In my effort to simplify mealtimes right now so I can focus and get all my rug hooking things done before gardening season, I decided to fire up the rice cooker and focus on Trader Joe’s Curry Meals last week.
We LOVE the curry chicken that I usually make, so when I spotted a bunch of different ready made curry meals in the Trader Joe’s freezer section a couple of weeks ago, I wondered how they’d compare.
And well, now I know. 😉
First up was Trader Joe’s Baingan Bharta. Although visually appealing, taste wise, the HH and I both thought this one was a total winner. A 10 out of 10.
According to the back of the package, 1 frozen entree container offers two servings. On its own, probably not, but poured over rice it does in fact make a nice meal for 2.
Next up was Palak Paneer. This too was a winner taste wise. The HH really liked it.
We also tried the Channa Masala. It too was really good. But after having curry and rice for linner for three days in a row we were ready to move on. 😉
Things I noticed on the back of the package.
- Simple Math… I guess we don’t do that anymore?
- The ingredients. I could pronounce all the ingredients. Nothing weird. Most of Trader Joe’s products are like that. And that makes me feel good about buying packaged food there.
We also had pickety bits.
And the HH made a batch of my favorite tomato soup.
One night we had beans and toast.
The only groceries we bought last week were a loaf of real bread from a bakery and a pound of rosemary ham.
Ham and cheese on real bread. Oh what a treat!
What did YOU make last week? Are you a fan of curry? Do you have a favorite curry recipe you use? I’d love to know!
Have a good one,
~Mavis
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries $13.29
- Total Spent in February $262.07
- Total Spent in January $167.55
Connie says
I love Trader Joe’s. But they are far far away from me so only get to visit 2-3 times a year.
I love curry and have a great recipe. I like it better than HH.
Margo says
I tend to shy away from prepackaged or processed foods. So many are full of salt, fat, and unpronounceable edible non-foods. The things you have posted makes me think I should reconsider and give Trader Joe’s meals a shot. It all looks so good and you can indeed read and recognize the ingredients. Thanks, Mavis!
Jill says
I’m not a food snob, but just looking at the ingredients in the post….canola oil is terrible for us, and none of the other ingredients are organic which means many are made from gmo products, which are also bad for the gut. Hard pass.
Rosemary says
I took a chuck roast out of the freezer and made it in the air fryer (so juicy!). I also took out some green beans that I grew last year in the garden – so good. I love eating stuff from the garden! The rest of the meals were things that I had previously made – still have a few more to go. Love easy meals!
Annette says
Rosemary, what size of air fryer do you have? How long does it take to cook a roast?
Rosemary says
It takes about 20 minutes to roast (we like it rare). I have this one (bought on amazon): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087WW1W78/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Mel says
I didn’t make anything exciting for dinner last week, but I made another batch of apple cinnamon grain bowls (kind of a cross between cereal and oatmeal) in the slow cooker, which are becoming a breakfast staple for us. It makes a huge batch, but it freezes well.
J in OH-IO says
Your meals look good! We are having soup beans and cornbread on the menu for this week.
Appreciated the post about drinking more water and I’ve been able to up my water intake by drinking warm water – that suggestion has helped a lot!
Mavis Butterfield says
Beans and cornbread sound good!!! I drink room temp water too. I think it helps.
Kathy Wolfe says
I didn’t see any chili ratings on the boxes. Does that mean it was mild?
When I first saw your pickety bits, I thought it may need an ENT. That nose looked ?
Mavis Butterfield says
I didn’t think it was too spicy.
Linda Bohl says
I’m not a fan of curry nor prepackaged foods like that…they all seem to taste the same and all have too much sodium. The soup, beans, sammie and pickety bits all looked super tasty and satisfying.
Karen c says
Mel. That sounds delish! What are your ingredients & do you do it overnight?
Thanks
Karen
Mel says
This is the recipe. I do the same amount of water and volume of grains, but I do all barley because it’s mostly for my toddler, and barley is easier for him to pick up. I add extra apples and spices. I just do 3 hours on high because my slow cooker is not to be trusted overnight (it burns things).
https://dinnerthendessert.com/brown-sugar-apple-whole-grain-bowl/
Vy says
I make lots of curry, generally I saute onions, mushrooms, and whatever leftover meat I have, then stir in some red curry paste, cook it for just a minute, then add a can of coconut milk, maybe a little cumin or mango powder or turmeric. That’s the bare recipe. However I also throw in whatever leftover veggies I need to cook up, potatoes/sweet potato/butternut squash, chickpeas … generally anything I want to use up. Then I serve it over rice and add in things that wouldn’t do well cooking long but also want to use up: peanuts, mandarin orange slices, green onions … the list goes on and on. If it’s too spicy use a little sour cream to cut the heat. I use this paste: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0091UW4QS … it usually has an exiration date of two years out but I use it up in about one.
Susan says
Thanks for the recommendations and reviews! I pack my lunch for work most days (usually leftovers), but sometimes I get tired of doing so or we don’t have enough leftovers. I like having some freezer options to grab and these sound like great choices! (and I buy lunch a couple times a month to enjoy working in Boston!).
JulieP says
I follow Zoe Health and Nutrition and although I try to avoid highly processed foods it’s good to know that some have no weird additives. They sound great to have as stand by meals. We do get some trader joe’s products in our Aldi I will have to check it out when we are home. I use rapeseed oil (canola) a lot it’s full of goodness and lowers LDL Cholesterol. The U.K. fully supports its use is it different in the US?
I made a batch of Spicy Spaghetti with tomatoes capers and olives, it’s a one pot meal and feeds us twice, perfect!
Lauralli says
I’m not sure if you were meaning we can’t do simple math because they broke it down into separate servings or you mean THEY can’t even do simple math. Either works in this case since some of their calculations don’t add up correctly.
Meg S says
It’s been wonderful to watch your blog evolve over the years.
HH and I are very new empty nesters, and its been really tough to go from feeding teenagers to just the two of us.
We are also trying to eat healthier, its been hit and miss. My biggest goal currently is increasing our fiber. I’ve switched to whole grains and increased fruit and veg, but I dislike beans, so it’s a struggle.
Mavis Butterfield says
We always are commenting on what each other eat. We just make sure we are eating something nutritional through out the day. 🙂