Trader Joe's Frozen Meal Recipes for Lazy Weeknights
By Olivia Pfeiffer
We’ve hit that point in the semester where eating one more chicken/rice/green beans combination from Conn seems almost impossible, and the grand fantasies of cooking fancy meals have fallen to the wayside as things have gotten more stressful. Maybe that’s just me, but I know I’ve definitely felt a shift in my eating habits and not in a good way, replacing a full breakfast with a bar and coffee on my way out the door. As mental health starts to dip and school gets more stressful, it is more important than ever to take care of your body but also significantly harder to do so. To try and combat this, I’ve tried to eat more low-effort but still healthy (and relatively cheap) meals that can be made fairly easily! You can find everything needed for these recipes at Trader Joe’s. I have a full kitchen, but I have also included a few meals below that can be made if all you have is a microwave.
Trader Joe’s Meals
1. Cauliflower Gnocchi & Sweet Potato
What You’ll Need:
Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi
Trader Joe’s Cubed Butternut Squash
Olive Oil or Butter
Salt/Pepper/Seasonings
Instructions:
Heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil or butter in a pan, then throw in your cauliflower gnocchi. Don’t touch the gnocchi until it has become brown and ‘unstuck’ from the pan, and then rotate the gnocchi so every side gets crisp and golden brown (about 8 minutes). Throw in the cubed and peeled butternut squash with a bit more butter, top everything with salt, pepper, and seasonings to taste (I use paprika) and enjoy!
2. Orange Chicken Fried Rice
What You’ll Need:
Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken
Trader Joe’s Veggie Fried Rice
Soy Sauce to taste
Instructions:
Following the instructions on the bag, put the chicken in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, and then take out and coat in the orange dressing. At the same time, cook the veggie fried rice on the stove. All you need to do is combine the fried rice with some oil. Combine your chicken with your rice, add any seasonings or sauces, and you are good to go!
Trader Joe’s Microwave-Only Frozen Meals To Help You Survive When You Just Want to Nap
1. Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
This is the best seasonal frozen meal that Trader Joe’s has to offer. Combining rigatoni with a blend of cheeses and a classic butternut squash sauce, this mac and cheese is elevated far beyond the Kraft Mac and Cheese you burn in your microwave on the first week of the semester.
2. Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings
Trader Joe’s pork and ginger soup dumplings are a super easy snack to throw in the microwave and eat when you need a quick break, and they taste delicious! They take less than 2 minutes to cook and also come in a variety of flavors.
3. Sriracha Shrimp Bowl
If you are looking for something a little bit more filling, Trader Joe’s sriracha shrimp bowl is my go-to easy dinner. It’s composed of shrimp with Asian-style vegetables over red and brown rice with a spicy sriracha dressing. This is a delicious and easy to make microwave meal that fills you up.
