Trader Joe's Haul 12/29

Last haul of 2020! This week I've got some old staples and trying out a new recipe too! I'm listing New Year's Eve in the weekly menu, but those items won't be included in the haul photo or total haul price since not everything is from Trader Joe's.

Peace out 2020! Let's go!

(And I apologize for the terrible lighting/shadows in this photo! It was well after dark when my husband got home with the groceries).

This week: $72 + items I already had on hand (pantry, fridge/freezer or garden).

Weekly Menu

Download printable menu

Cuban Picadillo over white rice

https://www.skinnytaste.com/picadillo-6-ww-pts/

Notes: I'm definitely not on Weight Watchers so I make adjustments to this recipe (therefore WW points and this like that will not apply with my modifications!) Here are the changes I make: I use 1 whole onion (chopped), 6 cloves garlic, 2 roma tomatoes, 1 whole green bell pepper, 2 lbs ground beef, 1 whole can tomato sauce (15 oz) and I use about 1 tbsp of cumin. I also omit the water.

Serving this over white rice (2 cups of basmati rice cooked in rice cooker with some salt & olive oil).

Pasta Puttanesca with focaccia bread

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pasta_puttanesca/

Notes: I'll use half green and half black olives. May also throw in some kalamata olives if I have them in the fridge!

Serving with Trader Joe's focaccia heated according to package directions.

Honey Garlic Shrimp with Broccoli over white rice

https://butteryourbiscuit.com/honey-garlic-butter-shrimp-broccoli/

This is a new-to-me recipe! I'll make according to directions and serve over white rice.

New Year's Eve

Baked brie en croute with raspberry jam: Thaw puff pastry and throw brie into the freezer to make it easier to cut. Once puff pastry has thawed, unfold it and lightly roll it out. Slice the top off the brie (this is optional - if you choose not to do this, no need to freeze the cheese!) and place into the center of the puff pastry. Add your favorite jam on top (I planned to use fig but they were all out, so I'm using raspberry instead). Fold the puff pastry around the cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 400° degrees or until pastry is golden brown. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Bacon and jalapeno deviled eggs: https://www.yellowblissroad.com/jalapeno-popper-deviled-eggs/ I plan to double this and leave the jalapeno out of half so it's kid-friendly.

Salami, mozzarella & olive bites: Using cubed fresh mozzarella, topped with folded piece of salami, topped with olives (green, black, garlic stuffed and blue-cheese stuffed) and held together with a toothpick.

Chips/veggies with dill dip: Using wavy chips, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots (I prefer regular carrots cut into sticks instead of baby carrots) and Marzetti dill dip (store-bought).

Crockpot meatballs: Combine an 18 ounce jar of grape jelly and an 18 ounce bottle of BBQ sauce in your slow cooker. Add a bag of frozen meatballs (I like to use smaller ones for this!) and stir until they're fully coated in sauce. Cook on high for 2-3 hours and keep warm for serving.

Pizza and salad

A regular staple here! I'm using 2 of the prepared pizza dough from Trader Joe's (see my highlights on instagram for tips on working with it!). We will top with Trader Joe's pizza sauce (the one in the refrigerated section) and shredded mozzarella. For adult pizza, we'll be adding pepperoni, sliced green bell pepper, sliced black olives, sliced red onion and chopped garlic. For kids, we'll just be adding pepperoni.

I'm serving this with Italian chopped salad. For this, I chop/slice the following ingredients: romaine lettuce, pepperoncini peppers, cherry tomatoes, black olives, red onion, salami and provolone. Trader Joe's sells a small package of salami and provolone which is perfect for this salad. I love to stack the 2 in alternating layers then slice into strips. I'll toss with Trader Joe's italian dressing right before serving.

BBQ chicken drumsticks with buttermilk drop biscuits and salad

Here's my BBQ chicken drumstick recipe - for the adults, I'll use Trader Joe's sriracha garlic BBQ sauce (has a great spicy kick!)

Buttermilk drop biscuits: https://www.cookingclassy.com/buttermilk-drop-biscuits/

Salad: Butter lettuce and radicchio mix with cucumber and choice of bottled dressing.

Leftovers buffet

Life hack: give something a fancy name and it will automatically sound more appealing!

On this night I put all of the leftovers on the island and let everyone pick and choose as they wish! There's no rules on leftovers buffet night so if the kids want only white rice and salad.. then that's what they eat! They love this!

Trader Joe's Shopping List

Download printable shopping list

• Focaccia

• Jalapeños

• Carrots

• Parsley

• Cilantro

• Iceberg lettuce

• Mini cucumbers

• 2 Roma tomatoes

• 1 green bell pepper

• 1 bag salad (butter lettuce & radicchio)

• Broccoli florets

• 2 pizza dough

• Pizza sauce

• Shredded mozzarella

• 1 can tomato sauce

• Spanish olives (pimento stuffed)

• Salami and provolone pack

• 2 lbs ground beef

• 2 packages chicken drumsticks

• 1 can green olives

• Anchovies

• Spaghetti

• Frozen shrimp (uncooked, peeled and deveined) let me know prices and sizes

Items I Already Had

• Buttermilk

• Sugar

• Honey

• Soy sauce

• Ginger

• Garlic

• Cornstarch

• Butter

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

• BBQ sauce

• Onion

• Cumin

• Bay leaf

• Flour

• Baking powder

• Baking soda

• Black olives

• Pepperoncinis

• Red onion

• Pizza toppings

• Green olives

• Tomato paste

• Crushed tomatoes

• Oregano

• Capers

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