Tender Chicken Meatballs, an Iconic Swedish Cake, and More: The Best New Trader Joe’s Groceries for October

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. That’s at least how I try to approach Trader Joe’s pumpkin/maple/apple palooza, and it was frighteningly easy to join in the spirit this October. As a former employee, I have sampled no fewer than 200 different pumpkin products over the years, whether they be pumpkin candles or bites that tasted a little bit too much like a candle. 

What I really enjoy about the grocer? Every fall, without fail, Trader Joe’s also adds in some new seasonal flavors to help you see beyond those It Girl Gourds. I’m no witch, but if I had a crystal ball, I’d say there are some herby wheels of cheese, milky tea lattes, apple-filled desserts, and even a flirty little marzipan treat in there that make a cozy case for being a core part of your Soup & Sweater Season. 

Here are the five items I’ll be eating all season long — plus, one you might want to ghost. 

This cake. THIS! CAKE! Sorry, I just had to translate what my taste buds told me upon my first bite of this fluffy, creamy, tart, nutty dream of a cake. You know when you go to a fancy pastry shop and can just taste the $$$? This classic Swedish dessert easily tastes twice the price, what with the rich mascarpone, the punchy jammy raspberry, and the light cake-y layers that are all enrobed in a lightly sweetened marzipan exterior.

It might sound like it’s sugar overload, but I can assure you this will more than appease the “not too sweet” lovers out there. It’s absolutely going to be my Friendsgiving contribution this year (it just needs a quick thaw in the fridge before serving).

I used to order the cheese at my Trader Joe’s store (fun fact: every single Trader Joe’s has an inventory that is ordered by the crew in that exact store; no automatic orders here), and I’ve barely missed a new cheese rollout since. So let me tell you that this particular Pink Peppercorn Fontina Cheese is special. Like, I try not to choose favorite cheeses, but it must be stated that this is one that’s firing on so many flavorful cylinders.

Each petite wheel is crusted in a delightfully floral and spicy peppercorn coating, which plays off the fudgy, buttery flavor of the Fontina cheese so well. This would be a slam-dunk on a cheese board, but I really hope you don’t stop there; I’ve been grating and shaving this all over my pizzas, eggs in purgatory, and avocado toasts all month long.

Spicy cups of mulled wine are very much my Reason for the Season. Oh, and doing my friend’s tarot, petting any and all black cats, and staring at the moon. So, if a witch is on something, I am buying it. That’s just excellent marketing. 

Along with buying anything with a witch on it, I’ve also bought a cup of mulled wine every time I’ve spotted it, and this Witches Brew could easily pass for the ones I’ve had in Prague, Paris, or Potsdam. Imagine a sweet Roscato-style wine that’s infused with all the classic apple pie spices (like cloves, cinnamon, and ginger) and that’s what you’ll experience in this unsuspecting bottle. 

While many people might immediately think of apples and gourds as the sign of the incoming fall season, for me it’s been when I start really craving an iced London Fog. In fact, I’ve kept up this ritual for going on 15 years now. Usually, I bulk order incredibly creamy Earl Grey from my favorite English tea stop, but now I can skip the shipping and duties and imitate the exact bergamot-y, subtly tannic yet bright experience with a quick trip to Trader Joe’s. 

For one part concentrate, you’ll cut it with two parts of the milk of your choice (I like whole milk or full-fat oat milk, which really helps carry all the zestier notes of the tea). Iced London Fogs are my particular favorite, but this concentrate also plays well when warmed up and combined with steamed milk. A little stir is all you need and you’ve got a just-sweet-enough London Fog latte that would easily go for triple the price at a coffee shop. 

Meatballs are a solid part of my own personal food pyramid, as I am often just in a mood I call “Not Going to Cook a Whole Other Protein.” There are almost infinite flavor combos for homemade meatballs, sure, but I’d argue that Trader Joe’s new Cranberry & Jalapeño Chicken Meatballs might be one of my favorite duos to date, and they’re pre-cooked.

They have that subtle sweetness, juiciness, and heat that is somewhat reminiscent of a breakfast sausage patty, wherein the cranberry mimics the maple notes, yet the subtle kick from the jalapeño steers these clear into dinner/appetizer territory. They formed the main component of a fall dinner I’ll be making on the regular: an apple-y cabbage slaw, fluffy rice, and these cocktail-sized meatballs with Dijon on the side.

This pre-packaged salad reminded me of why I don’t think we should settle for any trickery. In this case, this so-called kale salad commits Lettuce Trickery. Every other leaf was accompanied by an unwelcome sight: lettuce. Um, this is allegedly a kale salad, what are you doing here, lettuce? Are you lost? (It’s actually the first ingredient; kale is number three.)

It makes this not-too-harvest-y salad all the more difficult to understand, as it’s accompanied by none other than … roasted tomatoes? Not even the Caesar dressing, Parm, pepitas, and roasted sweet potatoes could help me understand the chaos present in this plastic container.

What new Trader Joe’s item are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Tender Chicken Meatballs, an Iconic Swedish Cake, and More: The Best New Trader Joe’s Groceries for October