One Of The Best Trader Joe's Finds Under $5 Turns Anything Into A Fancy Meal, From Eggs To Pasta

A run to Trader Joe's can feel something like a treasure hunt, but there's one ingredient to keep your eyes open for if you're looking for a budget-friendly way to spruce up meals. Those who have gotten their hands on Trader Joe's Burrata Filling Stracciatella rave about it. Anyone who has sampled the version of stracciatella that is the rich filling inside of a burrata ball, knows that this is an elite ingredient. It's perfect for adding texture and flavor to pasta dishes and pizza, as well as other snacks and meals. Priced at under $4.50 for an 8-ounce container, Trader Joe's makes the upgrade an affordable one. 

This burrata filling offers creamy torn mozzarella curds suspended in fresh cream that are ready to spoon out of the container and head straight into a batch of scrambled eggs for a creamy, cheesy upgrade. Trader Joe's describes the ingredient as "richly textured and mildly sweet" and recommends  it for balancing plates with more acidic notes — we're looking at you, tomatoes. It is easy to spread and work with and yet also good enough to eat straight out of the container with a spoon. It's made simply with pasteurized milk and cream, distilled white vinegar, salt, and a microbial enzyme. Some buyers have noted the savory notes of the cheese, having expected something similar to ricotta, but find themselves surprised by the tasting experience. One Redditor described it as "magical" and said, "Pick up this, some of their bottled blush pasta sauce and some fresh pasta. When it's done cooking, top it with the stracciatella and then a drizzle of balsamic reduction. It's perfection!"

The beauty of this find is that there are plenty of ways to get creative with it in the kitchen. People add the burrata filling to pizza they carry home from restaurants, it is that good. Others spot items like garlic bread and dream about how adding the cheese could improve them. Fans combine it with as varied dishes as mashed potatoes, steak, avocado toast, and olive oil kettle chips. "When I first bought this I made a pizza with all Trader Joe's ingredients — tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, crispy prosciutto then baked it up. Once it's out and cooling, add the stracciatella and the TJ hot honey sauce. It's to die for," wrote a fan on Reddit.

As with all good things in life, there's always a catch. Trader Joe's creamy product isn't always stocked. It's marketed as a limited time product, and when the Burrata Filling Stracciatella is temporarily discontinued, fans breathe a collective sigh of relief when it reappears on store shelves. "I bought like 50 of them last summer and stored them in my deep freezer, they freeze amazingly and defrost perfectly. I've been enjoying them all year. Still have about 15 left," wrote a stockpiling fan on Reddit. Another fan suggested a similar purchase from Whole Foods, but others insist nothing can compare to Trader Joe's. Whether you're putting together a restaurant-quality caprese salad, upgrading bruschetta, or building a charcuterie board for a dinner party, this purchase can easily steal the limelight.