The Trader Joe's Breakfast Staple I Stockpile In My Freezer

Trader Joe's might be better known for its diverse selection of snacks and affordable frozen dinners, but its breakfast food selection is worthy of note. Of course, you can expect to find some degree of Trader Joe's whimsy here, as there are unique granolas, breakfast breads, and cereals that you can't find elsewhere. However, Trader Joe's also carries some morning staples that you will find at other grocery stores. One of these items, which I honestly didn't expect to like as much as I did, was the hash browns.

Hash browns, generally speaking, are one food that is remarkably hard to get right. You would suspect that something composed of just potatoes, salt, oil, and a couple of binders would be pretty easy to simplify. But so many other grocery store brands royally mess up hash browns, either making them too boldly seasoned, floppy, or dry. Trader Joe's, miraculously, has perfected the formula for a perfect hash brown. These patties are remarkably light and crispy on all edges, with a perfectly pliable, soft interior.

These hash browns can be found with the other frozen breakfast items, like the meatless frozen sausage and frozen waffles, and are sold in a sleeve of 10 for $2.99. However, if you're anything like me, you're going to add a couple of packages of these crispy patties to your cart. They can be prepared in your oven, skillet, air fryer, or, as I like to do for a quick breakfast side, in the toaster. I assure you, they're quite delicious no matter how you prepare them.

Another benefit of these hash brown patties, aside from their greasy deliciousness, is that you can eat them in a number of ways. For example, there was a restaurant in my college town that offered a "Shiner" with hash browns, meaning that for a small surcharge, you could add a hash brown to your breakfast sandwich, wrap, and more. It was like the greasy accompaniment you didn't know your sandwich needed — and it turns out that Trader Joe's patties really excel in Shiner-style sandwiches. They're not so intensely flavored that they distract from eggs or breakfast meat. Instead, they add the perfect salty contrast and the texture crunch your bite craves. 

You could also go full hash brown-style and use two hash browns for the bun of your sandwich, too. Trader Joe's patties would excel at this in particular because of how toasty all the sides are. Other grocery store brands — and perhaps, even some fast food hash browns — are far too floppy to hold up to the weight of your sandwich.

Reddit has confirmed my belief that these hash browns are remarkably good — especially for a grocery chain that tends to do gimmicky items better than it does functional staples. "I can never say no to these when I see them," commented one Reddit user in a thread praising the snack. I have to agree: I always add at least two packs to my cart whenever I shop at TJ's, and you should, too.