The 3-Ingredient Trader Joe's Dinner That's Ridiculously Effortless

What's worse than standing in Trader Joe's after work, fully dissociating in the freezer aisle because you're hungry, don't want to cook, and making choices feels overwhelming? Well, this is the kind of easy and delicious but also healthy dinner that you need on a night like that, made using pre-made TJ's staples. It's a bibimbap-inspired rice bowl, stripped down to the essentials, and it needs only three items from TJ's: a bag of its frozen vegetable fried rice, a pack of the sriracha-flavored baked tofu, and a jar of kimchi. It requires barely any chopping — just a bit of heating and you'll soon be looking at a flavor-packed bowl of nutritionally balanced carbs, protein, and fermented cabbage. Simply heat the rice, warm the tofu and slice it on top before serving, and add some kimchi on the side.

The key here is the tofu; because there are a lot of types of tofu, it can get confusing to decide which one to pick. But this Trader Joe's version is pre-baked, bursting with spicy flavor, and ready to go with no pressing or marinating from you. If you want it crispier, you can throw it in a pan with some oil, but since it is actually ready to eat straight out of the pack, it only really needs heating. Unless, you want to eat it cold which is also a choice. Cube it and stir it through the rice, tear it into chunks with your fingers, or slice it lengthways and serve it on top of the rice — whatever floats your boat. And similarly, the vegetable fried rice is pre-seasoned too. Feel free to give the whole thing an extra drizzle with soy sauce, sesame oil, or chilli crisp, but there's no actual need.

The thing is, while this meal can be thrown together in less than 10 minutes, it also ticks every box for a nutritionally balanced meal. It has a variety of vegetables in the rice, which bring the essential carbohydrate component, then the tofu brings in a good hit of protein which is what will actually keep you full. The kimchi is there to make it feel more intentional, like a homemade nod to bibimbap (which is a Korean food you need to try at least once), plus it is loaded with gut-healthy bacteria and brings a really lovely crunchy contrast to the rice and tofu. What you will end up with on your plate will be warm, filling, layered, and delicious.

The only thing it's really missing from a nutritional standpoint is healthy fat, but you have options here. A drizzle of sesame oil, tahini, or some sliced avocado can fit the bill, or if you're feeling up to it, a fried egg. And if you do decide you want to add it, lean into the theme of the dish by making crunchy, sesame-seed fried eggs complete with a runny yolk. With a meal this easy to make and satisfying to eat, you'll never reach for the takeout menu mid-week again.