We Couldn’t Leave Trader Joe’s Without These 5 Things (One’s Perfect For Halloween)

Trader Joe’s is like a little sanctuary for people who are looking to try unique foods on a regular basis who don’t want to have to go to specialty stores to get it. There’s no grocery store providing such a wide range of ingredients, dishes, and flavors all in one place for the value that they do. 

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That’s why we love shopping there so much. And, since it’s such a ritual for us, we like to share it with our dear readers too. These are the five things we couldn’t leave Trader Joe’s without this week, and whether or not they’re worth you trying out as well.

Palak Paneer

Every once in a while, you just need to peruse the Trader Joe’s freezer foods to see you what you can make up for dinner in a flash. The convenience and flavor that is offered is usually undeniably satisfying, but we’re still making our way through the full catalogue.

We tried out this Palak Paneer hoping that it would be just as good as some of their other curry options, but I think at best we could say that this was okay. The actual flavor of the sauce was very watery from the spinach in a way that really prohibited you from being able to appreciate the other flavors in the sauce. It also desperately needed salt. And, because of the way this is prepared, the paneer really just absorbs all of that watery flavor and ends up being more bland than a typical palak paneer dish.

Chicken Flautas

The Chicken Flautas on the other hand were nothing like the disappointment of the paneer. We’ve been anticipating trying these ever since we saw them added to the frozen food catalog, and they did not disappoint. The tortilla was tender, yet crisp, and the cheese, green chili, and chicken filling was bursting with flavor and impeccably seasoned. It is a pretty simple dish, but it does definitely satisfy that itch if you’re craving something along the lines of an enchilada, but really only have the effort capacity for something more like a frozen taquito.

Empanadas de Ropa Vieja

The Empanadas de Ropa Vieja continue that pattern of Trader Joe’s frozen section excellence. Not only is the shell crisp and delightfully chewy when baked to package instructions, but the filling inside was the furthest thing from disappointing. If you’re a fan of Ropa Vieja, then I simply couldn’t recommend these more. From the seasoning to the textures, they’re an absolute knockout.

Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley 2022 Merlot

Honestly, for this to be one of the Grand Reserve wines that Trader Joe’s offers, we expected it to be better. It also is above the $10 price point which generally, in Trader Joe’s terms, means that it’s going to be pretty good. Instead, though, this one was quite disappointing. For Merlot, it was remarkably acidic and overall just wasn’t very smooth to drink. It was sharp, rather than deep and complex, and not worth the $13. For the flavor, I would’ve expected an $8 price tag, honestly.

Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars

The Internet loves a good dupe, but this one might just take the cake. The candy assortment in this bag tastes exactly like if Trader Joe’s rebranded a Three Musketeers, a Snickers, a Milky Way, and a lion bar in their own packaging. Not only that, but the price is more affordable and flavor if anything is elevated from those classics. Frankly, I already went back for another bag to stock up for the Halloween festivities.