Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or are lucky to already live near a Trader Joe’s), Memphis just welcomed its first location of the cult-following, low-cost, extra-convenient supermarket.
Items down each aisle (if you’re lucky to snag them before they’re swiped) are approximately 90% Trader Joe’s branded; so if you’re looking for that familiar brand in Kroger or Whole Foods, you most likely won’t find it here. Nonetheless, the store gets creative and innovative with its product offerings, ranging from pumpkin everything this fall to your favorite bagel flavor in seasoning form!
Pro tip: Arrive at Trader Joe’s as close to opening time as possible. In Memphis, I’ve learned the store restocks each morning, but that’s it for now! When I first tried out our location at 5:30 p.m. on a 95-degree afternoon, it appeared as if Memphis were about to experience a snow day. Most aisles were bare. However, if you’re lucky to find all of my favorite items below, I can’t wait to see what you try out.
DRY GOODS
Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce (Creamy, garlicky, smooth as can be.)
Everything But the Bagel Seasoning (For avo toast + eggs, especially)
Sea Salt + Turbinado Sugar Dark Chocolate Almonds
Seedy Almond Salad Toppers (They’re perfectly portioned!)
Soyaki Marinade (I love this for salmon.)
Sweet and Juicy Mango (My addiction.)
Sweetened + Dried Orange Slices (I bought these for a tablescape/cocktail garnish look. They’re too pretty to eat!)
Three Seed Beet Crackers (GF — and photographed above!)
FROZEN
Cauliflower Gnocchi (Recipe to follow)
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Chicken Soup Dumplings (So trendy and fun to serve on a spoon at a party!)
Pumpkin Ravioli (Seasonal and savory, especially with browned butter.)
DAIRY
Unsweetened Almond, Cashew Macadamia Nut beverage
Pesto Gouda Cheese (or any cheese, really)
Anything to add? Leave in the comments!
Serves 4
1 bag Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi
1 pound chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil, divded
Salt and pepper
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 handful fresh sage
1. In a large saucepan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until well done. Transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat second tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Reserve cooking oil in pan.
3. Return saucepan to stove, add frozen gnocchi and 1/4 cup water. Heat over medium heat and begin to toss with butter until gnocchi defrosts and shows a golden brown crust on the outside. Add chicken and onion to saucepan to carefully stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Just before serving, reheat small saucepan over medium-high and add a bit more oil if needed. Place sage leaves in pan and sizzle until bright green and crisp, no more than 2 minutes. Serve bowls with gnocchi, chicken, caramelized onions and sage. Top with pepper, salt and parmesan to serve.