The 14 Best Summer Staples From Trader Joe’s Under $5

The tiny ravioli are so cute.

Summer is peak entertaining season and whether you’re hosting or attending, you’ll be working up a sweat. To help take the heat out of the kitchen—literally—and the pressure off of cooking a full spread, we love leaning on shortcuts and staples from Trader Joe’s that will make every shindig easier and more delicious. Whether it’s picnic picks, BBQ beverages, dips before taking a dip in the pool, or trying to put dinner on the table when it’s pushing 100 degrees, these warm-weather favorites, all under $5, are here to save the day.

The Best Summer Staples From Trader Joe’s

Tropical Green Tea Instant Boba Kit

This new freezer find ($4.99) makes an instantly refreshing summer drink. All you need to do is pop the packet in the microwave to soften up the tapioca pearls, then add the mango and passionfruit–infused green tea syrup to a glass with ice and your choice of liquid. You can go with more iced tea for extra tea goodness, water for a more subtle, diluted drink, coconut water for more hydration, or even spike it with some liquor. Choose your own boba adventure. And don’t worry—it comes with the extra-wide boba straws.

Sliced Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese

This new herby cheese ($4.99), which has a pizza vibe, would be great on an Italian-inspired burger. Monterey Jack cheese has a slightly more pronounced cheesy flavor than mozzarella and melts beautifully. The slices could also be cut into quarters or triangles for part of a cheese board or DIY Lunchable.

Organic Mango Vinaigrette Dressing

The fruitiness in this new dressing ($3.99) comes through in both the look—there are real pieces of mango in the bottle and a stunning orange color—and flavor. Sweet, tart, and tangy, this is a dream dressing for all of your summer salads. Try it in your next coleslaw, add a tropical twist to summer rolls, or drizzle and dunk in grilled meats and veggies.

Spinach & Ricotta Raviolini

Trader Joe’s is known for shrinking things, and these new raviolini ($3.49) are basically teeny tiny ravioli. They are so cute that instead of going for pasta and sauce or a butter and sage situation, I think they would be ideal for a chilled summer Caprese-ish pasta salad with fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella or an antipasto salad that gets better as it sits.

Strawberry & Jalape?o Crisps

There are always a few flavors of TJ’s signature “crisps” (aka ultra crunchy little crackers with dried fruits, nuts, and other flavors), but this seasonal summer flavor ($3.99) brings the heat. A quite pronounced kick from jalape?o is soothed by the slightly sweet, but not overpowering strawberry, a fun surprise pairing for cheese and charcuterie boards. Creamy cheeses like Brie and goat are wonderful with them.

Watermelon Lemonade Sparkling Water

Blueberry Lemonade was my favorite seltzer flavor until Watermelon Lemonade ($3.49) dropped… and it is so refreshing and juicy for summer sipping and cocktail mixing. It’s hard to get watermelon flavor that doesn’t taste like eating a Jolly Rancher, and this can tastes more like a bite of watermelon than a nostalgic hard candy.

Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt Pretzels

Another mini has entered the chat! These strawberry-and-vanilla-flavored yogurt pretzels ($3.49) are ready for topping sundaes, adding to trail mixes, or even crushing up on top of a morning yogurt parfait. It’s summer—you deserve berry nice things.

Sour Cream and Spinach Dip

I’m a Dip Queen who wrote a book all about it ("Big Dip Energy") and of all the options at TJs, the Sour Cream and Spinach is the one I turn to the most. It's creamy and dreamy, but not too heavy, especially when served with endive, carrots, snap peas, or other crunchy summer produce.

Plantain Crisps

There are also a ton of chip options at Trader Joe’s, but the plantain crisps ($2.79) are a neutral, just-salty-enough, very crunchy dipper that everyone will love. Its flavor isn’t overpowering so it can pair with savory or sweet, but there are also sweet plantain chips if you’d prefer a sweeter bite.

Trail Mix Crackers

Not into chips? These ($2.79) are my favorite TJs crackers of all time. There's a cheddar base for a large square cracker with pieces of mung beans, sesame seeds, raisins, pumpkin seeds, and cashews baked in. Equally beautiful and delightfully delicious, with or without cheese!

Lemony Arugula Basil Salad Kit

I love to fool my friends by making them think I assembled this salad ($3.99) from scratch. The mix of peppery arugula, a zesty lemon basil dressing, shaved carrot ribbons, ample shredded Parmesan cheese, and crunchy roasted almonds is a home run every time and can transform into a full meal with added protein like salmon, shrimp, or chicken.

Sweet Picanté Peppers With Cream Cheese Filling

Another fake-out appetizer? These jarred peppers ($4.99) that look and taste like I stuffed them myself. The sweet peppers have an ultra-creamy fling already, but if you add some fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice, they’ll really brighten up. Great on a board, as a salad topper, or a showstopper side dish. Or, hey, a fun Bloody Mary garnish!

Organic Cold Brew Black Tea Concentrate

Summer is when I use this black tea ($4.99) the most. It is concentrated enough to make a few pitchers of Arnold Palmers (paired with the refrigerated bottle of lemonade), whether virgin or spiked, or refreshing flavored teas infused with frozen fruit and a little simple syrup.

Unexpected Cheddar Chicken Sausage

This affordable grilling favorite ($4.49) wows everyone because there’s cheese inside. The cheddar-Parmesan combo melts just enough without being messy and is great in pasta (hot or cold), on salad, as a snack, or tucked into a bun with all the BBQ fixins.

Read the original article on All Recipes.