And thankfully, Trader Joe’s has countless options that check off all boxes.
Salsa verde enchiladas you could bake in the air fryer?
Takeout-quality orange chicken you might buy by the bag or as a single-serving bowl?
Photos: Trader Joe’s. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Chicken Shawarma bowls that save you a trip to the restaurant?
Yes, TJ’s has that, too.
I’d try this one again, even though I found it to be lackluster.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The look:A decently sized serving of flat noodles in a glossy, orange-tan sauce.
There weren’t many vegetable pieces in this onejust some bean sprouts and green onion.
There also wasn’t a high amount of tofu, which was disappointing.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The plastic cover was also tricky to take off on this dish, but I managed.
The taste:Good, but way more spicy than expected, and I love spicy foods.
Cashews were also included in the ingredients list, but I barely noticed them.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
I’d skip this one next time and order from my favorite Thai restaurant nearby instead.
Fast-forward to me eating it while standing over the counter in the kitchen at 10 p.m. on a weeknight.
It cost me $3.49 and didn’t taste frozen.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
There was also parmesan and mozzarella cheese coating.
The pasta has a good chew, while the sauce is spicy and sweet.
Available for just $3.99, this bowl is a top-tier freezer meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The taste:Delightful.
The look:Glass-like noodles with vibrantly hued shredded carrots, translucent onions, and other vegetable pieces.
The taste:Pretty good for a frozen grocery store-bought japchae.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The noodles were very chewy and didn’t taste too hard or soft.
Meanwhile, the vegetables were terrific and provided some texture, although I would have liked a few more.
This dish wasn’t too salty or sweet, which was also a plus.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
I spent $3.99 on these and I’ll probably buy them again.
The spinach and carrots rounded out the dish and didn’t make the kimbap taste waterlogged.
The look:A paper container with two separate sectionsone for the chicken and one for the rice.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
There was a decent amount of each, and both sides heated up well in the microwave.
I transferred it into a bowl to make eating it easier.
The taste:This dish exceeded my expectations.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The chicken was tender and not tough, and the sauce was creamy, mildly sweet, and scrumptious.
If the rice was better prepared, I think I’d enjoy this one more.
The plastic seal on this one was hard to get off to heat it up in the microwave.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
It took under seven minutes to make and looked homemade.
The taste:I was surprised by how good this dish was.
For one thing, it did not taste frozen.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
It had a bright, citrusy flavor that wasn’t overbearing or over the top.
The taste:So good!
Flavorful and rich with a tangy aftertaste.
I paid $4.49 for a three-serving bag and will surely rebuy it.
The look:Little pouch-shaped pasta pieces filled with a tasty cheese blend.
The taste: Fantasticrestaurant-level good!
The sauce was creamy yet zesty with a light acidic touch from the tomatoes.
It’s impressive alone, but served with a side salad and a chicken cutlet would also be fantastic.
That told me just how popular this dish was.
I decided to try both and was blown away.
The look:A good-sized plastic bowl that felt heavy in my hands and wasn’t at all shallow.
This dish included rice, peas, carrots, and breaded chicken.
The frozen sauce pouch came separately and must be thawed out under hot water.
I picked up a bag of Mandarin Orange Chicken to see if the same chicken was used in both.
I got full fast while eating this and could probably split one easily with my boyfriend.
The bag of frozen Mandarin Orange Chicken was also fantastic.
The look:I noticed that this lasagna was a nice, heavy size right out of the gate.
I had to cook it a little longer, but it was well worth the wait.
This lasagna serves four..
The taste:Fabulous!
I’m seriously blown away and wasn’t expecting it to taste as good as it did.
It seemed expertly prepared and made for a filling dinner when served with a side of vegetables.
It wasn’t overly salty, like other frozen lasagnas, and could be heated up multiple ways.
Overall, 10 out of 10, no notes.
Why TrustEat This, Not That!
