Final Update! Pick Up This, Not That: Trader Joe's New February Foods

If you love mac and cheese but want a more nutritious version, pick up the Ditalini Pasta + Cheddar Cheese + Cauliflower + Kale. It's creamy and thick with a generous amount of kale in every bite. This is definitely on the healthy side of the mac and cheese scale with only a small serving of actual pasta but plenty of cheese and butter.

Microwave the Ditalini Pasta + Cheddar Cheese + Cauliflower + Kale directly in the container or for an extra delicious lunch, transfer to an oven-proof bowl and bake until the top is bubbly and golden. I added a little extra cheese on top with a sprinkle of parsley.

The new Chocolate Almond Butter Tarte is as decadent as it sounds and tastes as if it was purchased from an authentic French bakery. A creamy almond spread is layered into a butter and cocoa crust with chocolate ganache, topped with dark chocolate and roasted almond sticks.

Simply defrost the Chocolate Almond Butter Tarte at room temperature for one hour, slice, and serve. I recommend adding a small scoop of vanilla ice cream to balance the sweetness.

Carabao mangoes are grown in the Philippines and known as the sweetest mangoes in the world. Trader Joe's did a fantastic job keeping up that reputation with their new Supersweet Dried Carabao Mangoes. These dried mangoes are deliciously juicy, sticky, and sweet.

Supersweet Dried Carabao Mangoes are great to have in your bag as an on-the-go healthy and sweet treat. Beware that they will make your fingers quite sticky. These are definitely my new favorite over the Just Mango Slices.

The Matcha Green Tea Packets come with seven single servings, making each cup of delicious green tea only $1 a piece. I really enjoyed the subtle toasty and sweet flavor of this tea.

Whisk the powder from the individual serving of Matcha Green Tea Packets into a cup of hot water or it can also be served cold. Be sure to cut the tops off the packets, instead of tearing them, so it's easier to pour out. I enjoyed the tea with some steamed almond milk and a couple Kona Coffee Creamy Half-Dipped Shortbread Cookies.

I was so excited when I saw the Everything but the Bagel Seasoning Blend on the list of new items. The delicious blend of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and sea salt flakes elevates your favorite dishes with a powerhouse of flavors. And if the everything bagel is your favorite bagel, then this needs to be on your spice rack.

Sprinkle a generous amount of Everything but the Bagel Seasoning Blend to a freshly popped bag of popcorn. Make sure to add butter or olive oil so it sticks. Then Netflix, chill, and everything bagel!

The Mudd Pie, inspired by the Mississippi mud pie, is layered with coffee ice cream, a chocolate crust, and topped with fudge swirls. It's sweet, decadent, and quite the dessert. This is not your grandmother's pie!

Simply let the frozen Mudd Pie sit at room temperature for a few minutes (not too long since it has ice cream). This pie can be enjoyed on its own without any added frills. The slices are a bit hard to cut so no judgement if you choose to eat it straight out of the pie tin.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, these Mini Sugar Hearts might be the cutest thing in the store. They're a bit of sugar cookie meets a French palmier cookie, and what a lovely pair they make. Be warned: you can't have just one of these!

Enjoy these Mini Sugar Hearts with a hot cup of tea or coffee. These cookies are crunchy with a buttery, sweet flavor. The bite-sized hearts are great for dipping and oh so cute.

I'm a big fan of sweet and salty snacks so these Milk Chocolate Covered Dry Roasted & Salted Virginia Peanuts are my new favorite. The saltiness of the peanuts comes through first which is followed by the sweetness of chocolate.

Snack on these Milk Chocolate Covered Dry Roasted & Salted Virginia Peanuts alone or try adding them as a topping to a bowl of vanilla ice cream for a real treat.

There's a special place in my heart for French desserts and these Vanilla Eclairs with Chocolate Fondant are now on my list. The vanilla custard complements the light puff pastry so each bite is filled with creamy goodness.

These Vanilla Eclairs with Chocolate Fondant come four in a package so they're a nice option for a light dessert after dinner. Thaw them at room temperature for 30-60 minutes and serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and fresh strawberries.

The Golden Spiced Milk Chocolate Bar is jam-packed with flavors of curry powder, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, and cardamom, making it reminiscent of a delicious chai hot chocolate.

Replace regular baking chocolate with the Golden Spiced Milk Chocolate Bar, and you'll have truly unique batch of chocolate chip cookies. Eat them warm with a cup of chai tea latte for a match made in heaven.

These Oven-Baked Cheese Bites are 100-percent cheese and 100-percent addicting. They remind me of homemade parmesan crisps. If you're looking for a cheesy on-the-go snack without the wheat or flour, these will surely do the trick.

The crunchy texture of these Oven-Baked Cheese Bites really adds a punch. Snack on them by themselves or crumble and add them to your favorite salad.

This Alta Badia Artisan Italian Mountain Cheese has a strong flavor without being overwhelmingly, well, cheesy. Try this hard cheese sliced with crackers or melted in a homemade grilled cheese sandwich.

Because of the flavor of this Alta Badia Artisan Italian Mountain Cheese, I suggest pairing it with a simple water cracker to balance the flavor. This is a bold and flavorful addition to any cheese board.

The possibilities are endless with Trader Joe's new fully cooked Wild Caught Crab Meat. Skip the hassle of picking the crab meat out of the shells, just defrost and it's ready to eat. Since it comes unseasoned, use it in your favorite crab dishes like crab cakes, sandwiches, soup, or dip.

I mixed the Wild Caught Crab Meat with a little bit of mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and chopped green onions. Spread on top of a toasted slice of sourdough bread, and you'll have an easy and delicious lunch in under 10 minutes.

This bag of Uncooked Wild Blue Shrimp has a higher price tag than most items in the store but is worth the price. The jumbo shrimp is caught off the coast of Mexico and has a nice bold shrimp flavor.

After thawing out the Uncooked Wild Blue Shrimp in a bowl of cold water, toss them with olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano and basil, freshly grated parmesan, and salt and pepper. Lay them out on a lightly oiled baking sheet and pop them in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Top with fresh parsley.

The sweetness and texture of Organic Kabocha Squash, otherwise known as Japanese Pumpkin, makes a tasty alternative to regular pumpkin. It comes frozen and cubed so it's much easier to prepare than a raw squash.

I roasted the frozen Organic Kabocha Squash (no thawing necessary) in a pan with some butter, salt, pepper, and sage. Serve as a side dish or turn it into a sweet and savory soup for a cold day.

I normally would have passed right by these Heart of Palm Medallions but when I took them home to try, I was pleasantly surprised. Heart of Palm comes from the core of Palm Trees, and these have a flavor and texture similar to artichoke hearts.

I sliced the Heart of Palm Medallions into quarters and put them in a salad. They added a nice flavor and texture to the crunchy lettuce leaves. I also appreciate the resealable bag these come in, so you don't have to use it all at once.

Trader Joe's new Organic Dry Black Beans are sure to become a common staple in the kitchen pantry. Cooking beans from scratch has it's benefits, like controlling flavors and sodium levels, but I find the canned black beans far too convenient to give them up completely.

The lengthy process of preparing these Organic Dry Black Beans for a simple bean dip was too troublesome for me. If you have the time and patience, soak the black beans and cook according to the package directions. I found the overnight soak worked the best. Boil the soaked black beans with a freshly chopped white onion, minced garlic, and salt and pepper. Simmer for about 2 hours. Transfer to a bowl and add salt, pepper, chili powder, and a little hot sauce. Mash up the beans and serve with some corn chips for dipping.