The New $3.49 Trader Joe’s Find I Will Never Stop Buying

It started out as a weeknight dinner hero and became my kid's new lunchbox favorite.

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Simply Recipes / Adobe Stock

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My son entered kindergarten this fall and, along with moving to a new school, one of the biggest transitions was packing lunch since his previous daycares provided meals. After years of sending him off every morning with nothing but a tiny toddler backpack, it was time to upgrade to both a big-kid school bag and a fully-stocked lunch box.

As a lunch-packing newbie, I was a bit overwhelmed. Should I get the Bentgo or the OmieBox? Which thermos would last the longest? What nut-free snacks can I send? Luckily, lots of more experienced parents chimed in to share their favorite tools and helpful tips. 

The next hurdle was menu planning. It’s taken some trial and error to settle on a weekly lineup that’s both enticing to a five-year-old and simple enough for the adults to prep in the morning. So far, most sandwich variations have been a hit, from grilled cheese to hummus pita rollups. But there are days when we need a break from things-between-bread, which is when I turn to one of our new favorite Trader Joe’s finds: Spinach & Ricotta Raviolini.

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Simply Recipes / Trader Joe's

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Why I Love Trader Joe’s Spinach & Ricotta Raviolini

I first spotted the raviolini on Instagram via @traderjoesnew and immediately added them to my weekly shopping list. While I love store-bought ravioli as an easy meal, my son hasn’t been as big of a fan. We’ve tried every variation at Trader Joe’s, from year-round staples like the four-cheese ravioli to seasonal ones stuffed with pumpkin or corn.

There’s something about tiny foods that kids his age love, and he devoured a big bowl of the raviolini when I made it for dinner. Inspired by the names of other mini TJ’s foods, my son and I dubbed them “teeny tiny ravioli.” 

How I Prepare Trader Joe's Spinach and Ricotta Raviolini

I always get an extra package of ravioli to freeze for future dinners and was about to do so with the raviolini when I realized they’d make an excellent lunchbox meal. Instead of tossing the entire box into the freezer, I froze clusters of raviolini on a sheet tray, then packed them into zip-top bags. Now, all I have to do in the morning is bring a pot of water to a boil and add one of the raviolini clusters. They’re so small that they cook in minutes—sometimes the pasta is ready before I even get breakfast on the table.

One box goes a long way for school lunch, but I’ve already re-upped my supply. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Trader Joe’s will keep their teeny tiny ravioli around for a while—at least until my lunch-packing days are over.

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Read the original article on Simply Recipes.