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Jocelyn Hsu / Spoon
CSU Fullerton | Life

My Top 3 Quick and Easy Trader Joe’s Meals 

Katrina Manzano Student Contributor, California State University, Fullerton
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CSU Fullerton chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

If you’re a busy college student, then you should know that Trader Joe’s is the holy grail when it comes to quick and easy meals. Here are my top three favorite meals from Trader Joe’s that I live by and highly recommend.

Saucy Baked Dumplings 

Ingredients: 

  • 3 tablespoons of soyaki sauce 
  • ½ bottle of Thai-style red curry sauce 
  • 1 can of coconut cream (or coconut milk) 
  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (or three cloves of garlic) 
  • 1 bag of frozen potstickers 
  • 1 bag of jasmine instant rice 
  • Optional: green onion, cilantro, and chili crunch oil

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. While the oven is preheating, mix soyaki sauce, red curry sauce, coconut cream, and minced garlic in a baking dish 
  3. Add the potstickers to the baking dish 
  4. Cover the dish with foil 
  5. Put the dish in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes 
  6. Once finished, you can top it with cilantro, green onion, and chili crunch oil
  7. Serve over rice, and enjoy! 
@homewithhart

Saucy Baked Dumplings Ingredients 3 T Soyaki 3/4 Bottle Thai Style Red Curry Sauce 1/2 can coconut cream (or coconut milk) 1 T minced garlic 1/2 C. Water 20 frozen potstickers of your choice 2 T each cilantro and green onions Optional: chili onion crunch and frozen jasmine rice for serving Directions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add 20 or so potstickers to a baking dish and pour sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minute (test one dumpling for doneness.) Top with cilantro and green onion and chili onion crunch. Serve over rice, enjoy! #traderjoes #traderjoespotstickers #bakeddumplings #easydinnerideas #dinnerrecipe #easyrecipe #traderjoesdinner #weeknightdinner #simplerecipe

♬ original sound – Emilie | Easy Dinner Ideas
Beef Broccoli Bowls 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 bag of broccoli florets 
  • 1 package of thinly shaved beef 
  • 1 bag of instant jasmine rice 
  • 1 cup of soyaki sauce 
  • 1 tablespoon of chili crunch oil 
  • Optional: sesame seeds and sriracha 

Directions: 

  1. To a pan, add olive oil and turn the heat to high 
  2. Add broccoli and cook and stir for about 3 minutes 
  3. Add a little more olive oil and mix in your shaved beef 
  4. Cook and stir beef until brown (about 5 minutes) 
  5. Add in 1 cup of soyaki sauce and 1 tablespoon of chili oil 
  6. Mix for a couple of minutes, turn the heat on low, and cover with a lid (turn the heat off once fully cooked) 
  7. Heat up instant rice and add it to a bowl once done 
  8. Assemble bowls by adding the beef broccoli on top of the rice 
  9. Top with sesame seeds and add more chili oil or sriracha if you prefer a little more spice, and enjoy! 
@victoriatschoppp

EPISODE 1: TRADER JOES BEEF & BROCCOLI BOWLS 🥩🥦 LESS THAN 20 MINS & 5 INGREDIENTS You’ll need- Trader Joe’s broccoli florets Trader Joe’s thinly shaved beef Trader Joe’s instant jasmine rice Trader Joe’s soyaki sauce (Optional) chili oil- i used @hotjiangsauce but Trader Joe’s has chili onion crunch oil as well To a pan, add olive oil and turn heat to high. Add your broccoli florets and cook for about 3 minutes. Add a little more olive oil and stir in your shaved beef. Cook until browned (about 5 minutes) and continue stirring. I used 2 of each ingredients to make more so i used about 1 cup of the soyaki and 1 tbsp of chili oil. Mix for a couple of minutes, turn heat on low, and cover. Heat up your instant rice (i used all 3 packets). For assembly, i added my beef & broccoli mixture over a bed of jasmine rice. If you love spice enjoy with some sriracha!!! I made more for meal prep so it came out to 7 servings and a total of $5.19 per serving which WE LOVE. ENJOY! #traderjoes #traderjoesmeals #healthymeals #quickrecipes #easyrecipes #simplemeals #mealsunder20minutes #mealprep

♬ original sound – Victoria Tschopp
Egg Dipped Kimbap

Ingredients:

  • Trader Joe’s kimbap 
  • 2 eggs 
  • Salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you prefer in your eggs
  • Optional: sesame seeds, spicy mayo, and chili crunch oil

Directions:

  1. Cut the corner of the kimbap packaging and heat it for 30 seconds in the microwave 
  2. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl with salt, pepper, and seasonings of choice 
  3. Heat up a frying pan and add olive oil 
  4. Dip one kimbap in the egg mixture, making sure to coat both sides 
  5. Put kimbap in the pan  
  6. Repeat with all the remaining kimbap 
  7. After all of them are in the pan, pour the remaining egg mixture on top of all the kimbap 
  8. Start flipping them over once you see that the scrambled egg on the bottom side is fried golden brown 
  9. After it’s flipped, cook the kimbap until the other side is fried golden brown 
  10. Once done cooking, put the kimbap on a plate
  11. Add your desired topping or sauce (I usually use spicy mayo or chili crunch oil), and enjoy! 
Katrina Manzano

CSU Fullerton '26

Katrina Manzano is a senior at California State University, Fullerton. She is currently majoring in Communications with a concentration in Entertainment and Tourism, alongside a Digital Media Certificate. As a transfer student, she eagerly became involved on campus to connect with other like-minded students, develop her professional skills, network, and gain deeper insights into the industry. She is one of the founders of HerCampus at CSUF and currently serves as their Marketing Director. She also serves as the Media Director for her school's Entertainment & Tourism Club, and is a DJ at Titan Radio -- her school's radio station.

Katrina has also gathered valuable experience through her involvement in the Disney College Program where she discovered her love for the Disney Parks. With a passion for social media marketing, content creation, and finding and building a community through storytelling, she dreams of exploring various career paths and aims to work as a recruiter or in the communications/marketing department for Disney Parks or the Disney Programs. Additionally, as a heavy fangirl of pop music, she has aspirations to break into the music industry, focusing on live entertainment, including concerts, festivals, and raves!

Outside of school and work, Katrina loves shopping/thrifting, photography, listening to music—she’s a huge Swiftie—watching movies, traveling, and going to Disney parks and concerts! Please feel free to reach out or connect with her, as she’s always welcome to growing and making new connections!