The $3.79 Trader Joe’s Find I Can’t Live Without

This Trader Joe's product disappears as soon as it arrives at my house. It's a must-buy every time at just $3.79.

Trader Joe's storefront — Simply Recipes / Getty Images

It's safe to say my number one food group is guacamole (Skinny margs? A close second.) I have a party guac that slays with fresh-as-heck veggies and zesty limes.

But after spending years squeezing every avocado at the grocery store looking for a ripe one (it’s like spotting Sasquatch in the wild), I feel like I’m starring in an infomercial where I don't know how to avocado: "Love avocados, but think they're always too hard or bruised? Hate storing them, but don't want to eat the entire thing at once? Some avocados are huge! And they're only ripe for 30 seconds!"

container of Trader Joe's Avocado Mash against a graphic background — Simply Recipes / Trader Joes

Why I Love Trader Joe’s Avocado Mash

Enter Trader Joe's Avocado Mash. Made with only Mexican-grown Hass avocados, lemon juice, and sea salt, it tastes buttery, smooth, and seasoned—not overly salty or lemony. An 8-ounce resealable container is less than $4, but I would pay far more for avocados I don't have to prep and can portion as I please. But the best part? No waiting for rock-hard fruit to ripen because this avocado's ready to rock. Plus, there’s no cilantro.

While it's best used within a day, it just barely begins to brown in the fridge after being open for 24 hours (easily fixed with a quick stir)—not that you'll ever get to that point. I use it for everything: Mixing it into my scrambled eggs, tossing it with a salad for lunch, and (because it doesn't have the extra seasonings of guacamole) dropping a few spoonfuls into a sweet berry smoothie for creamy texture. Snacking on baby carrots dipped straight in the mash also never fails.

But the pièce de résistance is my favorite fast weeknight dinner: smoked pulled pork tacos with avocado mash. Since you're already at TJ’s, grab some tortillas, pre-cooked Hardwood Smoked Pulled Pork, shredded cheese (I like Quattro Formaggi), crunchy chili onion sprinkle, and avocado mash.

Warm the pork, heat your tortillas on a griddle, melt a little cheese on top, then build your taco. (I bought Joie cactus-shaped taco holders for my boyfriend as a joke and have used them more than anything else in my kitchen.) Top with avocado mash and chili seasoning. Party points if you serve this 3-ingredient Trader Joe's margarita with a chili lime salted rim on the side.

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