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Best Trader Joe's heat and serve appetizers or party foods?


6packofun
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I can't host a big Thanksgiving or Christmas meal this year, but I want to have family over for some appetizers, desserts, and games!  Do you recommend anything from Trader Joe's (or anywhere else, really), including a few selections for a vegetarian, please?

 

Thank you!  :)   (I'll be making all the desserts and goodies from scratch, so that's why I'm leaning towards a few pre-made, heat & serve type things for appetizers.)

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Spanakopita!

 

Mini meatballs with grape jelly and chili sauce in a crockpot.

 

Mini chicken pot pies, mushroom turnovers, puff pastry hot dog things... Chinese pork buns, egg rolls.... Potstickers...

 

They have frozen cooked shrimp you just defrost and serve with cocktail sauce....

 

Tomato, pesto, cheese ring with crackers/crisps...

 

ETA- sometimes when I have Moms Night Out at my house, I order a giant sushi tray from the place down the street- you pick several rolls and they slice them and put them on a big serving tray. It's always a big hit! Especially for people who have not tried sushi before :)

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Thank you for reminding me about them.  For years we did frozen appetizers for xmas day.  I used to get them mostly at Aldi, but now they don't have good ones anymore like they used to, and the regular grocery store prices are ridiculous.  I tried one mega box of them last year from Shop Rite and they weren't good.  I'll have to check out Trader Joes.

 

 

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Spanakopita!

 

Mini meatballs with grape jelly and chili sauce in a crockpot.

 

Mini chicken pot pies, mushroom turnovers, puff pastry hot dog things... Chinese pork buns, egg rolls.... Potstickers...

 

They have frozen cooked shrimp you just defrost and serve with cocktail sauce....

 

Tomato, pesto, cheese ring with crackers/crisps...

 

ETA- sometimes when I have Moms Night Out at my house, I order a giant sushi tray from the place down the street- you pick several rolls and they slice them and put them on a big serving tray. It's always a big hit! Especially for people who have not tried sushi before :)

Girrrrl! You ARE the life of the party!

 

:lol: :D :lol:

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We get their olive tapenade and rosemary crackers.

 

Also...the helloumi (cheese) is wonderful.   Just heat it in a pan with olive oil. 

 

For desserts, we love their macarons (frozen).  The little mint dark chocolate stars are good too.

 

Costco/Sam's Club has good mini frozen quiches...vegetarian...cheese and broccoli and cheese...plus the Hebrew National, Cohen's, or Nathan's little hot dogs wrapped in pastry (can't remember who they are by).

 

In the refrigerated area, the little mozzarella cheese balls are good.  We serve them with grape tomatoes on toothpicks.

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From TJ we get the mini chicken pot pies and mac and cheese balls.  From Costco we do mini quiches, pigs in a blanket, spanakopita, chicken wings and meatballs.  Every year we have appetizer bar for Christmas dinner. 

 

See, this is a tradition I could totally get behind!  Thank you!  Mac n cheese balls sound awesome.

 

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It is seasonal, but the cranberry goat cheese log is great.  I just stocked up :)

 

The flatbread (Tarte d'Alsace?) is great.

 

Crackers and cheese varieties in general are usually well priced and many are quite good.

Rosemary marcona almonds are a favorite of mine.

 

Mint joe joes

 

The thin pretzels things with white choc and peppermint

 

 

 

 

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Oooooh, never heard of that one!! I'm going to try it! Do you happen to know hoe big of an apricot jam jar?

 

I use the organic reduced sugar jam, but I'm not sure what size it is.  I don't use the whole thing unless I'm doing several bags of meatballs.  I've lost the actual recipe from the first time I had the sample of it at the store, so I improvise.  I just mix different amounts of the General Tso's sauce and jam until it tastes good to me, usually a higher jam to sauce ratio if we have kids who don't like as much spice.

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I use the organic reduced sugar jam, but I'm not sure what size it is. I don't use the whole thing unless I'm doing several bags of meatballs. I've lost the actual recipe from the first time I had the sample of it at the store, so I improvise. I just mix different amounts of the General Tso's sauce and jam until it tastes good to me, usually a higher jam to sauce ratio if we have kids who don't like as much spice.

Got it! Thanks!

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