10 Restaurant-Worthy Potato Gnocchi Recipes To Impress Your Guests

Japchae Korean Glass Noodles & Vegetable Stir Fry

“I was excited to try the frozen japchae but it was disappointing," one Redditor wrote. "So bland and watery.”

TJ's still currently sells this item for $3.49. You'll find it in the freezer section. It's made with glass noodles and a medley of stir-fried veggies like onion, spinach, carrot, and bell peppers.

Roasted Seasoned Brussels Sprouts

“Worst is the frozen parm Brussels," another Redditor brought up. "Those were horrible.”

The Brussels sprouts in question even inspired an entirely separate Reddit thread about how bad they were.

"Inedible," one person said. "Worst thing I’ve bought there."

"Maybe you got a bad bag?" another user suggested. "I make these all the time in my air fryer and I love them."

No matter where you stand with frozen veggies, I always stand by the fact that fresh ones will be way better than frozen ones, especially with an option as divisive as Brussels sprouts.

Calabrian Chili Spicy Pasta Sauce

“Calabrian chili sauce was like hot tomato soup,” someone noted.

The $5 sauce features a Calabrian chili hot sauce alongside a classic tomato base. TJ's also has it that this sauce includes a touch of honey to balance out the spice. TBH I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that...

Coconut Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

“The coconut cold brew concentrate tastes like battery acid ✨️," one person said. "Yes, even when prepared as directed!”

Luckily, TJ's doesn't sell the coconut version of their cold brew concentrate anymore. If you dare to try it, you can find a bottle of the plain flavor for $9, which, according to Trader Joe's, makes 12 whole servings.

Chunky Guacamole with Greek Yogurt

“Who approved that, JAIL!” someone said about this no-longer-sold guac made with Greek yogurt.

Some users in a separate thread actually called it an "abomination."

"Why tf did they add yogurt 😭," one person wrote.

"It’s not comparable to real guacamole, but I love it just as a dip," another noted.

Cacio E Pepe Pasta Sauce

“The jarred cacio [e] pepe sauce tasted like dirty feet," one Redditor called out.

I feel like cacio e pepe is definitely overused as a flavor at this point, so I kind of understand the hate towards this Trader Joe's product. This pick is crafted using Pecorino Romano cheese made from sheep’s milk and "bold" black pepper. TJ's recommends trying it over ravioli or gnocchi, in white lasagnas, or over some steamed broccoli.

Mandarin Orange Chicken

“Unpopular because everyone seems to love them but the orange chicken,🤮” someone responded to a thread asking about the grossest TJ's products. I honestly am sad to see that some shoppers really don't like this frozen meal – it's been one of my faves for years and I personally have no complaints!

“Agree, it’s very gristly," one Redditor said. "Also dark chicken meat (leg, thigh) makes me gag.”

Shrimp Seafood Burgers

According to a Redditor, the TJ's Shrimp Seafood Burgers (no longer in stores) are “super fishy" and it can be hard to get over their "fishy smell.”

They also did not go over well with TJ's fans on this thread:

"I found these to be awful," someone said. "No amount of Old Bay and good butter could mask the fishy taste and aroma. The only good thing I can say about them is that they were cheap."

"They're not that great on their own, but do well enough in a shrimp taco or sushi roll in a bowl," one person offered.

"You have to doctor them because they seemingly have no flavor of their own," another user said. "I like them in the air fryer. Some people might find the texture weird though."

Beef Pho Soup

“AVOID THE BEEF PHO,” one passionate user wrote. Based on my research, it's due to a major lack of flavor.

People were totally fired up about this item when it first dropped:

"This is a straight up scam," one person said. "How is it possible they made the broth FLAVORLESS??"

"It’s so bland, with no noodles," another wrote. "I was expecting a been sprout packets or something as well. Worse than any instant ramen 10/10 regret not making cup of noodles."

"Bought once, took one bite and trashed it," someone else commented. "Worst buy yet."

Spaghetti Carbonara

Trader Joe's calls this frozen pasta the queen of comfort foods, but some shoppers fully disagree.

“The only thing to stay away from is the new carbonara pasta," one Redditor wrote. "Literally tasteless!!!”

"Too soupy for carbonara," another said. "Way more like Olive Garden Alfredo than anything else."

"I just had this for the first time and it was sooooooo bland," someone else agreed. "I added so much pepper just to make it edible. Will not buy again."

Cajun Style Alfredo Sauce

One Redditor wrote that this sauce was "one of the worst things I’ve ever eaten.”

Per this discussion, shoppers were left yearning for more flavor.

"I bought two jars thinking I would LOVE it. I ended up disliking it," one person commented. "There’s a spice that I can’t quite put my finger on that I didn’t enjoy. In my opinion, it’s not very spicy. In the future, I’d just get regular Alfredo and add my own spices."

"Just okay, I'd say," someone else agreed. "Less flavorful than I had hoped - I would def take the lemon Alfredo over this, I love that one."

Frozen Chicken Taquitos

"Filled with chicken mush,” is how many people described these frozen Trader Joe's taquitos.

This thread talking about the product shed a lot of light on the intricacies of the texture:

"I bought some and they are nasty," one person said. "The filling is like eating a hot booger with fake lime juice. The chicken is not like any chicken but more like mystery meat. They need a dip for sure. You will taste more tortilla than the filling thankfully. Costco sells some that are tons better and you get more."

"They’re filled with bland chicken paste," another person chimed in. "They used to have good beef taquitos, don’t know happened to those. But these chicken ones were barely edible."

1. BOGO 50% off packaged soups (Tuesdays)

Tuesdays and Fridays are the main days of the week that Whole Foods offers savings on their groceries. The first amazing deal for Tuesdays is BOGO 50% off packaged soups – perfect for this time of year!

They’ve got every kind of flavor from minestrone and chicken noodle to Italian wedding and broccoli cheddar. Their packaged soups average out at about $9 per 24-ounce tub, so saving 50% on one when you buy one is pretty good, especially for meal prep purposes.

2. $2 off classic and organic rotisserie chickens (Tuesdays)

You can take $2 off two kinds of Whole Foods’ rotisserie chickens every Tuesday. Their classic rotisserie chicken goes for $9 while the organic version sells for $13. I love using rotisserie chicken for soups, sandwiches, wraps, and pastas, so getting a whole chicken to use for recipes all week long for just $7 is so nice!

3. $8 large cheese pizzas (Friday)

Sometimes you just do not feel like cooking on a Friday evening after work – that’s where this Whole Foods savings hack comes in! Every Friday, you can get a large cheese pizza for $8. While there’s nothing wrong with a plain cheese pizza (nostalgia galore!), I’d take advantage of this deal then bulk up my slices with various toppings like peppers, pepperoni, and olives.

4. 12 for $12 wild caught oysters (Friday)

Ooh, fancy! Every Friday, Whole Foods’ wild caught oysters go for $1 a pop. Buy a dozen for just $12, and you’re golden. This deal would be perfect for a bougie at-home date night.

5. BOGO 50% off packaged sushi rolls (Friday)

This is another great date night pick! Buy one packaged sushi roll, and get another 50% off on Fridays only. From rainbow rolls to California rolls, this Whole Foods savings hack has my cravings going crazy.

6. $10 family-sized tiramisu (Friday)

Got a hankering for a sweet treat? Don’t fret – you can shop a whole family-sized serving of tiramisu at Whole Foods for just $10 every Friday.

7. $12 bottles of prosecco (Friday)

The death of the work week and start of the weekend is obviously a cause for celebration, and Whole Foods has you covered with $12 bottles of Presto prosecco every Friday. Cheers!

Blake Lively's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Co-Stars

Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.

We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can still face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe work environment. We are inspired by our sister's courage to stand up for herself and others.

For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate for the New York Times.

Colleen Hoover, Author of It Ends With Us

Paul Feig, Director of A Simple Favor

Director Paul Feig also shared his thoughts about what it's like to work with Blake on X. He said, "I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this."

Robyn Lively, Blake Lively's Sister

The sisterly energy is real and we're so glad Blake is surrounded by it. Robyn, Blake's big sister, shared her full thoughts in a lengthy Instagram caption just 10 hours!

While encouraging people to do research for themselves by reading The New York Times article that details the devious plot to publicly destroy Blake, she had other things to say. "We live in an age where we have access to people’s personal lives like never before — especially actors. It makes us feel like we know them. We see them on social media, watch clips of them, and make snap decisions about their character," she wrote. This reminds me of the parasocial relationships author Amanda Montell detailed in The Age of Magical Overthinking — definitely something for us all to keep in mind.

She also called out how easy it is for the media to warp the public's perception of the truth. "The 'truth' in the tabloids is hardly ever what you think," she added before eventually expressing how "proud" she is that her sister "didn't allow herself to be silenced in the face of adversity and lies."

Bart Johnson, Blake Lively's Brother-in-law

According to Page Six, Blake's brother-in-law Bart Johnson didn't hesitate to share his thoughts about the behavior of Baldoni and his team. He reportedly wrote, "Her complaints were filed during the filming. On record. Long before the public conflict. The cast unfollowed him [Baldoni] for a reason." in the comment section of the NYT Instagram post about the lengthy deep dive into what happened.

He continued by writing, "His PR team was stellar. Gross and disgusting but highly effective. Read the article, their text message exchanges and his PR campaign strategy to bury her by any means necessary. No one is with out [sic] faults. But the public got played."