My Go-To Frozen Trader Joe's Item Is So Good It Could Pass For Homemade

There are a plethora of scrumptious prepared foods to pick up at Trader Joe's to make meal time a breeze. And while buying frozen and prepared foods sometimes can sometimes mean you're sacrificing taste and quality just for something convenient, there's an item in the TJ's freezer aisle that's so delicious, people will think you made it yourself: the Hatch Chile Mac & Cheese. 

I like it because it's cheesy with a hint of heat and smokiness from the roasted Hatch chile peppers. It's not so spicy that I have to down a glass of water after every bite, but enough that it enhances the flavor profile of every nook and cranny. Each mac and cheese package comes with 12 ounces of product, which is certainly enough to eat as a meal for one person (although some reviews mention they are full after consuming half). But if you're entertaining a few guests, I suggest grabbing several of these to jazz up and serve to pass off as your own creation.

Of course, it's tasty enough to nuke in the microwave and eat it in the plastic container it comes in — it's on our list of best TJ's microwave meals because it's already an elevated version of such a classic dish. But that plastic dish doesn't exactly scream "I made this from scratch." I have some ideas on how you can revamp it a bit to make it seem homemade.

There's a reason why the image on the packaging shows the Hatch-infused mac and cheese in a ceramic dish; the Trader Joe's website offers a similar vibe, depicting the prepared, frozen meal in small ramekins. It's like TJ's is telling us to pretend that we made it ourselves. I'd suggest using either of these vessels to heat and serve the mac and cheese in if you want to pass it off as a homemade dinner — although I am partial to the tiny ceramic ramekins.

Start by spooning or scooping the meal into your dish(es) of choice, and then heat in the oven or a toaster oven. For a larger batch, around 35 minutes will do, but you'll want to experiment and keep an eye on your dish. Monitoring will help give it that delicious, cheesy crust that homemade baked mac and cheese dishes are known for, without burning it.

The only risk you face is serving it to someone who's already a huge fan of the Trader Joe's product, as it has a pretty large fan base. People say that they never leave the chain grocery store without a box. Heat and serve as is, or enhance it with some mix-ins to make it seem more like a from-scratch meal to confuse even the most loyal TJ's fan. Add a sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper to play further on the peppery bite, stir in your protein of choice to really give it new life, or top it with crunchy pieces of smoky bacon.