12 Trader Joe's Spring Recipes to Make Tonight

Spring is at our fingertips, so we came up with 12 recipes to ring in the new season. They’re not just any recipes, mind you; they’re made with ingredients and hacks from everyone’s favorite grocery store—Trader Joe’s—to make your life easier. Trader Joe’s is packed with versatile products, like puff pastry, pesto, and croissants, and if you know what to buy, you’ll be able to spend less time in the kitchen and more time eating delicious food. From mini croissants with apricot preserves, to a savory spring onion tart, here are our springy, Trader Joe’s-inspired recipe ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  

Spring Breakfast Recipes

Spring breakfasts are all about hearty ingredients paired with seasonal produce.

Broccoli-Unexpected Cheddar Frittata

Salty, tangy Unexpected Cheddar makes this dish crave-worthy and party-worthy. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and whisk together eight eggs with a splash of milk and a hearty pinch of salt. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil, then add chopped broccoli and sauté with salt and pepper until bright green and tender. Add the egg mixture and gently tilt the skillet until it’s evenly distributed. Sprinkle with plenty of grated Unexpected Cheddar, and pop in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

Mini Croissants With Apricot Preserves

Stock your freezer with these Mini Croissants, and you’ll always be ready to host an elegant breakfast. Bake them according to the box’s instructions, and serve warm with sweet Apricot Preserves and salted butter. Pro tip: You can never have enough butter.

Sourdough Toast With Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche, and Dill

This toast looks like it came from a restaurant, but you actually only need four ingredients and a few minutes to prepare it at home. Toast your sourdough until it’s nicely browned, then spread with crème fraîche for a creamy contrast. Drape a few slices of Everything But The Bagel Seasoned Smoked Salmon on top, along with some sprigs of fresh dill.

Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich

If you’ve never had a breakfast sandwich on a biscuit before, let this be your time. You can find refrigerated tubes of Organic Biscuits at Trader Joe’s, and when baked, the result is golden, flaky perfection. Fry up some bacon and eggs, melt some cheese on top, and load up your biscuit with goodness.

Spring Lunch Recipes

Use spring’s bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables to put together some gorgeous, healthy spring lunches.

Farro With Asparagus, Radishes, and Feta

Trader Joe’s sells a quick-cooking 10-minute farro that we like using as the base for all kinds of grain salads. A springy rendition could include roasted asparagus spears, cut into bite-sized chunks, thinly sliced raw radishes, and crumbled feta, along with a simple vinaigrette of Dijon, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt.

Quiche With Green Salad

For the easiest spring lunch, pop a ready-made Mixed Mushroom & Spinach Quiche (or two) into the oven and serve warm with a bright, crunchy green salad on the side. You’ll feel sophisticated and French, and will barely have lifted a finger to prepare a whole meal.

Frittata Sandwich With Aioli and Arugula

These Egg Frittata rounds are rich and cheesy thanks to plenty of Swiss cheese, and taste amazing in a sandwich with a swoosh of Truffle Aioli (or any mayonnaise), and a pile of peppery arugula. Soft sourdough is our bread of choice for this frittata sandwich.

Polenta Rounds With Garlicky Broccolini 

For the Trader Joe’s pre-cooked Organic Polenta in a tube, all you need to do is slice it into rounds, heat it up, and top it with whatever your heart desires. We suggest warming it in a skillet with olive oil, and topping it with mozzarella and broccolini that’s been blanched in salted water, chopped into smaller pieces, and sautéed with garlic and olive oil.

Spring Dinner Recipes

Once the weather begins to warm up, the idea of spending more than 90 minutes cooking dinner becomes much less appealing. Thankfully, these easy spring dinner recipes are ready in 30 minutes or less.

Savory Tart With Spring Onions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while you char spring onions in a hot skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Unroll one of TJ’s Puff Pastry Sheets onto a baking sheet, letting the ends hang off for now. Spread Boursin over the pastry, leaving a few centimeters at the edges. Arrange the charred spring onions on top, fold the edges of the pastry over the filling, and bake for about 20 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and golden. Grate lemon zest on top before serving.

Pappardelle With Mushrooms and Parmesan

For a chic, comforting 10-minute pasta, pick up some Pappardelle Pasta and mushrooms from Trader Joe’s. While you boil water for the pasta, chop and fry mushrooms in olive oil with salt, pepper, and thyme. Deglaze with a splash of white wine. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, reserving a bit of pasta water for the sauce. Drain the pasta and toss with the mushrooms, adding plenty of grated Parmesan and pasta water as needed. To serve, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

Naan Pizza With Sausage and Spinach

Defrost the Tandoori Naan according to the package’s instructions. Slice up some Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage and fry it in a skillet. Remove the sausage and add a big handful of spinach, wilting slightly and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. When the naan is defrosted, layer it with slices of mozzarella and sausage, along with the wilted spinach. Place in a 400-degree oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Cauliflower Gnocchi With Green Beans and Pesto

Cook a bag of Cauliflower Gnocchi according to the package’s instructions, and at the same time, boil French green beans in salted water until verdant and just tender. Shock the green beans in ice water, then chop them into smaller pieces and add them to the gnocchi, tossing everything with a big spoonful of Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto and a drizzle of olive oil.