You Should Use Trader Joe’s Spinach and Artichoke Sauce for Stellar Egg Baking
If there’s one thing moms do well at is finding light meals that can be prepared quickly and with minimal effort, which is why I – a woman with exactly zero children – joined Trader Joe’s Meal Ideas for Busy Moms Facebook group.
These moms are great at assembling Trader Joe products into meals that are greater than the sum of their parts. Take, for example, this two-way egg baked product that The Kitchn recently featured . It’s simple, elegant, and consists of just two items: Trader Joe’s Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Sauce (found in the frozen section) and eggs. The original recipe calls for one container of gravy and eight eggs, but The Kitchn notes that this ratio can be a little dry.
I hate dry egg baking, be it quiche, frittata or anything in between, so I reduced the number of eggs to six and added some chevre. These settings made a big difference; the baked goods were tender and flavorful, and looked brighter than the eight-egg iteration.
Extra cheese – or at least something else – is also key. Although a frozen gravy washer contains seasoning, fat, and two (2) types of vegetables, it can get a little muffled if you add a bunch of unflavored eggs to it. However, it is great as a base for low-effort egg baked goods. At least season the eggs with salt and pepper as usual, but you can make your baked goods truly shine by adding bacon bits, some caramelized onions, or, yes, any cheese chunks you have.
Once baked, you can eat it like a pie without a crust, sprinkle it on sandwiches, or freeze it in separate portions for a light breakfast on weekdays. To make this fancy little one, you will need:
- 1 box of Trader Joe’s Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Sauce
- 6 eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Cheese, bacon slices, cooked sausage, stews, or any other add-ons you’d like to see in this egg baked product.
- Cooking spray (or oil)
Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Remove the frozen dip from its packaging and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for one minute and crush it with a fork, then heat in 30 second increments, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thawed but hot. Whisk eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt and several hammers of fresh pepper, then beat thoroughly with a whisk or in a sealed plastic container.
Prepare an 8-inch round or square baking dish, combine eggs and sauce, and pour mixture into casserole. Sprinkle more cheese, bacon, or whatever else you’ve landed on on top. (I used about two ounces of fresh goat cheese.) Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the middle is stiff and the edges begin to brown. Let sit for five minutes, then chop and serve.