The Best Trader Joes Microwave Meals
The College of William and Mary is infamous for its less than popular dining hall food. So where do you go instead? Trader Joe’s, with its trusty frozen meals, is here to save the day. Jordan West ’28 reviews her favorites and gives her recommendations.
Sometimes the food at The Caf or Sadler just doesn’t cut it. You may be in the mood for something with a bit more flavor, variety, or just something you can make from the comfort of your dorm. It can be hard to find options that are both inexpensive and tasty. Luckily, one of the best places to find some great options is right around the corner: Trader Joe's. Here is a list of some of their best microwave meals.
Chicken Tikka Masala
This dish is delicious. It only takes about five minutes to heat in the microwave and it comes with rice and chicken in sauce. The rice comes out perfectly cooked, the chicken is tender, and the sauce is a warm blend of spicy and sweet. The highlight of the meal is certainly the chicken because it tastes very fresh and is not chewy. It is the best frozen chicken across all Trader Joe's meals. My only complaint is that there is not very much of it. The meal itself is only 370 calories, making it a little light to be a filling dinner on its own. I only wish they added some more chicken to make the meal more complete.
Spicy Peanut Noodle
This dish is packed with so many tasty elements. The spicy peanut sauce is amazing and bursting with flavor. The ground chicken is perfect for the noodles because it increases the protein content while not distracting from the overall meal. This is certainly one of the more unique meals and tastes like something you could order at a restaurant. It is also more filling than some of the other meals, coming in at 500 calories.
Chicken Burrito Bowl
This bowl is a great option when you are craving Chipotle but don’t want to pay $15 for the bowl and $10 more for the DoorDash delivery! The bowl is $2.99 and includes rice, beans, chicken, cheese, and more. It is certainly a tasty meal that will leave you feeling satisfied. While it is only 370 calories, it is still filling from all of the protein. However, I would still recommend having something else as well to make this a more complete meal!
Microwave Mac and Cheese
If you are in the mood for the perfect comfort food, then look no further than the microwave mac and cheese! This dish is next level compared to box mac and cheese. It comes inside a container and has macaroni noodles with shredded cheese spread over the top. After microwaving the container for five to six minutes, the cheese melts, and you mix the cheesy sauces over the macaroni. Voila! It is perfect. The container is technically two servings (360 for one serving, 720 for two), making it perfect to save for leftovers or just to eat all at once if you’re hungry!
Creamy Tomato Soup
This soup is another comfort food that will leave you feeling warm inside. Simply pour the soup from the carton into a bowl and heat it in the microwave! Once you open the carton, just make sure to refrigerate it and have the rest of the soup within 7-10 days! Each carton has four servings at 110 calories each. Because this option is lower in calories, it makes for a good side to pair with some of the other meals.
Chicken Fried Rice
Not only does this rice taste like fried rice that you could get at a sushi restaurant, but for only $2.99, it has over three servings per bag! This rice is great as a meal, but at 260 calories per serving, it could also work as a side with any of the other dishes. It has lots of flavor, and the chicken makes a great added protein. If you don’t eat meat, Trader Joe's also has a vegetable fried rice with all of the same ingredients except the chicken!