The Best New Trader Joe’s Products Under $5 This October

Roti with Thai Red Curry, $4.29

There are many styles of Roti Canai, a flatbread and curry combination, across Indian, Southeast Asia, and now, the Trader Joe’s frozen section. Roti has lots of flaky layers that are perfect for soaking up all the curry. There are three roti per box that are best heated in a skillet, air fryer, or oven until crispy.

The roti is paired with a quick-to-heat vegan curry made with coconut milk, spicy Thai-style red curry paste, eggplant, cabbage, and potatoes. You can serve with rice and protein if you’d like, but it’s great to just rip and dip roti into the flavorful curry for a quick meal.

Sourdough Boules, $2.99

Even though my mind immediately went to bread bowls, these are actually boules, a round style of French bread (in this case, sourdough bread). Each boule is 7 ounces and about 5 inches in diameter, making it the perfect size for a bread bowl when you scoop out the soft inner bread. (Use it to make croutons or dippers for your soup!) The bread has a delightfully chewy interior and crisp exterior, especially if you toast it. Pair with any soup, but in my opinion, the ultimate combo at TJ’s is this bread with the Unexpected Cheddar Broccoli Soup.

Nuts About Elote Mix, $4.49

There’s elote to love about this snack mix, which is packed with crispy, puffed corn kernels and roasted cashews, pepitas, and pretzel sticks. It’s all coated with a peppery, slightly spicy, slightly tangy, just-salty-enough elote-inspired seasoning blend. If you like the Everything But The Elote Seasoning Blend, this mix is for you. It could even make a great topping for a salad or soup!

Butternut Squash Italian Lasagna, $4.49

Lasagna takes a lot of time and energy to make from scratch. But this returning seasonal-favorite Butternut Squash Lasagna is creamy, dreamy, and fast—done in just 4 to 5 minutes in the microwave-fast. In lieu of a white sauce or tomato sauce, there is a velvety butternut-and-carrot sauce seasoned with rosemary, pepper, and ginger. It’s double saucy because a smoky béchamel sauce with smoked Provola cheese (aka provolone’s unaged cousin), sheets of tender fresh pasta, and a cheesy herby top.

It’s even better baked in the oven for 45 minutes at 400 degrees F, but I found a hack to get a crisp top without the wait. Just microwave the lasagna, then bake it for 5 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees F until the top gets bronzed and bubbly. (If you want to broil it to speed up the process even further then you’ll want to move the lasagna to a metal pan, as the package it comes in may not be broiler-safe.)

Wheat Crisp Crackers, $2.49

One of my favorite crackers of all time is Wheat Thins, and Trader Joe’s finally made its own version. The only gripe I have about the original brand is that they are too salty; TJ’s fixed that by using less salt, which balances against the natural sweetness of the cracker. The crackers are excellent solo, but enhanced by a slice of Cheddar cheese and the cured meat or jam of your choice.

Thai Style Peanut Dressing, $3.99

Fans of TJ’s Crunchy Jicama Slaw rejoice—you can now get the spicy-sweet-tangy peanut dressing in a big bottle to add to all your salads. It’s much more than a dressing, though, as it has a thicker texture that can be used as a marinade for meats, dipping sauce (try it with summer rolls), noodle sauce, or drizzle for anything that needs a little nutty, savory kick.