The Most Delicious Aldi Finds Of All Time
There's no shortage of grocery stores to shop at, which can be both great and frustrating. On the one hand, you'll never go hungry due to a lack of products, but on the other, it's tough to know which spots have the best deals and give you the most bang for your buck. Navigating the landscape can be tricky, but after a while many people just settle on a store and stick with it for all their food shopping needs. And one chain that has been making some serious waves over the last few years is Aldi.
Customers flock to Aldi in droves due to its reasonable prices and variety of goods. It has certainly become a major player in the supermarket game, and it deserves the attention it's been getting. Like any supermarket, you're going to find a plethora of items you thoroughly enjoy and other stuff you want to keep as far away from your shopping cart as possible. So, if you're planning a trip to Aldi in the near future, we've compiled a list of the products that smash culinary grand slams every time, so you can be sure not to leave the store without them.
Baby Back Ribs
When the carnivore that lurks inside the darkest corners of your belly awakens, you need to find the quickest way to satiate it before it starts screaming out in discomfort. You need a hearty meal of meat pronto. Obviously, there are a ton of different protein options, but few rival a fat slab of baby back ribs. Cooking up a heaping rack of ribs not only gives you the meat fix you crave, but you get to harness your inner caveman and tear all the delicious meat right off the bone for a fantastically visceral eating experience. This is why the baby back ribs at Aldi deserve a spot in your cart.
You can cook this hunk o' meat in many different ways, and who doesn't love options? Toss them in the oven and let the appliance do the work or slam them down on the grill and use that open flame to give them that amazing smoky flavor barbecue enthusiasts dream about. What makes these ribs a fantastic purchase is the fact that you get a ton of meat from each bone. All too often a platter of ribs comes with barely any meat and is mostly bone with a little bit of protein to nibble at. Not here. You get mouthfuls of succulent rib meat so that pesky belly beast stays cool, calm, and collected.
Fresh Atlantic Salmon with Mediterranean Herbs
Salmon can be a fickle protein to cook. It's a delicate art because you only have a small window of time when the fish has the perfect texture and flavor. If you keep the fillet in the oven for too long, it gets tough and much of the flavor disappears. Pull it out too early and you're eating undercooked seafood — and we all know the havoc that can wreak on your stomach. But, a properly prepared piece of salmon is just too good to turn down, which is why you should brush up on your fish-cooking skills and add Aldi's fresh Atlantic salmon with Mediterranean herbs to your shopping list.
This fillet is really thick, which means you get boatloads of flavor with each bite. But, it's the medley of Mediterranean herbs and spices that takes things to the next level. The salmon skin is crusted with herbs like oregano, parsley, and basil, and all of the aromas work together beautifully to enhance the flavor of the fish. The skin takes on a lovely crust that complements the flakiness of the fish for a super appealing textural contrast. When you want to surf instead of turf, make this your go-to option.
Mama Cozzi's Pizza Calzones
Nowadays, if you can present consumers with an item that brings convenience into their lives, you're on the right track. Lots of people have busy schedules and are always looking for ways to save time and energy, especially when it comes to food. This is exactly what makes Mama Cozzi's pizza calzones such an appealing buy. Not only do you get a product that tastes awesome, but there's little to no mess involved thanks to the convenient on-the-go design.
Mama Cozzi's offers two different flavors of calzones — four cheese and pepperoni — and they're both worth your appetite's time. The pocket of dough that houses the gooey innards is slightly crunchy on the outside and a little soft on the inside, so you get a pleasant mouthfeel with each bite. The dough isn't super thick either, so it never overwhelms the flavors nestled inside. Each calzone is stuffed to the brim with ingredients, which means a savory and salty experience with every bite. Easy to eat and even easier to prepare, these handheld pockets are well worth your money.
Park Street Deli Hummus
Let's be honest: It can prove difficult not to snack throughout the day. When you're sitting around watching your favorite Netflix show or enjoying a sunny day on your porch, breaking out some snacks just makes the time more enjoyable. But, it's important not to always choose something that totally lacks any nutrition. Sure, the occasional bout of sugary treats is okay, but if you snack frequently, you want to make an effort to find something that doesn't pack a ton of calories. This is where Aldi's Park Street Deli hummus swoops in like a creamy superhero to offer you a snacking option full of great flavor without overwhelming your daily caloric intake.
The hummus comes in three different flavors: roasted pine nut, significantly spicy, and olive tapenade. All three are worth purchasing, so keep that in mind if you're torn between them. The texture is silky and smooth, and it does a lovely job of coating your mouth with a fresh chickpea flavor. The roasted pine nut option offers a wonderful nuttiness; the significantly spicy option isn't overly spicy but has a light kick of heat that wakes up your taste buds just enough; and the olive tapenade offers a salty eruption of flavor that helps cut through the richness of the hummus.
White Castle Cheeseburgers
In 2004, Harold and Kumar took audiences on an epic adventure to White Castle, the chain known for its small, slider-like burgers. It was virtually impossible to watch the movie without scheduling a trip to the restaurant soon after. The burgers are small, which allows you to toss back several of them in one sitting, and they're packed with savory flavor. If you don't have a White Castle near you, don't fret. Aldi sells frozen White Castle cheeseburgers for your convenience, and they're every bit as tasty as the ones you get at the restaurant counter.
Now, if healthy eating is a huge priority, you'll want to skip out on these. They pack a pretty hefty punch of salt and fat. But sometimes you have to treat yourself to all the stuff your doctor tells you to avoid. Just toss a couple of these into the microwave and in no time at all you're staring down the barrel of a delicious handheld goodie. The buns are super squishy, the beef patties are thin but flavorful, and the cheese gives every bite a gooey texture. You don't ever feel like your belly is about to burst thanks to their small size, and the taste is irresistibly yummy. Harold and Kumar made the right decision, and so should you.
Bremer Chicken Pita Melts
Texture plays a vital role in the enjoyment of food. You can have an absolutely delicious flavor, but if the vessel transporting that taste has a completely off-putting mouthfeel, the positive qualities are totally overshadowed. This is what makes melty foods so darn appealing. There's something about a warm and gooey sensation that coats your mouth and leaves your appetite in a celestial daze of culinary pleasure. So, if you're looking to add some melted goodness into your life, look no further than the Bremer chicken pita melts at Aldi.
You get a pita pocket stuffed with a thin filet of chicken and American cheese. There's nothing super fancy happening here but that's totally okay because this works just fine. The pita that holds the filling has a great crunchy texture, and once you break through the crispness you're treated to a piece of chicken that erupts with juices and cheese that makes every bite salty and super gooey. The creaminess of the cheese and the tenderness of the chicken are a match made in heaven. Between the flavors and textures, this is the perfect way to enjoy a melty meal.
Fusia Asian Inspirations
If you're in the market for a meal with vibrant flavors, Asian food tends to check off all of the boxes. Asian cuisine frequently achieves that coveted umami sensation — the flavor profile that hits all the savory notes on your palate perfectly. Obviously, every time you sit down to eat a meal you want it to taste the best it possibly can, which is what makes Fusia Asian Inspirations at Aldi such an appealing product. You get a wide variety of ingredients as well as loud flavors that'll keep you going back for more.
Fusia Asian Inspirations has two bagged meals available at Aldi: chicken fried rice and chicken lo mein. Both of them taste wonderful; you just have to pick which starch you want to consume. The texture of the rice and the lo mein is fantastic, and neither comes out gummy, instead, offering a soft and enjoyable mouthfeel. The two varieties come with a medley of veggies that absorb the teriyaki sauce, making each bite an eruption of umami flavor. However, it's the sauce that really makes both of these worth your time. The thick savory glaze marries everything together without being gloopy or overly salty.
Baker's Treat Mini Muffins
Miniature items are just so much more appealing than regular-sized stuff. There's something about the tiny size that screams, "I'm adorable!" especially when it comes to food. If you're on the hunt for something bite-sized that also scratches a sugary itch developing in your belly, Baker's Treat mini muffins at Aldi have your name all over them. Not only do you get to bask in the wonderful flavor of blueberry or chocolate chip muffins, but you can toss a handful of them back like popcorn, which is a fun way to eat muffins.
Anyone who knows their way around a pastry is well aware that texture matters so much. Anything dry and crumbly can take a hike. You want that soft, squishy, fresh-out-of-the-oven feel to it, and that's exactly what you get here. Each muffin has a perfect consistency, and that great mouthfeel means you pretty much can't resist going back for another. And another. And another. You'll find yourself plowing through a bag of these muffins real quickly. Each minuscule pastry is also chock-full of either blueberries or chocolate chips, so you never feel like you're getting ripped off.
Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies
When it comes to sugary treats, Little Debbie certainly has its finger on the pulse of all things delicious. The company makes a ton of baked goods that wallop your palate with wonderfully sweet flavors. Whether a Little Debbie product swoops in after a meal to balance out the savory dishes you just ate or simply arrives in the form of a between-meal snack, it shows up ready to wow your mouth. It can be tough to settle on which product to stock your cabinets with — there are so many great options to choose from — but one home run you can always count on comes in the form of the oatmeal creme pies.
These pies really have it all: a wonderful texture, amazing flavor, and an aesthetic that makes them irresistible. The delicious oatmeal flavor and texture are to die for. They're immaculately squishy, and it's so enjoyable to bite down on a cookie. The cream in the middle coats your mouth and offers the perfect textural contrast to the firm-but-chewy cookie. The ratio of cookie to cream works really well also, and there's just the right amount of cream without overpowering the oatmeal taste. Still, you're guaranteed a velvety consistency with each bite.
Elevation High Protein Bars
Ensuring you get enough protein throughout the day is important, especially if you're the kind of person who stays active. Protein is hugely important in maintaining a healthy immune system, repairing damaged cells, and supplying us with energy. If you have a super busy schedule and your eating habits are a bit unconventional, it can be tough to get the proper amount of protein in your diet. For this reason, protein bars are so popular because you get a blast of nutrition in the form of a quick and convenient edible bar. There are a lot of protein bars on the market, but the Elevation High Protein Bars at Aldi are some of the best ones around.
Each bar packs 20 grams of protein, so if you're not able to eat a full meal, these will give you the solid hit you need for a welcome boost of energy. You can get chocolate peanut butter or chocolate mint, and both are super delicious. The flavors are all balanced really well; the peanut butter never overpowers the chocolate, and the chocolate never takes away from the mint. They also boast a great texture and are a little crunchy on the inside and soft on the outside. Even though they pack in the protein, the bars are relatively small so you won't feel bloated after consuming one. There's no doubt about it, these bars are a fantastic way to get protein into your diet.
Campbell's Chunky Soups
When a bowl of soup arrives in front of you, the last thing you want to see is a bowl of hot broth without any ingredients bobbing around like savory little buoys. If you're craving a hearty bowl of piping hot ingredients, you don't want to get a runny liquid lacking any real bite. Campbell's has been in the soup game for years now, and it knows customers want a rich and flavor-packed soup they can dive head-first into and not look back. The line of Chunky soups it offers does a splendid job of loading up each can with huge chunks of meat and veggies, and that makes them more than deserving of a place in your pantry.
Two of the varieties sold at Aldi are the steak and potato and sirloin burger with country vegetables. Both are powerhouses of loud flavors. The broth is super rich and soaks into every ingredient, making for a melt-in-your-mouth consistency with each bite. The steak and potato option has huge chunks of soft potato and thick pieces of extremely tender steak that dissolve onto your tongue. Meanwhile, the sirloin steak variety has a medley of perfectly cooked veggies and rich pieces of glistening meat that will scratch every carnivorous itch.
Raspberry Jaffa Cakes are wunderbar ... when you can get them
If you've never made a point to visit (and raid) Aldi's imported sweets section, you must. Among the display of European chocolate and other tempting-looking confections are Jaffa Cakes, made in Germany and brought to a store near you courtesy of Aldi's specialty brand Deutsche Küche — that's German for "German cuisine". Jaffa Cakes look like cookies, but they have a springy, lighter texture than shortbread or chocolate chip cookies do. Aldi Jaffa Cakes are in fact cake and come in orange, raspberry, or strawberry flavors — we recommend the Raspberry Jaffa Cakes. These heavenly little medallions consist of one layer of white sponge cake, one layer of dark chocolate dipped sponge, and fruit jam sandwiched in between.
The half-coating of dark chocolate balances out the sweetness of the raspberry jam and sponge cake, making for a seriously delicious bite. We understand if the very mention of Raspberry Jaffa Cakes makes you want to run to Aldi and grab a few boxes, but there is a caveat to keep in mind. Jaffa Cakes are one of many offerings from Deutsche Küche sold exclusively during Aldi's bi-annual German Week, which takes place in early May and late September. While this might sound a little disheartening, it's not so bad. Depending on the Aldi location, Deutsche Küche goods (including Raspberry Jaffa Cakes) are known to linger on the shelves a little past German Week if the products are still in stock.