13 Quick & Simple Trader Joe’s Lunch Recipes, From Sammies To Salads
Prepare to have your taste buds wowed.
When you’re in a pinch for lunch, Trader Joe’s is the answer. The grocery store has tons of ready-to-eat products like salad kits, charcuterie board staples, and fruit packs. Not to mention its frozen food section, most of which can be reheated and served in 20 minutes or less.
Albeit, those prepackaged sandwiches and pasta salads can get a little boring after a while. Luckily, Trader Joe’s has a digital recipe archive filled with lunch ideas. In this guide, you’ll find a comprehensive list of easy-peasy recipes that reimagine lunchtime classics and bring together some of your favorite TJ’s products.
From recipes that make a week’s worth of food to on-the-go lunches, these easy Trader Joe’s lunch recipes are so basic (yet mouthwateringly delicious) you can make them in your sleep. Most of these require little — if any — prep or cooking. Simply throw everything between two slabs of bread, in a wrap or a bowl, and you’re good to go!
Map out next week’s lunches ahead.
1. Red Pepper & Olive Tuna Salad Bites
Keep lunch light and healthy with TJ’s mini tuna bites recipe. Simply scoop a generous spoonful of your favorite tuna onto a cracker and garnish with TJ’s Red Pepper Spread, chopped olives, and parsley. It’ll satisfy the hunger pains (and provide your body with protein-enriched energy to get through the rest of your day), without leaving you beyond stuffed.
2. Herby Salami & Apple Sammies
Put your coworker’s sandwich game to shame with this boujee French sammy recipe. Spread a thick layer of TJ’s Boursin® Garlic & Fine Herbs Gournay Cheese and pack in salami and thinly sliced apple pieces between two baguette slices. For an extra crunch, toast the baguette first for a few minutes in the oven.
3. Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Get a week’s worth of lunches out of this super easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad recipe. You only need three ingredients: farfalle, diced celery, and a container of TJ’s Buffalo Style Chicken Dip. The hardest step is boiling the pasta noodles!
4. No Tortilla Quesadilla
Gluten-sensitive? This recipe centers around TJ’s Egg Wraps, a protein-rich and gluten-free alternative to traditional tortillas. The retailer recommends adding grilled chicken, but feel free to swap out for your preferred choice of protein — or skip the meat altogether!
5. Crispy Prosciutto Grilled Cheese
Prepare to have your taste buds wowed. This TJ original sandwich features sliced prosciutto, chopped rosemary, and cheddar cheese stacked between two slices of sourdough bread. Don’t forget the date syrup for drizzling!
6. On-the-Go Antipasto Pitas
It’s all about TJ’s On The Go Marinated Artichokes in this vegetarian-friendly lunch. Combined with fresh arugula and TJ’s Feta, Pepper Drop, and Olive Antipasto, this pita pocket of deliciousness will have you dreaming of seconds.
7. Full of Fusilli Veggie Soup
The next time you’re craving comfort food, try TJ’s Full of Fusilli Veggie Soup. The recipe calls for yellow onion, garlic, carrots, celebrity, vegetable broth (low sodium, if you’re being healthy), lemon, TJ’s Organic Fusilli Corti Bucati, and TJ’s Fire Roasted Bell Peppers. The pot makes four servings, perfect for two or three lunches.
8. Vegan Sriracha Ranch Crunch Salad
Three ingredients: TJ’s Vegan Ranch Crunch Salad Kit, shelled edamame, and TJ’s Sriracha Tofu. That’s all you need to whip up this 10-minute plant-based meal!
9. Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
To make this hearty soup, you’ll need one part chicken, one part chicken stock, and one part TJ’s Mediterranean Style Orzo Pasta Salad. TJ’s recommends using its Lemon Pepper Grilled Chicken or Balsamic Chicken – as someone who’s made this recipe, I highly suggest the former. Squeeze fresh lemon juice for a sweet finish.
10. Stuffed Avocado
Love ‘cados? So does Trader Joe’s. Nestled in this onion-celery-bell pepper mixture is fresh tuna, though you can sub for shrimp or tuna, too. It’s almost like ceviche, only minus the chips.
11. Sloppy Joe Sliders
Don’t be fooled. This TJ’s recipe may call for TJ’s Turkey Bolognese Sauce, but with a dollop of ketchup and a handful of diced green bell peppers, you’ve got sloppy joe mix. Bring the meal together with your favorite TJ’s fries or potato chips.
12. 3-Ingredient Chimichurri Soup
In a rush? No worries here, this three-ingredient soup takes all of 10 minutes to make — no prep or cooking required. Simply combine, stir, and serve!
13. Sweet Kale Turkey Burger
When the burger craving hits, opt for TJ’s Sweet Kale Turkey Burger recipe. Dress up your turkey patty with TJ’s Broccoli Kale Slaw Complete Salad Kit and what else have you (maybe tomatoes or cheese?). Pair with sweet potato fries or chips.
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