3 Trader Joe’s Savings Hacks To Help Combat High Food Costs

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Ordering delivery or going to restaurants every night is going to wreck your budget. If your home-cooked meals have left you feeling uninspired, look no further than Trader Joe’s.

Whether you’re craving Italian, Chinese, or American fare, you can use these Trader Joe’s meal hacks to save money on food.

1. Perfect Personal Naan Pizza

Want to go gourmet with pizza night? TJ’s has the goods to make the perfect personal pizzas. All you need to grab is:

• Garlic naan
• Pesto sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Frozen peppers and frozen mushrooms

Each person can customize their own pizza, and choose what toppings or sauces they would like. For a more traditional pizza, combine: 

• Plain naan
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Basil

Layer the sauce or pesto on top of the naan, cover with cheese and toppings of your choice, and then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes, or the air fryer for 7 minutes. Then top with parmesan cheese and serve. 

2. Better-Than-Delivery Boneless Wings

TJ’s mandarin orange chicken is a hit for a reason — it’s a fast and delicious dinner without the delivery costs. While the orange and ginger sauce is well-loved (though not spicy enough for some consumers), you can also put a twist on this frozen entrée by leaving it off.

All you need for this recipe is:

• Trader Joe’s mandarin orange chicken (sans sauce)
• Barbecue sauce or buffalo sauce
• Air fryer (or oven)

If you’re not in the mood for Chinese food, toss the orange sauce and fry up the chicken in your air fryer. Turn it up to 400 degrees and cook for 12 minutes, shaking occasionally. Then you can add a different sauce, like barbeque or buffalo. This will give you boneless wings that are better than what you can get delivered, without the wait!

3. Gourmet Gnocchi Dinner

Trader Joe’s carries delicious gnocchi in the refrigerator and freezer sections. While they could be eaten alone with butter or sauce, you can mix it up by adding a few other things from TJ’s to gourmet-ify your meal. 

For a shrimp dish, combine: 

• Gorgonzola gnocchi
• Argentine shrimp 
• Frozen veggies

For a creamy sausage dish, combine: 

• Gnocchi alla sorrentina
• Ground Italian sausage
• Cream cheese

Whether you’re craving a healthy veggie seafood dish or something creamy and a little spicy, the gnocchi can be dressed up to suit your fancy.

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