Microwaveable Rice Pouches: Found in the freezer section, these are such a life-saver for busy weeknight meals! We love rice paired with many of our “mains,” so we always keep these pouches on hand. The best part is that TJ’s carries both brown rice and white rice selections. We usually go for the brown rice, and it cooks up beautifully and isn’t sticky like when I make brown rice in a pot (I know you understand if you have made it homemade).
Teeny Tiny Avocados: I love that these are just $3 for 5-6 avocados, and they are the perfect size for when you don’t want to have to save and refrigerate your avocado leftovers. Tip: If you aren’t sure you’ll eat them all before they go bad, throw some in the fridge and then take them out a couple days before you plan to eat them. Refrigerating them slows the ripening process way down, so you can enjoy them when you are ready!
Organic Bagged Salad: One of the best things about TJ’s is being able to eat organic produce while on a budget. Their organic bagged salad comes in several varieties (from Romaine to spring mix, to salad kits that include dressings and other extras) and is sold at a fraction of a price that other stores sell it for.
Chicken Sausages: These are so versatile! They are another thing that we keep in our fridge all the time. They are inexpensive, healthy, and make dinnertime a cinch. Their Andouille flavor reminds me of chorizo sausage, so we oftentimes eat that with rice or scrambled eggs. We also love to grill their Jalapeño flavored sausages, and we LOVE the Garlic and Herb flavor to have with pasta, peppers, and onions. Easy Peesy. Thanks, TJ’s!
Coffee: It tastes amazing and is $4 a bag. Need I say more?
Argentinean Shrimp: We LOVE the flavor of these! They are raw, pre-cleaned/deveined, large shrimp, which are so fast to throw together with pasta, rice, or veggies. One of our favorite ways to prepare them: Chop them into thirds (bite size pieces), then quickly sauté in butter and olive oil until almost cooked. Add a chopped bunch of asparagus (also bite sized) and saute for a couple minutes more. Squeeze an entire lemon over top, then throw in a bag of cooked microwavable rice (see #1) and toss together. Season as desired with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. So good! FYI, these are found in the freezer section.
Gluten-Free Pasta: We aren’t a Gluten- Free family, but I love trying GF varieties of different things, because I do find that I get an upset tummy if I eat something like pasta or bread in “regular” amounts . I seriously adore this pasta! It is already cooked, so it boils up in 3 minutes and is super versatile. We love it with shrimp, grilled chicken, or with a red sauce.
Fresh Marinara Sauce: This absolute GEM can be found in the refrigerated section, next to the dips and cheeses. We love, love, love the taste of this fresh sauce. It really tastes homemade, but without the time invested or the mess left behind! We sauté up some ground beef and then throw this on top, and voila! Add some pasta, and you’ve got another quick dinner!
Fruit Bars: This two-ingredient (just fruit) bars are a staple in our home. For my oldest son who is a super picky eater, its a portable, quick way to get him to eat a little fiber, gosh darn it. I send him one daily in his school snack and he never complains! It’s also a win for us when we head out and about and don’t have time to chop up fruit or veggies to bring along, or if we don’t want to have to bring a cooler lunch box.
Orange Chicken: Are you sensing a theme, here? Listen, before we had kids, I cooked every night and it was mostly from scratch. If we wanted something like orange chicken, I would chop, marinate, carefully bread, and then fry or bake the chicken myself. These days? Mmmm, not so much. Between the hours of 3pm and 6pm are what I like to call The Witching Hour in our home. We have homework, hungry kids, tired parents, etc. We keep dinners easy and quick in this season of life, and that is A-OK with me. So, we grab TJ’s Orange Chicken or one of their other varieties of frozen protein and we pair it with rice and broccoli. My oldest, picky kiddo will even eat this chicken which is normally something way out of his comfort zone. So, from a tired and busy momma, I thank you yet again, Trader Joe’s!
