Trader Joe’s Food Finds – November 2021

We’re FINALLY finishing up all of our fall goodies from September and October, so it’s time to give you the scoop on my November Trader Joe’s Food Finds! Honestly, November is a bit of a hodge podge month at Trader Joe’s. Fall (pumpkin/apple/maple) items are pretty much gone. Although there are some seasonal items that come out for Thanksgiving, they’re pretty fleeting. Luckily, I consider myself to be kind of a ninja when it comes to scoping out new items and timing my store visits with restocks. I’m highlighting 8 seasonal items plus 1 random item this month. So…what did I buy?

Let’s take a look!

This isn’t a seasonal item, but it’s a new find that has changed our pizza game so I just had to share. Not long ago, Gary and I thought we had mastered the art of make your own pizza night. We had tried multiple doughs from Trader Joe’s, we recently got a pizza stone for our oven, and we always go wild with toppings. But then, I noticed that Trader Joe’s had a Pizza Sauce ($1.99) on the shelf near the pasta sauces! Friends, this is a game changer. The flavor is delicious, it doesn’t have large chunks of tomatoes, and it’s 100% designed to go on pizza. I didn’t realize that switching from a marinara sauce to this pizza sauce would have such a large impact on the overall pizza taste, but here we are. I highly recommend getting this for your next make your own pizza night!

Maple is one of those flavors that screams fall to me! I didn’t notice this bread in October, but perhaps I was just distracted by all of the other fall goodness in the store. Regardless, we all know that I’m a sucker for a fall baked good, so this Maple Streusel Bread ($3.99) made it home with me this month. The maple scent is so strong that you can smell it through the bag! I obviously had very high hopes. Well, unfortunately it was a disappointment. It was really dry and underwhelming. I wanted to like it so much! Eventually, I decided to toast it with butter, which made it a bit tastier. Warming it up helped soften it and the butter made it less dry. However, the maple frosting and streusel made a big mess in our toaster. #notworthit

The Thanksgiving Stuffing Seasoned Kettle Chips ($2.29) have been a family favorite of ours for years! We love to snack on them during the day while our Thanksgiving meal is in the oven. They truly taste like the epitome of Thanksgiving flavors in your mouth all at once. The seasoning is spot on! I also love that these are crispier kettle chips. They sell out so fast, so I usually grab at least 2 bags when they first hit the shelves. If they’re still at your local Trader Joe’s today, don’t miss out!

Trader Joe’s has delicious garlic naan in the freezer section, so when I saw these Organic Naan Crackers ($2.99), I was so excited to try them! When I sat down to write this post, I realized that we actually hadn’t tried them yet. So, friends, I just took one for the team and opened the box. They are SO good! Holy cow! They are crispy, buttery, sturdy enough for a dip (a very important quality IMHO), and all around tasty. They’d be a perfect addition to a charcuterie board this holiday season.

Horseradish is an acquired taste, right? Potato Chips Seasoned with Horseradish & Chives ($2.49) sound bizarre, right? Well, they were certainly bizarre enough to catch my eye. Gary and I decided to bring these chips on a picnic last week, and they definitely fell into the category of “strange at first but oddly addicting.” When I tried my first chip, I got a strong chive taste at first (yum), and I didn’t taste the horseradish until the end! It was a one two punch with chive and horseradish. At first, I wasn’t quite sure that I liked them, but they definitely grew on me! I don’t know that these are a must have item that you need to stock up on, but if you like horseradish, chives, and chips, this will deliver for you.

This time of year, Trader Joe’s usually comes out with a bunch of prepared food for the freezer section. It’s not usually my cup of tea (think things like frozen green bean casserole bites, frozen stuffing, etc). This year, I saw these Scallopini Potatoes ($3.99), and thought they’d be perfect side for a steak dinner. Aside from needing to heat them up for longer than the package indicated, there was not a single thing wrong with them. They were soft and cheesy, but had a yummy broiled crust on top. We followed the microwave instructions because we’re impatient and that made them ready in less than 10 minutes, but there were also instructions for heating them up in the oven. I imagine that they get super hot and bubbly in the oven, so if/when we get them again we’ll probably go that route.

Trader Joe’s does apple beverages REALLY well. We’re huge fans of the seasonal spiced apple cider and their organic apple juice has such a fresh and crisp taste. The Sparkling Apple Cider ($2.99) was no exception to the rule. It was perfectly carbonated and refreshing. It didn’t taste artificial and overly sugary like Martinelli’s can. I also really appreciated that it had an easy screw top, so a bottle opener wasn’t needed. A side benefit of that was that the carbonation level kept for a few days in the refrigerator after we opened the bottle. This is a festive and tasty beverage choice for the upcoming season!

Last year, I got this Gingerbread Turkey Trot Cookie Decorating Kit ($5.99) in the thick of the pandemic. We needed a bit of joy in the midst of staying home for Thanksgiving! We really enjoyed getting cozy in our jammies and decorating some turkey cookies together. Who could have predicted that it would become a tradition for us? I think it’s a really great value, and it’s a perfect at home date night activity, or an activity to do with your whole family. Definitely grab them while you can!

Speaking of items that need to be swooped up quickly, check out these Advent Calendars ($0.99). That’s worth repeating. These advent calendars are less than a dollar each! When I met Gary in college, his mom would send him an advent calendar every year. I assumed the responsibility of getting Gary an advent calendar when we first moved in together, and the ones from Trader Joe’s are definitely the best. I have problems making decisions, so apparently Gary gets to eat not one, but two chocolates every night leading up to Christmas this year 🙂

Overall, I’d call November a win at Trader Joe’s! I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t even more excited for December, though! I’ve already seen some peppermint items out on the shelves, so here’s a peppermint preview for you!

Wishing you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving with lots of yummy food and good company!

xoxo

Jennifer

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