We Couldn’t Leave Trader Joe’s Without Trying These 5 Items

If you’re new here, then it’s my absolute delight to welcome you into our series here at Sporked where we break down what we couldn’t leave Trader Joe’s without buying this week. Beyond that, we like to give you all a glimpse into how good that product actually ended up being once we left the store with it. Are the products we were excited to buy at Trader Joe’s this week as good as we had hoped? The good news is that this week we had one of the most impressive showings of Trader Joe’s products in a long time. Let’s break it down together, shall we?

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Pink Peppercorn Fontina

If you’re fan of a more mild tasting white cheese that has a similar texture to cheddar, then I would strongly suggest that you try this out if you’re looking to break off to more adventurous territory. It is mild and nutty with a delightful creaminess. But the real star of the show is the bold pink peppercorn flavor. It definitely is quite strong as it is a thick crust surrounding the entire cheese, but the bright and fruity spiciness of the peppercorn crust makes this cheese a wonderful snack.

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Cranberry & Jalapeño Chicken Meatballs

The Trader Joe’s fully-cooked chicken meatballs have generally been quite impressive to us. The texture is great, and they’re a nice way to have chicken that isn’t a whole piece of breast or thigh. And, there’s something that’s to be said about the convenience of meatballs you don’t have to make yourself. This flavor in particular is a new addition to the store’s product portfolio, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The cranberry doesn’t have a very strong flavor, but it does add a very nice brightness and sweetness to the meatballs that you wouldn’t otherwise get. And, the subtle heat from the jalapeño and vibrance that it provides made these not only interesting, but kind of addictive too.

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Autumn Crisp Grapes

There’s not really that much to be said about these grapes, because they are just green grapes at the end of the day. They are delicious green grapes that are wonderfully in season, juicy, and crispy to bite, but they’re still just green grapes. They are more sweet than tart, so if a tart green grape is more your speed then I would suggest another variety instead. These taste more along the lines of a cotton candy grape.

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Maple Leaf Cookies

To us, these surpass the pumpkin spice JoJo’s, if we’re gonna be honest. The texture of the cream and the maple flavor is natural and smooth, and the cookie has a similar texture to a shortbread. The cookie itself is pretty average, but the filling and the adorable look of maple leaf pattern makes these into something quite special for the fall. If you’re looking for a sweet treat that doesn’t involve pumpkin spice, then I would highly recommend trying these out.

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Mini Spicy Pumpkin Samosas

The Mini Chicken Tikka Samosas are one of our absolute frozen food items for Trader Joe’s, so we were very excited to see this fall version in stores this year. These are actually a vegetarian option since they use paneer as the protein mixed into the filling. Hit these with an extra touch of salt after cooking them, and this is one of the most balanced store-bought curry flavors you’re going to come across. Plus, they’re all wrapped up in a delightfully crunchy and chewy wrapper. They’re perfect.

Rating:

10/10

Sporks