These 5 Trader Joe's Finds Are Serious Hidden Gems And We're Done Keeping Them A Secret

The thing about Trader Joe's is it's an intensely beloved grocery chain with legions of devoted fans willing to search for whatever diamonds in the rough they may have missed. That means there is a seemingly inexhaustible demand for Trader Joe's content — which is both a blessing and a curse for us food writers. On the one hand, we can talk about our favorite finds as much as we want; on the other hand, it's really hard to find quality products that haven't already been written about ad nauseum. Can you imagine if we came out here acting like we were the first to discover how great the Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips are? We'd be laughed out of the proverbial room!

And yet, there are still a few Trader Joe's items that haven't been picked clean. Some of them aren't the trendiest items out there, and others may be a little divisive. They're certainly not one of the beloved items in the Trader Joe's Hall of Fame, like the Rolled Corn Chili and Lime Tortilla Chips or the Soy Chorizo. Still, if you give them a try you may find these are more than worthy of entering your personal Trader Joe's pantheon.

Full disclosure: I spent a year studying in Scotland and in the process I fell in love with the humble meat pie. Those of you who haven't acquired the taste for them may not be completely enticed by these squat beef-and-veggie-filled pastries, but if you have you'll find they're more than worth keeping in your freezer. (They're not Marks & Spencer's Steak and Ale Pie, but what is? Seriously, tell me what is, I would be embarrassingly happy to eat them stateside.)

Each package of Trader Joe's Steak & Stout Pies contains two individual pies, but chances are you'll find one is enough. They come in a lovely, flaky crust with tender cubes of gravy-saturated beef and just enough carrots and onions to keep things interesting.

Now, we're not ones to fuss over nutrition facts, but it's worth knowing these bad boys are 800 calories a pop. Still, if you're going to hike through the tundra (or something equally as demanding) and need some calories for sustenance, it's hard to imagine a heartier, tastier way to get them.

Whether you're a vegan who chooses not to consume dairy or you're simply lactose intolerant, it would behoove you to discover non-dairy versions of popular desserts. At their worst, these can admittedly feel like uncanny, ersatz approximations of the real thing, but that's not something you have to worry about with Trader Joe's Oat Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Sandwiches. Despite the mouthful of a name, these are startlingly close to the classic chocolate wafer vanilla ice cream sandwiches you likely enjoyed in your youth.

The vanilla ice cream in the middle of these sandwiches is made from frozen oat beverage (which, depending on what state you're in, may or may not be called oat milk thanks to the dairy lobby) and the chocolate wafers are as sturdy and sweet as ever. Trader Joe's has no shortage of wonderful ice cream sandwiches, from its fan-favorite Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches to its Cookies 'N Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches, but it's nice to know that those who don't eat dairy won't be missing out. And even if you do eat dairy, you'll get something out of these — which is a pretty high compliment for a non-dairy dessert.

When it comes to Trader Joe's cheeses, one name looms large over all the others. Yes, Unexpected Cheddar is as delicious as you've heard with its cheddar-or-parmesan magic trick losing none of its wonder no matter how often you taste it, but it's already popular enough to have its own snackable version as well as its own spread. If you ask us, there's something to be said for the regular-degular cheeses you'll find waiting for you at TJ's, like the lovely Double Cream Gouda.

Gouda is already a creamy, buttery delight and one of the best Dutch exports this side of Vincent van Gogh, but Trader Joe's adds even more cream to the mix, resulting in an absolute explosion of sweet, nutty cheese on your tongue. It's the kind of cheese that transports you back to a tulip field in the 1600s with your first bite.

What is mee krob? Well, it's not necessarily a snack food. In Thai cuisine, mee krob is a dish made of thin, fried noodles served in a sweet and sour sauce. Sounds pretty tasty, right? When you dry some out and shape it into a conveniently crunchy little square, it becomes even tastier. Thankfully, Trader Joe's is here to give us some serious munchies.

Trader Joe's has plenty of crunchy Asian-inspired snacks for you to choose from, from its Spicy Seaweed Tempura Snacks to its Rice Cracker Medley. The Mee Krob Snackers aren't quite as well-known as those two, but that doesn't mean it's not worth trying. They're wonderful eaten on their own, but you might just want to crumble some up to add some crunch to your salad. (Perhaps one of Trader Joe's Thai salads, one of the many grab-and-go foods that make eating at work a breeze. Food for thought.)

Trader Joe's, as you may well know, is famous for its seasonal items, as the surfeit of apple and pumpkin products in autumn will tell you. That means it's easy to take the all-year-round items for granted, especially when they don't draw too much attention to themselves. These cookies, for instance, aren't as eye-grabbing of a combination as something like Brookie Caramel Candy Clusters or those ever-popular Hold the Cone! frozen treats, but we can assure you they're just as delicious.

Maybe not everybody gets excited by shortbread, but as far as we're concerned there's nothing to turn your nose up at here. They're buttery, crumbly, sweet, and comforting; and the shortbread is enriched by a layer of lightly tart raspberry filling. You may be able to buy them at any time of year, but whenever you take a bite it might as well be spring. If you're a tea drinker, they're perfect for dunking.