I Asked 6 Chefs for Their Favorite Trader Joe’s Product—They All Said the Same Thing

For those who prefer to keep cooking to a minimum, Trader Joe’s is a dream. With their robust fridge and freezer aisles full of delicious prepared foods that only need reheating, you really can’t go wrong.

Trader Joe’s also delivers for those of us who love diving into a new recipe and preparing delicious dishes at home. Its seasonal products always make shopping exciting, and I’m continually impressed by the range of high-quality whole food ingredients that I find there. Interestingly enough, so are chefs and culinary professionals!

I polled six chefs about their favorite Trader Joe’s ingredient, and they shockingly all said the same thing.

The Chefs I Asked

• Matthew Cutolo: Third-generation Italian-American Chef at Gargiulo's Restaurant in Coney Island, one of the oldest Italian restaurants in New York City
• Erin Clarke: Creator of the easy, healthy recipe blog Well Plated and author of the best-selling Well Plated Cookbook and Well Plated Every Day, out on October 15
• Melanie Gunnell: Owner of food blog Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and author of Mel’s Kitchen Cafe Cookbook
• Kat Marris: Senior Recipe Developer at Green Chef
• Joanne Gallagher: Owner and Operator, alongside husband Adam, of Inspired Taste, a recipe blog
• Phoebe Moore: Senior Editor and Recipe Developer at Love & Lemons, a veggie-forward food blog

The Best Trader Joe’s Product, According to Chefs

The one item that all these illustrious culinary professionals agreed upon was cheese! While many varieties of cheese were mentioned, the number one choice was Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar Cheese. 

“The Trader Joe’s cheese section is so vast and abundant, I feel like I'm in a cheese store in Italy or France,” says Cutolo. This impressive cheese section can make a purchasing decision tricky for anyone, let alone professional foodies. “I'm a sucker for all the cheeses at Trader Joe's,” Gunnell confesses. 

The Unexpected Cheddar is aptly named for its surprisingly nuanced depth of flavor. “I'm not the only fan of this cheese—it's a Trader Joe's classic! With a nutty, umami flavor, it tastes like an expensive aged cheddar, but it comes at an amazing price point,” says Moore.

At $3.99 for seven ounces, you really can’t go wrong with this cheddar that melts so perfectly in an elevated grilled cheese, adds a nutty bite to salads, and is a classic feature on any cheese board or charcuterie plate. “I love to host impromptu get-togethers, and a key element to success is being able to throw down a cheese board at any given moment,” adds Clarke.

This cheddar is also fantastic melted over burgers or baked potatoes as well as added to warm cheese dip, sumptuous mac and cheese, flaky biscuits, or creamy broccoli cheddar soup—the options are only limited by your imagination. And while many of us will devour this crumbly, semi-hard cheese in a matter of days, you can save any leftovers by storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for one to two weeks or freezer for up to six months.

While the Unexpected Cheddar was the obvious winner among the chefs, there were several other delicious runners-up, including the Syrah Soaked Toscano Cheese, Cheddar Cheese with Caramelized Onions, Cheddar & Gruyere Mélange Cheese, Saint André Triple Crème Brie, and Chèvre Goat Cheese. “I inevitably go a little overboard in the cheese section at Trader Joe’s,” Gallagher emphasizes. Long story short, you can’t go wrong when it comes to TJ’s remarkable cheese section.