The $3.99 Trader Joe's Find I Buy Every Time I Go—It Forever Changed My Cooking

It's one of the most versatile items in my pantry.

As an Armenian American woman, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired foods speak to my soul. Armenian food sits perfectly at the intersection of these delicious cuisines full of fresh flavors, aromatic spices, and textural contrast.

One ingredient ubiquitous in both cuisines is the humble olive, so you might call me an olive connoisseur. The most shockingly tasty olive finds I’ve discovered is the grilled pitted green olives at Trader Joe’s. Yes, you read that right, grilled olives.

Each of these Chalkidiki olives, packed in oil, has the cutest tiny grill marks you’ve ever seen. And at only $3.99 per jar, you simply can’t beat this truly one-of-a-kind offering sourced directly from Greece.

Why I Love Trader Joe’s Grilled Green Olives

When it comes to olives, you can really break the bank with high quality varieties, whether they’re jarred or personally packaged at the olive bar. I’ve tried many of these options and I’m not kidding when I say this affordable grilled green olive gives them all a run for their money.

At first bite, I was pleasantly surprised by the soft, buttery texture—a far cry from the nearly crunchy texture many cheaper olive varieties offer. I was further drawn in by their salty bite and unctuous fattiness.

These olives do not taste charred, but their grill marks seem to give them a subtle sweetness that keeps me coming back for more. Plus, they’re packed in a rich, flavorful oil that would be criminal to pour down the drain.

How I Use Trader Joe’s Grilled Green Olives

There’s no shortage of fabulous ways to use these savory olives in the kitchen. If I'm not snacking on them right out of the jar, one of the first places these olives are headed is into a salad. Whether it be a simple green salad, Greek salad, pasta salad, tuna salad, mixed olive salad, or a fun spin on a Niçoise salad, there are few salads that I wouldn't sneak these grilled olives into. Pro tip: I often use the oil they’re packed in to whip up my dressing.

I also love dicing these green olives and adding them to caponata or tapenade for topping meats, fish, and sandwiches (muffuletta, anyone?). A punchy puttanesca or chicken Marbella are also perfect dishes for these briny delights.

When happy hour rolls around, these olives are *chef’s kiss*. I’ll stuff them with blue cheese or pimento peppers, skewer them, and use them to garnish an extra dirty martini. For happy hour snacks, I marinate them in red wine vinegar, lemon peel, rosemary, and garlic and serve them either warm or at room temperature. These olives are also exquisite skewered with prosciutto, marinated artichokes, and tiny mozzarella balls as festive antipasto bites.

So, if you’re an olive lover like me, run—don't walk—to your nearest TJ’s to pick up this remarkable pantry staple.

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.