Trader Joe’s has dropped its storied Fearless Flyer Thanksgiving Guide for our holiday shopping needs, and though it mostly features old standbys, it includes a few newcomers as well. Two new items, a twist on TJ’s famous “Unexpected Cheddar” cheese spread and a sheep’s milk cheese offering, will surely don plenty of pre-dinner charcuterie plates on Thanksgiving Day.
Trader Joe’s is bringing back the classics this year
The majority of the items listed in this year’s Thanksgiving-themed Fearless Flyer are old classics that are either always available or are reappearing for the holiday season. What’s a holiday without traditions, after all? Some tried-and-true items returning to Trader Joe’s this Thanksgiving include, among copious others:
- Nuts about Rosemary Mix
- Brined bone-in turkey breast with garlic herb butter
- Cranberry sauce, jarred and fresh
- Frozen mashed sweet potatoes
- Heat-and-eat stuffing
- Fresh pumpkin pie
- Heat-and-eat turkey gravy
We reviewed the brined bone-in turkey breast last year, and—spoiler alert—we loved it. The pumpkin pie was impressive, too, with a crust that’s more cakey than flaky.
Two new cheeses have landed at Trader Joe’s
The Fearless Flyer lists two cheese offerings that are new for this holiday season and available for a limited time.
Holiday Cheer Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Spread is available for $4.99. This is a holiday twist on Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Spread, which was introduced last year at a time when people were spreading spreadable substances all over their holiday tables, thanks to a butter board trend (ah, simpler times).
Meanwhile, Trader Joe’s Aged Sheep’s Milk Cheese is not spreadable, but still sounds delightful. According to TJ’s, the cheese is “marinated in aromatic, PDO Cornicabra Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and aged between three and five months.” Trader Joe’s suggests setting out this cheese as an appetizer or putting it on a roll alongside some leftovers for a superb leftovers sandwich.
Other new holiday-worthy items at Trader Joe’s
Though the Fearless Flyer focused solely on a Thanksgiving feast, a few other new Trader Joe’s items have also caught my eye as potentially worthy of a holiday shopping grocery run.
As we all know by now, chili crisp has long since taken the world by storm, and Trader Joe’s has certainly leaned into the trend. A recently debuted version, Crunchy Chili Cranberry Orange & Onion, seems ripe for drizzling over Thanksgiving plates.
Trader Joe’s has also debuted a veggie tray, one that it says improves upon the classic grocery store variety because it “isn’t a mix of veg you’ve seen in other commercially-available trays.” Rainbow carrots, celery, radishes, broocoli, and snap peas make this a fresh and easy addition to any pre-dinner holiday spread, perhaps alongside this newly released trio of organic olives sourced from Italy.
If dips are your jam when it comes to hors d’oeuvres (or dinner), Trader Joe’s debuted two dips in October that would be a delight at a holiday gathering: Garlic & Asiago Cheese Dip and Roasted Hatch Chile & Jalapeño Cheese Dip, which Redditors have pointed out are near the cheeses at the store, not in the frozen section (despite being packaged similarly to TJ’s frozen products).
Trader Joe’s new Thanksgiving popcorn
Not featured in the flyer or the new products section of the Trader Joe’s website is this Thanksgiving-Stuffing-Flavored popcorn, which Reddit can’t stop raving about. The website describes the popcorn as a fresh take on TJ’s popular Thanksgiving chips and describe the seasoning as “celery seed, thyme, parsley, black pepper, and sage.” Several Reddit users claim the popcorn is distinctively not the same as the chip it’s inspired by, and many said they preferred it over the chip.
Trader Joe’s website currently lists the popcorn as unavailable. It’s unclear if that means it’s sold out already or whether more is on the way, but I will certainly keep my eyes peeled for a bag. It’s too bad I can’t just order it online.