I'm a busy mom who swears by Trader Joe's frozen section. Here are 10 of my favorite items to stock up on.
As a busy mom, I sometimes rely on Trader Joe's to create delicious meals for my family.
We love Italian-inspired dishes like the sweet-potato gnocchi and butternut-squash lasagna.
When I want something sweet, I reach for the green-tea mochi.
I love to cook meals from scratch, but as a busy mom, there are some days where I just don't have the time.
Over the years, I've found lots of tried-and-true frozen meals from Trader Joe's that come in handy when there's not enough time to labor over the stove.
Here are 10 frozen foods I never leave the store without buying.
Trader Joe's sweet-potato gnocchi is soft, pillowy, and filling.
Trader Joe's sweet-potato gnocchi with butter and sage is an amazing comfort food. The soft gnocchi perfectly sops up the rich, buttery sage sauce.
Best of all, the sweet-potato gnocchi takes about 10 minutes to cook and serve. I like to garnish the dish with fresh sage and serve it with warm, crusty bread.
We typically prefer to eat this vegetarian dish on its own, but you can easily add chicken, sausage, or another protein.
When it's in stock, the butternut-squash lasagna is a perfect meat-free comfort food.
Though frozen lasagna doesn't sound all that exciting, Trader Joe's butternut-squash version is an elevated rendition of the Italian staple.
The butternut-squash-béchamel sauce, made with carrots and butter, is velvety and slightly smoky. The pumpkin seeds, chives, rosemary, and pepper also give the dish a flavorful punch, making it a nice alternative to the typical pasta and tomato sauce.
Trader Joe's butternut-squash lasagna only takes about 10 minutes in the microwave, but if you have the time, I recommend popping it in the oven to get it perfectly crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside.
I found Trader Joe's gnocchi al Gorgonzola surprisingly delicious.
This gnocchi is super easy to prepare — simply add the bag's contents and some oil to a skillet. I like to jazz this dish up with vegetables like peas, tomatoes, and spinach, or proteins such as pancetta, sausage, or chicken.
Trader Joe's Thai vegetable gyoza is a vegan delight.
Trader Joe's vegetable gyoza is stuffed with white cabbage, carrots, chives, white radish, onion, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. These crescent-shaped dumplings can be steamed, microwaved, or pan-fried.
I like to brown the wrappers in a cast-iron skillet for a slight crunch — all you need is a little oil and water. I serve these with extra soy sauce for dipping, steamed rice, and simple stir-fried vegetables.
The bean, rice, and cheese burritos make a great lunch or dinner.
My 9-year-old loves Mexican-inspired food as much as I do, and she's a big fan of Trader Joe's bean, rice, and cheese burritos.
Though this two-pack can be prepared in the microwave, I think the burritos taste so much better baked in the oven, especially with enchilada sauce. Once they've cooked through, I add shredded cheese and broil the dish to give the simple meal a restaurant feel.
I recommend pairing the burritos with Spanish rice and black beans for a complete, inexpensive meal.
The vegetable bird's nests look beautiful when plated.
These nest-shaped combinations of onions, carrots, and kale come fully cooked, so all you need to do is heat them and serve.
They can be deep fried, but I prefer to air-fry or bake them on a cookie sheet.
The package also comes with soy dipping sauce, which I defrost by submerging it in a mug of hot water.
The salsa-verde chicken enchiladas are zesty and delicious.
These chicken enchiladas come with salsa verde made with tomatillos and green chiles. I like how the shredded chicken really lets the chile flavor come through.
They're great with cilantro, brown rice, beans, and some shredded cheese or guacamole.
I like to grab Trader Joe's frozen organic fruit for smoothies.
I love the convenience of smoothies, so I always stock up on Trader Joe's organic frozen fruit. My favorites are the organic raspberries, wild blueberries, and mango chunks.
The mini French baguettes are one of the store's best items.
I'm lucky to live near a bakery — but they often sell out of baguettes before noon. When this happens, I turn to Trader Joe's mini French baguettes.
They're already partially baked, so they only need four to six minutes in the oven to get soft, chewy, and crisp on the outside.
They're the perfect accompaniment to a hearty winter soup, stew, or slow-cooked meal.
Trader Joe's green-tea mochi is the perfect sweet treat.
When it comes to desserts, Trader Joe's has some unique finds, like this six-count box of green-tea mochi. These chewy bites contain soft, flavorful green-tea ice cream in the center, perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth.
These are best enjoyed when taken out of the freezer to defrost for a few minutes before eating (if you can resist the wait).
Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.
Read the original article on Business Insider
