Trader Joe’s Recipes

I’m having a serious Trader Joe’s moment, and I don’t see it ending anytime soon! Here are 10 Trader Joe’s Recipes I whipped up with their ingredients. I’m so excited to share!

Here’s the lineup of Trader Joe’s Recipes:

1. Cottage Cheese Ground Beef Bowls
2. Harvest Bowl
3. Grilled Cheese on Focaccia with Tomato Soup
4. Curry Noodle Soup
5. Creamy Tomato Pasta
6. Beef Noodle Bowls
7. Sausage Pesto Gnocchi Sheet Pan Dinner
8. Turkey Apple Sandwich
9. Trader Joe’s Pizza
10. Shaved Beef Tacos
11. BONUS RECIPE: One-Pan Dumpling Dinner

If you want the full meal plans with shopping lists:

Printable Trader Joe’s Recipes: Week One

Printable Trader Joe’s Recipes: Week Two

Ready for the individual recipes? Let’s get into it!

Cottage Cheese Ground Beef Bowls

These high-protein beef bowls went viral earlier this year, and for good reason! They’ve got four main parts: taco-seasoned ground beef, roasted sweet potatoes, creamy cottage cheese, and fresh avocado. The best finishing touch? A drizzle of hot honey!

Harvest Bowl

I first shared this Harvest Bowl recipe in 2020. It’s the perfect transition from summer to fall with grilled chicken and grilled butternut squash! (Don’t want to grill? You can cook both on the stovetop instead.)

To make it more in line with these Trader Joe’s recipes, I used their butternut squash “squiggles” (found in the produce section; just follow the package directions for preparation) and swapped in their wild rice medley instead of brown rice. Either option works great. For the salad, you can make your own, like in the original recipe or grab a package of Broccoli Kale Slaw from Trader Joe’s to speed things up.

Grilled Cheese on Focaccia with Tomato Soup

This is a new favorite I recently raved about here. It’s easy, cheesy, and downright comforting. In my mind, nothing pairs better with a grilled cheese than soup, so I love serving it with tomato basil soup or white bean soup. If you’re short on time, Trader Joe’s has plenty of ready-made soups that work great too.

Curry Noodle Soup

Another favorite from the website, this curry noodle soup is quick, easy, and downright slurpable. I usually make it with ramen noodles, but when I’ve been to Trader Joe’s, I grab their squiggly noodles instead. To ensure nothing goes to waste, you can also use the same noodles in the beef noodle bowls below.

Creamy Tomato Pasta

My daughter will tell you, out of all these Trader Joe’s recipes, this one is her favorite! I love using Trader Joe’s Fusilli Corti Bucati Pasta here, but any similar-shaped pasta works. The real secret is a block of good Parmesan and a microplane—that’s what makes the sauce extra smooth and delicious.

Beef Noodle Bowls

Safe to say my entire family could eat this every night and not get sick of it! I used leftover squiggly noodles from the Curry Noodle Soup to make these. Use leftover beef in these Ground Beef Quesadillas!

Sausage Pesto Gnocchi Sheet Pan Dinner

This dinner couldn’t be easier, and it’s always so satisfying! I love using Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower or sweet potato gnocchi. Their Italian chicken sausage is my favorite, and while homemade pesto is amazing, the vegan pesto from Trader Joe’s is seriously incredible.

Turkey Apple Sandwich

Of all the Trader Joe’s recipes, this one is my favorite because I love a good sandwich! I grabbed these sandwich buns, and they were perfect here. Trader Joe’s also has so many great options for deli turkey and gouda cheese.

Here are a few Trader Joe’s recipes just for this post—you won’t find them on my site or anywhere else!

Trader Joe’s Pizza

Ingredients

• Flatbread crusts (2-pack)
• Garlic spread or pizza sauce
• Pesto rosso or vegan pesto (leftover from the sheet pan gnocchi dinner above)
• Fresh mozzarella + mini marinated mozzarella
• Pepperoni
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Arugula
• Balsamic glaze
• Hot honey (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep crusts: Heat oven to 425°F and place flatbread crusts on a baking sheet.
2. Spread base: Spread garlic spread or pizza sauce evenly over each crust, then add a thin layer of pesto rosso.
3. Add toppings: Layer on fresh mozzarella slices, mini marinated mozzarella, pepperoni, and sun-dried tomatoes.
4. Bake: Bake 8–10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden.
5. Finish & serve: Top with arugula, drizzle with balsamic glaze, and add hot honey if using. Slice and enjoy.

Shaved Beef Tacos

These tacos are actually my husband’s favorite of all the Trader Joe’s recipes! They’re so easy to pull together too. The Trader Joe’s chimichurri has a good kick, so swap in pesto if you’d rather skip the heat!

Ingredients

• 1–1.5 lbs shaved beef steak
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 small red onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Mini flour tortillas
• Shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• Chimichurri sauce or vegan pesto
• Optional: 1 large avocado

Instructions

1. Slice veggies: Thinly slice bell peppers and red onion.
2. Cook beef: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add shaved beef and taco seasoning. Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring until browned. Remove from skillet.
3. Cook veggies: In the same skillet, sauté peppers and onion 5–6 minutes until tender. Turn off the heat. Spread veggies in an even layer and top with pepper jack cheese. Cover with a lid and let melt.
4. Assemble tacos: Char or warm tortillas and fill with beef, cheesy veggies, and thinly sliced avocado if using.
5. Top & serve: Spoon chimichurri or pesto over tacos and serve hot.

One-Pan Dumpling Dinner

I think the real secret to this dish is Trader Joe’s crunchy chili onion. I’ve tried a lot of chili oils, and honestly, nothing comes even close to this one! Pick some potstickers you love; Trader Joe’s chicken potstickers are my favorite!

Taking Trader Joe’s Recipes Requests

I hope you enjoy these recipes! I had the best time putting together these meal plans and shopping lists. Let me know which ones you try and what you’d like to see next with Trader Joe’s ingredients!