11 Items to Add to Your Next Trader Joe’s Shopping List
Hey gals! Since I was planning to make a board this weekend, I decided to ask my Instagram followers what they wanted to see next. The majority voted for a Trader Joe’s board, which was secretly the response I was hoping for since my nearest Trader Joe’s is a bit of a drive and I only get to go about once or twice a year. I love trying out their latest must-haves and seasonal specialties so this was the perfect excuse. My audience’s wish is my command, so I off I went. I picked up some items that had been on my must-try list, as well as some new ones recommended by my followers. See each item I picked up below, as well as my review on each. Maybe you’ll find a few you want to add to your next Trader Joe’s list!
Starting with the cheeses: Unexpected cheddar
If you’ve read any food blog about Trader Joe’s (charcuterie or otherwise), I’m pretty sure this cheese is almost always on the must-have list…and for good reason. This one was absolutely delicious. Truly, I had to stop myself from eating the entire block.
As the package says, it’s cheddar with a hint of parmesan flavor. It’s the perfect addition to any charcuterie board.
Krista’s rating: 10 out of 10
Price: $3.99
Next up: White Stilton with Apricots
This one was recommended by one of my best friends from college, Eve. She has never steered me wrong before and she did not start now! This cheese was so sweet and lovely, and the apricots make it absolutely perfect for summer. This one ended up inspiring the color palette for the board too!
Side note: I will say that the board I ended up creating was a little all over the place flavor-wise…savory, sweet, and salty…but that’s okay because I dubbed it a “Trader Joe’s sampler”. ;) Really, I don’t get to go often so I justified trying everything at once!
Krista’s rating: 8 out of 10
Price: $4.73
Last cheese: Green Goddess Gouda
This was one that I hadn’t heard of until recently, and then it seemed like everyone was talking about it all at once! When one of my followers recommended it as well, I knew I had to try it out. Let’s just say that this Green Goddess Gouda is definitely on my repurchase list! There are several green ingredients, but for me it’s the basil that truly sings. You’ll see later that I added some fresh basil to the board, so that paired very nicely with this cheese.
Krista’s rating: 8.5 out of 10
Price: $3.44
For the meat: prosciutto!
Nothing fancy here, but a charcuterie board is not complete without some meat! This was tasty, but also nothing that you can’t pick up at any other local grocery store. I formed some pretty prosciutto ribbons with it for the board. I’ve noticed that the ribbons don’t always turn out great with other brands I’ve tried, so I would definitely purchase this one again.
Krista’s rating: 7 out of 10
Price: $3.99
What’s better with apricot cheese than fresh apricots?
Trader Joe’s always has the best variety of fresh, seasonal fruits. Many of the grocery stores in my area don’t even carry apricots when they’re in season, so when I saw these babies, I snatched them right up. I also knew they would pair perfectly with the white stilton I was buying as well.
Krista’s rating: 9 out of 10
Price: $2.99
I grabbed some crackers while I was there…just because.
Even though I knew damn well I had two boxes at home already! All for the good of the board and for staying true to the Trader Joe’s-only theme. This sampler included standard crackers, water crackers, veggie crackers, and peppercorn crackers. The peppercorn ones were my favorite. Now your gal is stocked up for a few weeks!
Krista’s rating: 7 out of 10.
Price: $3.49
For more crunch: Everything But the Bagel Nut Duo
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning. When I saw this, I thought: if the seasoning takes my avocado toast to another level, why wouldn’t it be delish on my two favorite nuts too? Spoiler alert: I loved it. There were some left overs from the board, but trust me, they did not last in our pantry for long.
Krista’s rating: 10 out of 10
Price: $3.99
Then the sweet tooth kicked in
If you saw my reel on Instagram, you may have noticed this bag was opened before I even made the board. When I got home, my hubby and I devoured half the bag! I know other stores sell these as well, but something about the Trader Joe’s ones is extra delish. You have to pick up a bag next time you go and let me know if you agree.
Krista’s rating: 10 out of 10
Price: $3.49
Had to do it: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Does anyone else have a Reese’s-a-holic is their family? For us, that’s my husband Kile. I knew I had to grab these for him to try after so many people recommended them to me! They were delicious, and added some contrasting color to the board. I love Reese’s too, and I really think the dark chocolate added a little something extra in the best possible way.
Krista (and Kile’s) rating: 10 out of 10
Price: $4.49
Last sweet treat: citrus mousse cakes
These babies weren’t on my shopping list when I walked into the store, but when I saw how cute they were, they immediately went into the cart. I think they ended up giving an adorable summer vibe to the board, plus, the citrus flavor added a couple extra “fruits” into the mix since I really only got the apricots.
Word of caution: if you don’t like orange or lemon flavors, these probably won’t be your jam, but for us, they were great!
Krista’s rating: 8 out of 10
Price: $3.49
Garnish with fresh basil!
The last item I grabbed was a small basil plant. You may be saying: yes Krista, a lot of places sell those…but Trader Joe’s had such a huge plant on sale for only $3.99! The ones at Publix are often sad and small, or even worse, I’ve given in and bought those pre-cut and pre-washed basil packs before which are unreasonably expensive.
Do yourself a favor and buy a basil plant from Trader Joe’s. It’s the ingredient that keeps on giving. I love fresh basil on boards, as well as in pasta salads and Italian dishes.
Krista’s rating: 9 out of 10
Price: $3.99
That’s everything my gals!
If you’ve been keeping track of all the prices, I was able to build this stunner for $42.08, which is pretty on par for what a charcuterie board would cost if you’re starting from scratch (no ingredients at home). For that price, I got TONS of food too, so I was able to replenish as our guests nibbled. Plus, I still have leftovers to snack on throughout the work week! I had so much fun going to Trader Joe’s, building this board, and creating this blog post for you all. Let me know if you try any of the items featured! Again, it was a little all over the place, but everything was yummy and I think the board itself turned out to be beautiful as well.
Until next time, XOXO,
Krista
