The Genius Way To Amp Up Trader Joe's Garlic Gondolas

Despite entering a bit of a rocky patch with recalls recently, Trader Joe's continues to be a mainstay staple in the grocery store circuit. Just about everyone's got their must-buy TJ products, and completely fresh faces to the Trader Joe's scene can find something to love waiting for them on the shelves. Garlic gondolas are the latest hot ticket item, now flying off the shelves thanks to some good old-fashioned TikTok trends. These little guys are essentially bread boats loaded up with cheese and infused with an intense garlic flavor. On their own, they make for a delightful side to any breakfast, lunch or dinner. But put in just a bit of elbow grease, and you can turn garlic gondolas into a full on meal. The trick? Meatballs.

Well, you might need a few other ingredients, because you're about to turn your garlic gondolas into a meatball sub. Grab some marinara sauce, mozzarella, and your favorite homemade meatballs (or store-bought, since Trader Joe's makes a mean meatball, too). Cook up the bread and meatballs separately. Once they're all done, layer your meatballs into the bottom, dollop on some marinara and top it with mozz. Toss that into your oven and broil it for a few minutes, until the cheese is melty and has a lovely brown color, and you're done!

There's an art to making meatball subs, and anyone who says otherwise either has lottery-winning levels of good luck, or they don't mind a sandwich with a soggy bottom. Trader Joe's garlic gondolas do take some of the moisture out of the equation, though, and that's all thanks to the ooey-gooey layer of cheese draped across the inside of this garlicky little boat like a plastic bin liner. For extra security and dryness, you could toast your garlic gondolas for a bit longer or use an air fryer instead of the oven. Consider putting a smaller amount of marinara sauce on your bread, too, and having a separate container for dipping if you like it saucy but not soggy.

Meatball subs are also a dish best served hot and tragically not very meal preppable. Make just as much as you think you're going to eat and no more, because the leftovers aren't going to reheat well. Fortunately Trader Joe's garlic gondolas come two per pack, which is a perfectly shareable size between two very hungry people or four peckish ones. You'll be finding yourself craving more before you know it, so thank your lucky stars that garlic gondolas are a freezer food and don't be shy when stocking up.