5 Nights of Stupid Easy Trader Joe's Meals
We started shopping at Trader Joe’s about a month ago and have not looked back since! I love it there. They have so many options for out-of-the-box foods at really great prices and made with better ingredients. I actually look forward to my weekly trip which I could never say about grocery shopping at Walmart. On top of the fact that I don’t really enjoy cooking, being 9 months pregnant, dinnertime has been a bit of a struggle for me, so I love that Trader Joe’s has so many items that come together to make ridiculously easy meals that are also a hit with my family. Here’s 5 easy meal ideas using TJ’s products all containing 5 ingredients or less.
Butter + Sage Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Jalapeno Chicken Sausage
I did NOT expect my husband to like this one. He is not a fan of sweet potatoes or anything spicy, so when I made it I fully expected to have to eat the rest of it for lunch that week. But he LOVED it and has requested it multiple times since.
ingredients
Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter and Sage
Trader Joe’s Spicy Jalapeno Chicken Sausage
Shaved parmesan cheese (optional)
The sausage is already fully cooked, but I like to chop it up and brown it, just until it’s heated through. While the sausage is browning, cook the sweet potato gnocchi according to the package instructions. Keep an eye on it because it you cook it too long, they can get a little mushy. Combine the sausage and gnocchi and top with shredded parmesan.
Spinach + Artichoke Chicken with Brown Rice
recipe adapted from @traderjoeskitchen
This chicken is so flavorful and juicy and assembling it only takes about 5 minutes. I also really love this rice. They are the perfect serving size for to 2-3 people and they steam perfectly in the microwave in 3 minutes.
ingredients:
Trader Joe’s Organic Free Range Chicken Breasts
Trader Joe’s Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice
Seasoning of your choice (I like Slap Ya Mama seasoning, but basic salt and pepper is great too)
The spinach and artichoke dip comes frozen, so defrost it in the microwave until it is stirable (about 2 minutes). It doesn’t need to be completely defrosted- the oven will take care of that. Season the chicken breasts on both sides and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread the artichoke dip over the chicken breasts. Bake in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, pop a bag of rice in the microwave and cook it according to the package directions.
The rice is delicious by itself, but for some added flavor, sometimes I’ll stir in a tablespoon of butter and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and serve the chicken on top.
Crispy Cauliflower Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage and Marinara
recipe adapted from @traderjoeskitchen
The cauliflower trend has not been great for me. I have tried to like it so many times and it just has not worked out. But I was in a “try anything once” kinda mood when I threw this bag of Cauliflower Gnocchi into my shopping cart. After all, it did have a cult-like following and people constantly sing it’s praises. I was shocked at how good this was and even more shocked when my husband asked for seconds.
ingredients:
Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
3 TBS olive oil
Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage (I like the Spicy Jalapeno, but any kind will work)
Trader Giotto’s Three Cheese Pomodoro Pasta Sauce
Trader Joe’s Organic Shredded Mozzarella (for topping)
For this recipe, totally ignore the package instructions on the cauliflower gnocchi. In fact, the general consensus around the interwebs is that you should never follow the directions on the package or you’re doomed to soggy gnocchi. Instead, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and allow the gnocchi to cook and brown. Once it’s cooked through, turn the heat up to high to get them extra crispy. In the meantime, cut up your sausage and add it to a separate pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Brown the sausage. When both the sausage and the gnocchi are cooked, drain the gnocchi of any excess oil and add the sausage. Pour the pasta sauce over top (I usually use about half the jar, but it’s up to you) and cook until the sauce is heated through. I topped it with some mozzarella cheese and served it with Trader Joe’s Buffalo Ranch Chopped Salad and a piece of Trader Joe’s Cheddar Garlic Sliced Focaccia Bread.
Cauliflower BBQ Chicken Pizza
Am I a glutton for punishment, or what? Did I not just say I was not on board with the cauliflower trend? Welp. I went ahead and bought the frozen cauliflower pizza crust because so many people rave about it. I’m glad I did because, y’all…it’s GOOD! This super easy meal made me feel a whole lot less guilty about eating pizza for dinner and it was ridiculously easy.
ingredients:
Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Trader Giotto’s Three Cheese Pomodoro Pasta Sauce (you could use pizza sauce instead, but I had half a jar of pasta sauce I needed to use up)
Trader Joe’s Organic Shredded Mozzarella
Trader Joe’s Grilled Chicken Strips
Trader Joe’s Organic Kansas Style BBQ Sauce
Cook the cauliflower crust according to the directions on the box. Meanwhile, cut the pre-cooked chicken strips into bite size pieces (I used about half the package). Add them to a bowl and toss them in some BBQ sauce. I didn’t measure this, just enough to coat all the pieces. Once the crust is cooked to your desire level of crispiness, top with sauce, shredded mozzarella, and the BBQ sauce coated chicken. Put it in the oven on broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove pizza from oven and drizzle with more BBQ sauce if desired.
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
It didn’t dawn on me until I started writing this blog post that this list is pretty gnocchi-heavy. Hope y’all like gnocchi! Hahaha. This soup is super easy, comforting, and a pretty close dupe of Olive Garden’s. This made plenty for J and I to have for dinner and for me to have for lunch the next day. The recipe is very easily doubled if you’re feeding a larger family.
ingredients:
Trader Joe’s Kettle Cooked Chicken Soup
1/2 a pint of Trader Joe’s Heavy Whipping Cream
1 package of Trader Joe’s Gnocchi
1/2 a bag of Trader Joe’s Organic Baby Kale
Bring the chicken soup to a boil in a pot over medium heat. While it’s heating, shred the kale into smaller pieces. Once the soup is boiling, add the heavy cream and bring it back to a boil. Add in the gnocchi and allow them to cook for 3 minutes. Add in your shredded kale and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
