Easy Trader Joe’s Meals

If you guys watch our Five Weekly Favorites series you know that we’re obsessed with Trader Joe’s. We also did a post about all of our favorite items at Trader Joes. You can read that here! We go to TJ’s at least twice a week and we’re avid listeners to What’s Good Trader Joe’s. With all that being said. One of our favorite things about Trader’s is that their products are so versatile and can easily be combined for an easy, healthy meal. We are not cooks and have rarely made full meals from scratch. We hope to eventually improve our cooking skills someday but at this point in our lives were so busy (all of the time) and it’s not a priority for us, so we turn to Trader Joe’s to make quick and easy meals!

Gluten Free Cauliflower Crust Cheese Pizza & Spicy Dill Pickle Chips

Don’t knock it till you try it! We first heard about this combination from @traderjoeslist and it kind of went viral from there. We’ve always loved dill pickles so we’re down to put them on anything, but they are especially delicious on the gluten-free cheese pizza. The spice of the pickles compliments the cheese and herbs perfectly.

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Place pickles on the pizza
• Cook for 12-14 minutes

Steamed Lentils, Bruschetta Mix, & Crumbled Feta

We can’t take credit for this combo. We actually first heard about it from @amberlancaster. She’s a pescatarian like us so we often take her TJs recommendations. Anyways, you essentially mix an entire box of lentils, with a tub of bruschetta mix, and half a tub of feta. You can eat it with tortilla chips as a snack or over a bag of salad for a nice, healthy meal. Lentils are a great source of protein if you’re a vegetarian and the bruschetta mix literally tastes homemade, it’s so delicious! This combination makes quite a bit so it lasts us a few days, even if we share.

Directions: 

• Mix package of (cold) lentils, with a package of bruschetta, and half a package of feta.
• Serve with tortilla chips or over a bed of lettuce. We’ve also added this mix to pasta.

Brown Rice Spaghetti, Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce, & Green Foursome Mix

Speaking of lentils, Trader Joe’s has a huge selection of delicious gluten-free pasta. Our favorite being their yellow lentil and brown rice spaghetti. It cooks so similarly to regular pasta and it’s a bit denser and filling. Our favorite sauce to pair it with is the organic tomato basil pasta sauce because it tastes homemade and it has a lower sugar content than most pasta sauces. We always love to add vegetables to our pasta for added nutrients and the green foursome mix is our favorite!

Directions: 

• Microwave vegetables in a microwave-safe dish for three minutes, uncovered.
• Boil water, add pasta and cook for at least 8 minutes or until tender. Drain.
• Add sauce and vegetables to pasta and heat in the microwave for app. 30 seconds

Gluten Free Wheat Bread, Teeny Tiny Avocados, & Everything but the Bagel Seasoning

This one is pretty straightforward but you won’t find a better deal on Avocados! We buy the gluten-free bread from TJ’s just because we prefer the taste, but it’s smaller in size so one large avocado is too much for two slices of bread. The teeny tiny avos are a perfect size and much less expensive. We top our avocado toast with Trader’s famous ‘Everything but the Bagel Seasoning.” It’s so delicious! This is one of our go-to healthy lunches.

Directions: 

• Add two slices of bread to toast
• While that’s toasting slice up your avocado
• Top toast with avo and sprinkle your seasoning

Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Toasted Sesame Dressing, Slivered Almonds, & Sweet Potatoes

Trader Joe’s has such a nice selection of pre-chopped vegetables, our favorite being the shaved brussel sprouts. We tried cooking them in avocado oil but quickly decided to add in some toasted sesame dressing and it is a truly delicious combination. We also love to add slivered almonds to the mixture for an added crunch.

Directions:

• Wash your sweet potato and pierce it on all sides with a fork. Microwave two minutes on each side.
• Saute your brussel sprouts with one tablespoon of avocado oil on medium heat for about four minutes
• Add another tablespoon of dressing to the mixture and cook for 3-4 more minutes
• Before removing from the stove, add in the almonds and toast them slightly.
• Remove your sweet potato from the microwave, cut it in half and mash slightly
• Top the potato with the brussel sprouts and enjoy!

Let us know some of your favorite, easy meals from Trader Joe’s!

xx, Britta