemon flavor in the pasta is not strong at all.
The website says “Limited” for these, so if you want to try these, I would grab a box while you can.
“A soft rustic sandwich bread with rolled oats, molasses, flax seeds and sunflower seeds”
WHY TRADER JOE’S MULTIGRAIN RUSTICO SANDWICH BREAD IS A MUST TRY
Trader Joe’s Multigrain RUSTICO BREAD – This is a very tasty bread you may have seen at Trader Joe’s at some point. Its a little soft with an oblong shape, kind of like a long skinny rye bread. The slices are roundish, again like a rye bread. The outside is coated with rolled oats and seeds.
I tried it and liked it. I found it good for making all kinds of sandwiches and seems especially good when toasted or grilled. RUSTICO BREAD is both a little “rustic” as well as seeming a bit on the healthier side from some of the ingredients such as whole wheat, rolled oats, molasses, flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds. While its soft it’s not too soft, this has a little hearty body to it.
Each slice has 4 grams of fiber. At 80 calories per slice, its a bit on the lower calorie side as some Trader Joe’s sliced breads come in at 120-150 calories per slice. The roundish slices are probably a tad smaller than regular square shaped sliced bread. While the bread is soft it still has a little rustic nature from the seeds and oats hence the “Rustico” name. And while it has seeds I would also say its not “too seedy” for those picky eaters who might object to seeds, like some kids I think might. This is a good compromise all around.
Both of us really liked this bread trying it out for the first time. We found TJ’s RUSTICO BREAD to be another good addition to all the many breads we would gladly pick up again at Trader Joe’s, which is a list which seems to keep getting longer and longer all the time, as they have so many good breads.
The RUSTICO BREAD makes excellent toast and sandwiches. For example, say Avocado Toast or a Tuna Melt. Heres what it looked like all grilled up for a Tuna Melt I made on RUSTICO Bread. It looks good and tasted even better.
(NOTE: I’ve read that these have gone VIRAL and can now be hard to find!!!)
“A fish shaped waffle filled with a delicate custard cream, often sold as a street food in Japan”
TAI – red snapper, considered good luck. YAKI – grilled.
Taiyaki are sweet waffles shaped like fish and are hugely popular in Japan. They are always sold at street festivals where you will find taiyaki vendors like this guy making some.
They make them by pouring batter into iron molds shaped like fish. Cooked until they are golden brown, they get something in the middle then are flipped over. They come out golden brown with bit of a crunchy texture outside while Inside the taiyaki, there’s a sweet filling. Usually its ANKO (sweet red bean paste).
Here in Trader Joe’s Mini Taiyaki you find a yummy custard cream in the center.
Here’s what they look like.
As you can see they are pretty cute. And you know Japanese love CUTE (“Kawaii”) things. Trader Joe’s mini taiyaki are a little mini version of the typical Taiyaki which are usually much bigger. 4 times the size? Each of these TJ mini taiyaki is maybe a bite or two.
“Brought to us by an esteemed manufacturer in Japan, these bite-sized, perfectly pisciform Taiyaki are as much a feast for the eyes as they are a pleasure on the palate. Every bite starts with the crisp edge of the wonderfully waffle-y exterior, which quickly gives way to the luxurious consistency of the cool custard cream within.”
To make these Trader Joe’s says bake these in the oven or in an air fryer. They also say you can microwave these but I suggest you don’t, as they won’t get crispy which they need to be to really be enjoyed properly.
I didn’t do either of these. I just cooked them in a pan on the stovetop which works fine and is easy.
I just took a few of them out of the package, and let them sit for 10 minutes or so to defrost a bit. Then I put them in a hot cast iron pan (or use a non stick pan). Let them cook on one side until they get a lightly golden brown in color or when they look nice and crispy, and then flip them once or twice. It took about 6-7 minutes per side, so around 12-15 minutes total to cook them in a pan.
So how do Trader Joe’s TAIYAKI taste? These mini taiyaki are really YUMMY!
Even my (Japanese) wife approved of these and thought Trader Joe’s did a pretty good job with these. We were pleasantly surprised at how good they are. The only thing she said is she wished they gave you two kinds of filling in the bag, some with custard but she wanted some with “anko”, the most traditional filling.
Still the custard filling inside these is very good and satisfying for a sweet treat.
Trader Joe’s new MINI TAIYAKI are quite tasty and worth trying especially if you like Japanese treats. A package is $4.99. It’s not very big, a bit less than 8 ounces. There are just about 8 or 9 of these little fishes inside. Some people are saying save yourself a trip and “buy two”.
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)
“… 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.
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
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
Trader Joe’s came out with a newer version of their popular “SQUIGGLY RUFFLED NOODLES”. This one is in the black package and has a different sauce than the original version.
“New and Improved” isn’t what they said but it’s what I say. Why? Simple. The newer version comes with away better sauce.
I mean I had actually suggested just throwing out the sauce package in the original red package and make your own! Now you don’t have to. The newer “spicy garlic sesame sauce” sauce packet is so much better than the original.
Not only did they fix the newer version up with a better sauce, they even somehow managed to reduce the Sodium content at the same time. Color me impressed.
So my advice is just buy this black package over the original (red) one of these kinds of noodles. If you are afraid of the word”spicy” in the name, I don’t think it is very spicy at all. Barely spicy.
Each noodle pack here comes with two little sauce packets. One is labeled “Sesame Seed Paste“. The other, “Creamy Spicy Garlic Sauce“. You will mix them together. The combined flavors make a decent sauce.
Why are they separate? Because the sesame paste clumps up. So much so that it’s hard to squeeze out, as so thick and clumpy. TIP: Some people recommend squishing it up to mix. I now put it in very hot water for a few minutes first, then do that. I even cut the packet open with a pair of scissors, and use a small spoon to scrape out all the sesame paste. A bit messy but worth the trouble as this dark Asian sesame paste (probably roasted?) has a ton of flavor.
How spicy is it? To me, I didn’t find it very spicy. Mildly spicy? But of course your mileage may vary, as spice tolerance is so personal. I would say unless you are super sensitive to spiciness, this is at most “mildly spicy”. Certainly not “Hot Ones” level spicy. In fact I wanted it spicier so I add a little Lao Gan Ma (chili crisp).
my stir fried noodles (with eggs and scallions)
Other than that sauce fix, the noodles themselves are the same as in the original (red) package. Personally I see no point in buying the red package anymore; this (black) one is better, sauce wise. Same noodles and same amount. So that’s the one I now get.
Compared to the original Soy/Sesame version, this Spicy version has a bit less sodium listed, now 700mg sodium here (vs. 920 mg in the original soy and sesame version). That’s good. Especially as the sauce here even tastes better.
If you want to just boil them and mix the sauce in, that’s OK now, which wasn’t the case before with the not great sauce in the red package IMO
Of course, a few other ingredients could improve your dish starting with adding some of your own chopped scallions. I do like the stir fry way though of making these noodles too.
These noodles are not only savory and satisfying but also versatile, making them an ideal addition to various dishes. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a more elaborate meal, they pair beautifully with vegetables, proteins. In a pinch even just on their own.
At about $1.25 per noodle pack, these are an good choice for anyone looking to elevate their home cooking without breaking the bank. TIP: Spend another $1.29 on some scallions. Cilantro too perhaps? You will use some of them on top of your finished noodles. Plus havehave those for other dishes for about a week…
How to Cook: If you are just boiling and serving, first prepare your sauce by opening the 2 packet(s) and putting the sauces together into a bowl and mixing them thoroughly. Add a teaspoon of water if needed to thin things out. If you have any “topping extras” such as scallions, baked tofu, hard boiled eggs, or cooked veggies, prep them now and cut into bite size or noodle like pieces. You will top the noodles with them later.
Boil a pot of water. Add the dried noodles. Cook about 4 minutes; drain yes but leave a little water left on them and put the noodles into your bowl with the sauce. Toss gently to combine the sauce and noodles. Add on your scallions or other ingredients on top. You can mix those in as you eat (or mix now)
Enjoy noodles while they are still hot.
If you are stir frying them, reduce the time boiling them, to about a 2 to 2 1/2 mins. Drain and put in bowl with about a teaspoon of oil. Toss to coat. This prevents them sticking. Cook your other ingredients in a wok or non stick pan. When ready add the noodles and your sauce (these two packets, or your own plus 1/4 water or stock) and cook about one minute or so tossing to coat well. Serve.
Can you add anything to the sauce that comes with this? Sure, if you like, you can still add a bit of other things. Like a drizzle of Trader Joe’s Toasted Sesame oil which will add great flavor, or Korean Gochujang sauce, or Lao Gan Ma or CHILI ONION CRUNCH.…. whatever you like.
As with almost any noodle dish, something as simple as throwing on chopped scallions, or cilantro will add a good deal of Asian flavors. Here I have added the TERIYAKI CHICKEN MEATBALLS , cut up and cooked with yellow bell peppers in a stir fry with these noodles.
YOU should also check out my original post on the Soy and Sesame version of the SQUIGGLY NOODLES which has a lot of ideas about how to upgrade and cook them HERE
Suggestions: Slice up some of your favorite TJ’s chicken meatballs, saute till brown, throw in some veggies and cook and mix those with these noodles and sauce; voila, a real dish…
Trader Joe’s announced the winners of their 16th annual customer choice awards (2024).
Which, out of all the products TJ’s has, do you think customers awarded as the overall top dog pick? Interestingly enough it’s the same one which has been voted first by customers for the 4th Year In A Row as overall favorite ! Drum roll, please, and the winner is….
TJ’s really good snack their Chili & Lime Flavor Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips, were once again voted as as overall favorite. These have been picked 4 years running!
Some time ago I reviewed these and loved them. I gave these delicious, possibly addictive, snacks a big thumbs up. So I am not shocked that these remain to be so popular and got the top Customer’s Choice spot again as these are super.
Though they may not be to everyone’s taste as these pack a punch of pretty intense flavor plus a good leave of heat (like Takis) I find them Spicy Delicious. However my wife for example is someone who doesn’t go for these at all. Even though she likes fairly spicy in general, she doesn’t like these chips. She finds the flavors too strong and too intense, whereas I find them irresistible, and frankly addictive, to the point where once I start eating them at times I have to remeber to stop myself lest I eat the whole bag!
Having said that I do actually sometimes like to counter balance the intense flavor of these chips by pairing them with something which will counter balance them. Knock down the heat a bit. As I mentioned in my review sometimes I actually like to eat these with cottage cheese. I find that a great combination as cottage cheese, something a bit bland, will balance out the flavor. Or sometimes I will enjoy these with some dip which is not too intensely flavored.
OK so the Rolled Tortilla Chips were the #1 Customer Pick. What were the Runners Up in that catagory? Here are the second through fifth place choices, just to give you some ideas of what Trader Joe’s products seem to be most popular with customers:
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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