The $4.99 Trader Joe's Find I Buy Every Single Week

If given the choice of any fancy salad in the world, I’d still ask for Caesar salad. That’s how much I love it! So when I was at Trader Joe’s grabbing my weekly Caesar Salad Dip, I came to a screeching halt when I saw the Caesar Broccoli Bake Kit.

I’m always looking for ways to increase my fiber intake with vegetables like broccoli, and since Trader Joe’s decided to add it to my favorite salad, I couldn’t pass it up! The cashier told me I was lucky to find it in stock since it kept selling out after going viral, so I went back for another bag—and that was an excellent life decision. 

How I Make Trader Joe’s Caesar Broccoli Bake Kit

The Caesar Broccoli Bake Kit is sold in the bagged salad area. There’s broccoli, Caesar dressing, shredded Parmesan cheese, and crouton crumbs in the bag.  

The first time I made it, I followed the recipe on the package exactly. You add the broccoli to a sheet pan, drizzle it with most of the Caesar dressing, then bake it. In the last few minutes of baking, you add the crunchy croutons crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. When it’s done, you drizzle on the remaining dressing just before serving. As delicious as that is, I made a few improvements to the process. 

I add the broccoli to a mixing bowl along with most of the Caesar dressing, then stir to make sure the broccoli is fully coated. I noticed that when I added the crouton crumbs and cheese to the broccoli during the last few minutes of baking, they burned onto the baking sheet. I don’t want to lose any croutons or cheese! So I wait until it’s out of the oven and toss the crumbs and cheese onto the warm broccoli with the rest of the dressing. 

To add a little more protein and fiber, I like to toss in half a can of drained chickpeas along with the broccoli. The chickpeas get coated in dressing and toast up nicely in the oven. 

Since broccoli is packed with nutrients and Caesar salad is the best salad, this kit will be on weekly rotation at my house for the foreseeable future.

_{To learn more about our approach to product recommendations, see HERE.}