They say this: “Trader Joe’s Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice is the ultimate #Cookinghacks for this dish. Our Butter Chicken showcases chunks of chicken enrobed in a mild, mouth-watering curry crafted of crushed tomatoes, cream, onions, garlic, ginger, butter…Spiced just so, and partnered with delicate, fragrant grains of Basmati rice, it’s ready to heat and enjoy. Serve it with our other frozen Indian fare – TJ’s Palak Paneer, TJ’s Channa Masala, TJ’s Tandoori Naan – for a feast. Don’t forget the TJ’s Mango Ginger Chutney & sliced cucumbers!” https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/butter-chicken-with-basmati-rice-099032
Search for this, and you learn that it comes up as one of Trader Joe’s most popular items with a pretty loyal following. Trader Joe’s has carried this forever, and it seems to have quite a lot of fans. I had not tried it till now though. Here’s my honest review with what I liked about it, plus as well as things I think could be improved on.
The Good: This is actually quite a tasty Indian chicken dish. The price is very attractive at $4.49. The flavor of this is quite good, with a rich tomato-y sauce. The chicken (I think white meat?) is perfectly cooked and not at all dried out; it’s tender and juicy coated with a tasty, creamy tomato sauce, which includes concentrated tomatoes, cream, butter and spices. The package says this whole thing is just 400 calories. I mean the portion is not huge. They give you mostly rice of course.
I think NAAN is worth eating with this, so you might want some with this too, to scoop up the sauce.
(THEIR PICTURE FROM THE TJ WEBSITE)(you can see about 3 or 4 pieces of chicken)
The Not So Good: I was surprised at the small amount of chicken they actually give you. I wish they gave you a bit more of it, as will you. Which makes me wonder, was it always so? I wacked a picture, probably old, off their website about the product. In that product picture, it looks like they show about six decent sized pieces of chicken. In the package we got, I counted about 4 pieces. Has the amount changed over the last year or so, as ingredient costs have gone up? Someone let me know please via the Comment section, if you’ve gotten this for years, if you think they cut back on the amount of chicken now as opposed to in the past. I just kind of suspect to keep the price the same there may be some shrinkflation ?
I found the basmati rice that comes with this just OK. Less flavorful than if I made my own Trader Joe’s Basmati Rice, which I assume might be a better quality Basmati rice. The taste of this one seemed less and its a bit under seasoned and maybe even undercooked.
A main selling point of this “whole meal” is of course, convenience in that it comes with rice already made. Me, I’m a rice freak, I make rice, daily many times. So frankly I’m not the typical target audience as I can put up a pot of rice in minutes. Hey, my wife’s Asian, and we can have rice 5 days in a row.
I think the rice could stand for a pinch might stand for a pinch of salt. Or put the sauce over the rice as it may balance out. I did not find the dish as a whole salty, nor spicy. I think I would call this “mild” Indian, not spicy, nor has a ton of seasonings and cream of course which mellows things. Ingredients include garlic, ginger, spices….
TIP: If you want to make this into a more substantial meal you could add a can of drained chick peas (99 cents) into this. I did. After the sauce is defrosted enough to take out the chicken, add a half (or whole can) of drained chick peas. Or you could add another dish perhaps make the excellent CHANNA MASALA chick peas in a tasty sauce to serve along with this. With that two people might be able to enjoy the two dishes as a meal.
Ingredients look pretty normal and natural without additives.
If for example you took this to work for your lunch, it would make a nice easy meal, only needing tossing into the microwave. Or don’t feel like cooking, add a salad and this could suffice as dinner. Drizzle perhaps with some greek yogurt and serve with their very good Mango Chutney.
Perhaps the first thing that will stand out to you when you are looking in the pizza shelves at Trader Joe’s and you see this MARGHERITA PIZZA is frankly that this looks pretty good and then you see that it costs $4.79. Under five bucks for this? It’s looks like it almost came out of a pizza place’s oven.
If it actually tastes anything close to as good as it looks in their picture, that’s hard to beat.
My neighbor tried this first and told me she really liked it. She was pretty impressed with it and was amazed that it cost under five bucks. So we got one to try out as I’ve not had this before.
(Here’s what it looks like right out of the box, frozen, wrapped)
You can see the crust is partially pre-baked, with the ingredients for us to finish baking it.
(frozen, unwrapped, pre-baking)
Here’s what TJ’s has to say about this pizza (which has been around for over a decade or more):
“This classic Margherita Pizza starts with a hand-stretched, Amalfi style crust, the dough for which is fermented for a full 24 hours prior to kicking off the pizza-making process. This new-and-much-improved crust is thin, soft, and bubbly, with a slightly thicker, chewy edge. In this Pizza’s previous iteration, they topped said crust with a standard tomato sauce; in this version, however, they top it with a passata—a.k.a. a traditional Italian tomato sauce made by sieving ripe tomatoes into a silky-smooth purée, allowing the pure, tomato flavor to really shine. The pies are finished with fresh mozzarella rounds, shredded Grana Padano and carefully placed basil leaves, then baked in wood-burning stone ovens, flash-frozen, and sent to sail the culinary seas…” (-Trader Joe’s website)
So they changed (improved) it but as this is my first time with it, the new version is the only one I know, so here’s my review.
(Should say first, I am one of those people who will on occasion actually make a pizza from scratch, including fermenting my dough 3 days in the fridge?) Anyway here’s our impression of Trader Joe’s PIZZA MARGHERITA.
Overall my wife and I liked this very much. This is a very tasty pizza and has many good points I liked. There one or two areas I thought it could be improved on.
The good points with this pizza is first if you like Neapolitan style pizza, I would call this pretty “authentic” in that its in the nature of a pizza you might get in Naples rather than a “NY Style” pizza. , Meaning the kind of pizza that you may want to eat with a knife and fork as many Italians do (Neapolitan style, not Roman). The reason being the center of the pizza crust may be too thin to support ingredients to hold it up and eat as a slice, and the center may be a little soft and juicy.
I confess I did actually try to get the bottom a bit crispier by putting it back in after I pulled it out the first time, for about another two minutes. In hindsight this was a mistake, as I over-baked it a little and doing that made the outside border crust a bit dry and hard. So try the recommended times (the box says bake 9-12 minutes at 425 F) If you have a pizza stone or steel, I would use that. If not, even a 1/2 sheet pan will do. And as always pre-heat your oven for at least 20-30 minutes, though every oven is a bit different.
(My finished pizza after baking.)
The pizza looked almost like it came out of a pizza shop – in Italy!
The low moisture skim mozzarella cheese in large round slices when baked up was really good, and it did the stringy cheese thing everyone loves to see on Instagram. The sauce is very simple. Its just “passata” or pure tomato puréed up in the classic Margherita way, so not a “pizza sauce” as you may be used to. I think it tasted just the tiniest bit tart or sour to me but not bad.
The used to have a pizza sauce. I wonder if that might be bit better tasting but then it would not be “Margherita” which is very simple, basically 3-4 ingredients. It had another cheese, Grana Padano, grated over and that too added a nice touch, You can even see it’s dressed with a little bit of fresh basil!
FIXING THIS UP: You can improve this easily, and think that is worth doing. I would suggest if you make this pizza, you fix it up a bit with any or all of the following (all optional of course) : Sliver of garlic, a sprinkle of dried oregano, a little basil (dried or better still, fresh if you have that) and maybe a drizzle of say Hot Honey to add a touch of sweetness and spice? Certainly add a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of more cheese, some grated Parmigiano or Pecorino when you take it out of the oven. I would do all this the next time I make this pizza.
I overdid the baking by maybe two minutes as I put it back to try to get the bottom crispier (it comes out a bit soft), which I know was a mistake, as you see how dark my crust came out. If I made it again, I would stick to the 9-12 mins as suggested on the box PLUS I might brush the border with a little olive oil before baking it.
The whole pizza is 15 ounces. I think this can be a dinner for two adults, maybe with a little salad or veggie on the side. In sum, while not perfect this is quite a tasty pizza and well worth trying at what is a great price!
Calories: 1/3 of this equals about 310 calories — but trust me you will probably eat at least 1/2 not a 1/3. Still this is on the lower side for pizza I think if thats like 450 cals?
How does this TJ pizza rank among all the other offers in the pizza department from Trader Joe’s? To me it’s up there. However I might rank a few others they have, just a hair above this one (such as the Pizza Parlanno and the Buratta, Prosciutto and Arugula one) as they have “more going on” of course. For a simple Neapolitan style pizza, this is quite good, if thats what you are looking for.
The ingredient list as you can see, is quite simple so that’s a nice plus!
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS FROM FROZEN: Preheat oven to 425. Bake for 9-12 minutes until crust is LIGHTLY BROWNED
First they came out with the CRISPY SHALLOTS which I like a lot. Now they’ve come out with something similar but it’s CRISPY GARLIC.
This new product is a winner. Possibly even better. For me, a must try. Crispy slivers of garlic toasted until nutty. A great topping, or ingredient. Lasts a long time so a great item you can keep in the pantry for whenever you need it. This is a super Asian (or Italian or anything) garnish.
Trader Joe’s says: “Trader Joe’s Crispy Garlic ably demonstrates, when sliced thin and fried to a glorious golden brown, garlic’s gifts easily extend into the textural realm, too. We tried plenty of options before finding this iteration of Crispy Garlic, which is brought to us by an expert supplier in Thailand. Only their Crispy Garlic was able to capture that flavorful-but-not-bitter, nicely-fried-but-not-tough, crunchy-but-still-melt-in-your-mouth quality that our tasting panel adored. We think you’ll adore it, too. Trader Joe’s Crispy Garlic is excellent as a topping on stir-fries, salads, and scrambled eggs; pizzas, pastas, and pad Thai; or even burgers, baked potatoes, and bánh mi. It can be mixed into homemade cheesy dips and casseroles, sprinkled over noodle dishes or roasted veggies, or even just enjoyed over a bowl of freshly made rice.” – Trader Joe’s
Tru’ dat. The little thin crisps of garlic are so just so flavorful and tasty. We tried it, and instantly fell in love with this stuff. We tried even eating them as is just out of the bag. Intense but tasty!
Think little thin chips of fresh garlic, cooked till golden brown, super crunchy and crispy. The garlic flavor is a bit milder and mellowed from the frying. As they say it’s cooked just right, before the point of bitterness.
Toss these chips on just about anything. We’ve been trying it out on just about everything we can think of to put it on and whatever we tried seemed to work. Noodles. Salad. Add some on top of plain Rice!
Here I put some on top of cottage cheese on top of a toasted slice of their Sourdough Sliced bread and added some spices, and the combo was super yummy.
You can crush them up with your fingers to get smaller bits too (I crushed them up over buttered corn. Yum!)
$3.29 (4 oz) I am just guessing it was probably about a pound of garlic before. Its got just 3 simple ingredients, garlic, oil and salt. It’s not greasy at all. Just crispy. Keep it tightly sealed in the foil pouch and it should stay that way for a long time.
“Perfect for hummus and dips and for sandwiches. Heat and enjoy!” (frozen)
I love good pita bread. For the past few years, the pita at Trader Joe’s, their long running item “pita bread original pockets” have been OK in a pinch but are 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 big, and very thin. So thin these are not sturdy enough to count on to make a pocket Hold the food without falling apart as you eat it.
With the NEW pocket bread/pita called BALADI – This has all changed. Trust me. You want these. They are far better pita bread! Finally we can buy some GOOD pita bread at TJ’s.
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.”
I give these a Wow. These are EXCELLENT. I was so impressed at how good these are. I found this pita so tasty and satisfying. They were even delicious just eaten simply with butter on them. Versatile. Between this new Baladi pocket bread and TJ’s Lavash flatbread I am super happy to have these Middle Eastern bread options at TJ’s.
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. 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 falafel, 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!!
“First, there’s that its stone baked, with a wheat flour crust, which our supplier imports all the way from Italy. Next, there’s the impressive array of toppings piled high on every pie: zesty tomato sauce; a savory trio of mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses; sweet roasted bell peppers and onions; savory crumbles of Italian sausage; and finally, delightfully spicy slices of uncured pepperoni.”
Apparently Trader Joe’s / Trader Giotto) Pizza Parlanno is said to be quite a customer and crew member favorite. The proof of which it’s been around for 15 years.
I hadn’t tried this yet so finally got around to trying it for a review.
My honest review is: Both my wife and I really enjoyed this pizza. We both gave this a big thumbs up.
It’s a kind of “half and half” pepperoni / sausage- one side sausage and roasted peppers and the other side pepperoni.
The favorite of the two sides for us both was the sausage side, having much more flavors from lots of different things. It has crumbled bits of (cooked) sausage plus roasted red bell pepper, green pepper, roasted onions, plus the tomato sauce and the cheese. The small pieces of uncased pork sausage was good. I can really taste fennel seeds, which for me makes it really taste Italian. I loved the roasted red and green bell peppers.
Personally I am not a huge pepperoni pizza eater as I usually find pepperoni too greasy and oily but here the uncured pepperoni on this was tasty, thin and not at all greasy. Didn’t curl up either. Stayed flat.
The (imported) crust on the Pizza Parlanno is on the thin side. More crunchy than chewy, it kind of reminded me of the “bar pizza” style though its not that thin. The crust held up and didn’t bend under the toppings. I make my own dough on occasion so am quite picky. I would prefer a crust a bit thicker with more chew however the crust is not bad and pretty crispy.
I baked the pizza quite well as I read that you should get this well browned and really take Trader Joe’s suggested time of “bake for 10 minutes” with a huge grain of salt. Every oven is a bit different but 10 minutes as they list is probably not enough time to go from frozen to ready so plan to give it a bit longer, an extra two minutes at least, if not more. I did more like 14-25 minutes in total? I just watched it closely towards the end and let it it get just to the point where it’s really browned which is how I like pizza.
Originally I thought the pizza looked like it might be a little big for two people. Ha! I thought my wife and I might not eat the whole pizza at one go. That we might leave a slice or two for the next day. But guess what? I was wrong . I was so good, the two of us ended up devouring the whole thing. Along with an arugula salad. We said, it’s never going to be as good as right now fresh out of the oven.
COOKING: Pre-heat your oven to 450. If you own a pizza steel or stone put that in. Depending on your oven it may take 15-25 minutes to get to temp. When oven is ready, slide the pizza onto the steel or stone. If you don’t have those, just put on a baking sheet and put that on the center or top rack. I put foil underneath the pizza, for easy clean up. Bake the pizza until it looks very well browned. They say 10-12 minutes at 450 but I think it will be more like 12-15 minutes depending on your oven). Take it out and let it cool for about 2 minutes before cutting. I cut ours into 4.
Figured at 4 slices to the pizza this states, 330 calories per slice.
This pizza makes a very easy snack or meal in about 15 minutes, all for about the price of what you might pay for a pepperoni slice at a pizza joint. For just over five bucks, you can not go wrong with this pizza, if you like sausage, etc.
I gotta say, pretty amazing for $5.50.
I would buy this again.
Trader Giotto’s PIzza Parlanno $5.49 (18.2 oz)
Toppings: Italian sausage, uncured pepperoni, roasted bell peppers, and roasted onions. Crust: Stone-baked wheat flour crust. Sauce: A savory sauce, described as not spicy or sweet. Cheeses: Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano. Customer Favorite: A popular item at Trader Joe’s, often praised for its flavor and topping variety.
What TJ says: “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.
“What do you need to make the perfect summer salad? Fresh, peppery greens? Aromatic herbs? Zesty, citrus flavors? Some resoundingly delicious crunch? How about a salad that ticks all those boxes? Trader Joe’s Lemony Arugula Basil Salad Kit gives you all the tools necessary to create a superlatively summer-y salad, complete with leafy arugula, shredded Parmesan cheese, crunchy carrots and roasted almonds, and a stunningly citric, wholly herbaceous, basil lemon vinaigrette dressing.” (TJ)
I know a lot of people seem to love this salad kit. It’s one of the more popular ones at Trader Joe’s. Personally I am a fan of eating arugula, raw in a salad. I like it’s slightly peppery bite. I buy a package of Trader Joe’s arugula frequently as my salad base. My wife on the other hand, prefers to eat arugula cooked. To each his own.
This salad kit makes getting an arugula salad together super easy. Just toss it in a bowl and add the dressing. Arugula and shaved pieces of carrot plus almonds and grated Parmesan cheese. The dressing is something everybody says is very tasty, with some folks wishing that Trader Joe’s sold the dressing in a bottle.
The salad matches well with other things, such as grilled chicken or salmon, served hot or cold.
Say on some crazy hot day like today where it is 95 and just thinking about cooking will make you sweat, how about using this KIT to make an easy dinner with zero cooking? Just dump the salad in a bowl, and add a can of that delicious new SKIPJACK TUNA on top. Voila! Dinner. Easy peasy.
“A light, bright, lemon and almond based pesto with savory Grana Padano cheese and a touch of black pepper.”
“SIMPLY STIR A FEW TABLESPOONS WITH HOT PASTA AND SERVE WITH FRESH GRATED CHEESE”
Ingredients: Sunflower oil, lemon, water, Grana Padano cheese, almonds, sugar, lemon zest, salt, lactic acid, natural flavors, veg and fruit juice (for color) yeast extract, black pepper.
This was a LIMITED product which was released some time back and lots of people clamored about it and said this was a Must Try product. Later it seemed to vanish from the shelves for some time but it’s now back in stock once again (bought June 2025).
TJ’s says: “This enchanting concoction is light, bright, a little cheesy, a little nutty, and positively bursting with Lemon flavor—a dazzling example of culinary wizardry. Inspired by a pasta dish from Italy’s Amalfi coast (where lemon is a key element of local cuisine), our Italian supplier crushes whole lemons and combines them with sunflower seed oil, savory Grana Padano cheese, almonds, a touch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and extra lemon zest for good, citrusy measure. When we say this limited edition, lip-smacking Sauce adds magic to mealtimes, it’s not hyperbole. Stir it into Organic Mafalda Corta Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Pearls and chopped mint. Spread it on a toasted baguette and top with Sliced Prosciutto. Dollop it on grilled All Natural Thin- Sliced Chicken Breasts or shrimp kabobs. With each wave of your wand… er, spoon, you may even be inspired to incant “Presto, Lemon Pesto!”
“Lemon Pesto”? An interesting concept. Invented by the same Italian manufacturer who makes Trader Joe’s ROSATELLA sauce. Inspired by the Amalifi coast where lemon is a big thing.
Is this pesto a bit controversial? Perhaps. Some people call it “horrible”. I suspect they are using too much of it in their dish. The maintrick to using this LEMON PESTO successfully is to get the amount right, which will take a little experimentation. This is nothing like standard basil pesto. This Lemon pesto is kind of concentrated. You don’t want to use too much. Less is more. You will have to learn how much to add. Add a few spoons of it into hot (al dente) pasta, plus some of that magic ingredient, your pasta cooking water, cooking and tossing it all in the pan to get everything to come together.
Use too much and you can ruin the dish. So start with adding a big tablespoon, incorporate that, taste it and see how you like it. If you don’t think the flavor is strong enough add a bit more. Less is more with this lemon pesto, so experiment till you get the ratio of pesto to pasta right for your tastes (offhand I’d say two rounded teaspoons of the pesto to about 1/2 pound of pasta, plus a ladle of pasta water was about right for me) As good as it is, I still think a “lemon pasta” made using this pesto sauce will benefit from adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, maybe even grilling thin slices of lemon like I did, and sauteed fresh garlic.
As it uses sunflower oil, you definitely should add a finishing touch of a drizzle of some good EVOO. Finish with some fresh grated cheese, Parmigiano, Pecorino, Asiago…. whatever you like and perhaps some chopped basil, parsley or arugula to add an herbal flavor.
Here I used the lemon pesto sauce with TJ’s excellent ORGANIC LEMON TORCHIETTI pasta. The pasta and this lemon pesto matched very well together and is a combo worth trying. I tossed in peas too to add a little more protein.
The pesto can also be use as an ingredient say to put dollop of the sauce on top of grilled chicken breasts or grilled salmon or shrimp. Based on someone saying this can be used in Avocado Toast, I tried that and guess what? It worked! A bit of this in my Avocado made some very tasty Avocado Toast. I used a small amount (1/2 tsp) or so of the pesto, plus fresh lemon juice, mashed into the avocado, and a lot of black pepper.
Here’s a link to a recipe on Trader Joe’s site using the pesto and potatoes for a lemony potato salad. So feel free to experiment.
“The traditional grilling cheese of Cyprus”. A great addition to a barbecue skewer. Browns rather than melts when grilled
NOTE: TJ’s sells this cheese as a “seasonal item” starting late Spring though end of Summer. That’s when when you will find it on the shelves (not available at other times).
This “Atalanta brand HALLOUMI cheese” I got at Trader Joe’s at some point last year was one of those items I tried just once and fell absolutely in love with instantly. However trying to find it a month or two later, I could not find it. It was MIA. I was afraid they discontinued it. Say it’s not so, Joe. I learned they carry this cheese seasonally.
It’s another of their “seasonal” items. They stock it starting in the Spring and have it for Summer (till mid-August maybe?). Trader Joe’s seems to peg this cheese for “grilling” outdoors. Think “Summer grilling. “
So just note that you will only see this part of the year. I wish they had it all year round. But here’s a useful Tip: the shelf life is quite long as it’s a cured, brined hard cheese. My package date was good for six months. So I might just stock up on a few packages, for that half+ of the year they don’t have it. You could probably even freeze it. Most cheese, especially harder ones, actually can be frozen (cheese needs to be slow defrosted in the fridge)
If you haven’t tried HALLOUMI before, you have got to check it out. It’s so good grilled. Just delicious.
Halloumi originates from the island of Cyprus. It’s a semi hard cheese brinded made with sheep’s milk with a unique quality: it browns rather than just melts. Therefore you can grill, broil, or pan fry it, until it gets golden brown & delicious. It gets a chewy, meaty texture that is so good!
TJ’s website says: “Atalanta® Halloumi” is made on the island of Cyprus using sheep’s milk. During production, the curds are heated to high temperatures, a process which gives it both its “squeaky” texture and ability to hold its shape when cooked or grilled. Atalanta® ‘s cheesemakers also include a bit of mint, which adds a slight refreshing counterbalance to Halloumi’s natural brininess.”
Some people are making “Halloumi Croutons” with it, which you could make by cutting the cheese into cubes, brown them in a little olive oil and remove for adding to salads or other dishes
The picture below is of a dish I made with the halloumi, tomatoes and a can of white beans. “Crispy halloumi, white beans and tomatoes” I had seen in the NYTimes. The dish is DELICIOUS and its a fairly healthy (vegetarian) dish that we all found to be an excellent; a keeper recipe that is now on monthly rotation for us. I got the recipe from the NY Times (may need registration)
Says “4 servings” (2 of us easily ate the whole thing!)
Olive oil, as needed
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon honey, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
Salt and black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, butter beans or navy beans, drained
1 (8-ounce) block halloumi, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ lemon
Crusty bread (optional), for serving
Preparation
Set broiler to high heat, with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven, 3 to 4 inches from the heat source.
In a large, ovenproof pan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, honey and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.
Arrange the halloumi slices on top of the tomato-bean mixture in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven. Broil until the halloumi is golden and crispy on top, about 5 minutes, depending on the oven’s broiler strength.
Drizzle generously with olive oil, squeeze the lemon half over the pan and add a light drizzle of honey. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately, with bread if desired.
Her Halloumi Crouton Salad recipe looks great! (TIKTOK)
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 Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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