After a long day of work, spending hours in the kitchen to cook dinner or stopping at the grocery store with a long list of ingredients needed for a tedious, time-consuming recipe isn’t very appealing. It’s also hard to deny the temptation to grab a bite on the go or dine at a restaurant for convenience and speed. Or, if you do make it home, you’d probably prefer to plop on the couch with your phone in hand, pull up a food delivery app, and order takeout.
Unfortunately, this easily becomes an expensive habit. Cooking at home is not only more affordable, but it can be enjoyable and relaxing—even without full-on meal-prepping. The key is having a handful of simple, quick recipes in your back pocket. If they feature pantry and frozen food staples with long shelf lives that can be purchased in bulk, that’s even better.
Trader Joe’s is one of our go-to stores for stocking up on such foods and meals. Many shoppers praise TJ’s affordable selection of frozen meals, refrigerated prepared foods, and pantry staples such as pasta, jarred sauces, and canned goods.
In fact, there’s an entire Reddit thread that discusses TJ’s dinner recipe ideas and hacks that require three or so ingredients. These are some of the recommended delicious and quick Trader Joe’s dinners you can whip up even on the busiest of days.
Gnocchi With Your Choice of Protein
Gnocchi is a popular ingredient for fast and easy dinners. User SheilaGirlface’s go-to meal is “chicken soup + 2 cups chicken stock + gnocchi is SO GOOD and ready in minutes,” noting that they used the “Kettle chicken soup” from the refrigerated section. (They’re not the only home cook turning to soup—one of our favorite two-ingredient dinners from TJ’s calls for chicken broth and frozen soup dumplings.)
Beef or pork with gnocchi is another favorite combo. Redditor jm22mccl recommends “ground Italian sausage plus the gnocchi alla sorrentina plus a little cream cheese.” If you’re more of a seafood fan, try Disastrous_Recipe_68’s dinner idea: “Gorgonzola gnocchi plus Argentine shrimp plus frozen veggies.”
Naan Pizza With Pesto And Mozzarella
For a quick take on pizza, Redditor ronnysmom uses naan with refrigerated pesto sauce and mozzarella cheese. Both original or garlic naan work. “[A]dd TJ’s frozen peppers or frozen mushrooms and bake in oven for 10 minutes for a gourmet personal pizza,” the user said, noting that it’ll cook even faster in an air fryer. “Can change the sauce to tomato based, but my kids love the pesto.” For a little extra cheese, top with Parmesan.
Green Curry Coconut Shrimp
Bold and flavorful, this easy shrimp dish is perfect for a flavorful and affordable dinner. It’s simple to prepare, requiring just three ingredients: coconut cream, green curry sauce, and frozen shrimp. “I mix the Thai green curry sauce with a can of coconut cream and throw some shrimp in there… serve over rice,” Redditor Jsscmurhog wrote in the thread. You can get creative with other add-ins—toss in broccoli, snap peas, or carrots for some veggies.
Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Redditor Jsscmurhog combines chicken and Trader Joe’s tikka masala curry sauce for a creamy, aromatic dinner with a kick of heat. The chicken tikka masala dish really hits the spot as a comforting meal at the end of the day. The user wrote, “2 bottles of Tikka masala sauce and a can of coconut cream with chicken. Eat it over rice with the garlic naan.” Add veggies if desired, like broccoli or peas.
Japanese Fried Rice
The same Redditor has another three-ingredient meal up their sleeve that uses Trader Joe’s Japanese Fried Rice. “I fry it in olive oil and sesame oil and add a bag of edamame to it,” Jsscmurhog wrote. They also recommend topping with avocado for taste and texture. You can add a savory sauce like soy for extra umami and experiment with add-ins to mix things up.
