The Discontinued Trader Joe's Sauce We Might Never Eat Again

Of the mistakes that everyone makes when shopping at Trader Joe's, not stocking up on your favorite items is perhaps the blunder with the biggest potential for heartbreak. TJ's tends to discontinue products without much rhyme or reason ... even popular ones. Fans of the "Just Sauce" Turkey Bolognese were appalled and saddened when the product disappeared from the freezer case without warning in 2022, which is the historic first sign that a product has been seen for the last time. It seems that the pasta sauce had been discontinued as part of a spate of summer SKU-cutting.

The "Just Sauce" Turkey Bolognese was a frozen sauce meant to be thawed and served over the noodles of your choice. While a traditional Bolognese uses minced pork or beef to create a meaty, savory sauce studded with mirepoix veggies, the Trader Joe's version used ground turkey for a leaner take. As is usual with TJ's decisions to axe products, no official reason was given for why production of the pasta sauce ceased. However, spotty complaints about the taste and consistency of the product leave us wondering if customer dissatisfaction wasn't part of the rationale behind the move.

Can a meat sauce be too meaty? That was a question plaguing the "Just Sauce" Turkey Bolognese, which some people felt was too thick to work as a traditional pasta sauce. One reviewer said the Bolognese made a better sloppy Joe filling because the consistency was very heavy and the taste was more meaty than tomato-forward. There were also complaints that the flavor was bland and that it needed doctoring to improve it.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, other Trader Joe's fans were all in on the Bolognese. Remarks about how easy it was to throw together a quick, delicious, and simple meal using this frozen product were numerous. Dispirited commenters complained that the sauce had become a regular buy for them, and they loved the versatility. They even praised the fennel-heavy flavor, though the licorice-like taste was off-putting for others.

For whatever reason (assuming there was one at all), "Just Sauce" Turkey Bolognese has joined the long list of discontinued Trader Joe's products we're probably never getting back. Luckily, making your own turkey Bolognese isn't very complicated, and it will probably yield a better product. Just brown some seasoned ground turkey, carrots, onions, and celery, and incorporate them into your favorite homemade or store-bought pasta sauce. You can even use Trader Joe's ingredients to do so.