Aldi's Dinners That Should Be In Your Kitchen Now

If you've ever gone home a bit later than usual in the day and needed to pull together a quick and easy dinner, then you can appreciate a well-stocked kitchen. From pantry staples to refrigerated items that are fast and simple to cook, Aldi has some great options for pulling together a great, yet uncomplicated dinner fast. Though Aldi has tons of incredible frozen items like crispy chicken strips, burgers (both the plant based and meat variety), and pizzas that you can just heat up, you should definitely have some other Aldi dinner options in your kitchen.

Some of the easiest dinners to prepare can be tossed into an Instant Pot and left to cook, while others can be made in just one skillet for easy clean up. The key is having versatile items that can be used in a few different inventive ways. From exciting proteins to grains that can be tossed into dishes or used as a side, Aldi has you covered. So get ready to make a few of Aldi's best dinner items a staple, you won't regret having them on hand.

Chicken is a pretty common go-to protein for many people. And while you can use chicken in tons of different ways, sometimes it's nice to have a product that makes switching things up a little easier. Instead of making the jump straight to chicken nuggets, which might be perfect for kids, there's another item from Aldi that may elevate your meal.

Aldi's chicken sausage is a great pick for busy nights, and it even comes in a few different flavors. The protein is pre-cooked and will easily keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Not to mention, these sausages have no nitrates and or hormones, so you can feel good about serving them to your family. Chicken sausage is a great complement to pasta, but it can also be used to top foods like salad or rice. Make the Best of Everything recommends using it in rice bowls, with polenta, or even paired with peppers in stuffed shells.

Aldi sells huge 80-ounce bags of jasmine rice that is imported from Thailand (via Aldi). While other brands of rice might be tempting, Make the Best of Everything admits to returning time and time again to Aldi's version. The best part of all might be that you can cook this rice in just 12 minutes in an Instant Pot, meaning any dish you might want to make that calls for rice can come together incredibly fast.

This jasmine rice is perfect for stirfries, rice bowls, and casseroles, of course. However, you can also use it to fill your own burritos at home, make fried rice, or try your hand at jambalaya. Even if it isn't the primary focus of your meal, the fragrant rice is the perfect base or side for many meals (via The Kitchn).

Soup or chili can be a quick and cozy meal when you need it most. While making either from scratch results in a delicious dish, both can also be time consuming; but Aldi's three-bean chili mix delivers a great base for a hearty soup or chili in just minutes. Simply add whatever protein and additional vegetables you'd like and let it simmer on the stove. The best part might be that you can be done from start to end in less than half an hour, according to Make the Best of Everything.

Some recommended recipes include beef and corn chili, chicken chili, and sweet potato-quinoa chili. However, you might want to try using this Aldi dinner as the base for a turkey chili or even a chicken tortilla chili. Whatever combinations, add-ins, or toppings you choose to try, we're sure your meal is likely to turn out well.

You probably think of quinoa as one of those trendy foods from recent years. While the health food is still rather popular, you can get it at a very reasonable price from Aldi. Quinoa is a protein-rich food that's also high in fiber and has significant amounts of all nine essential amino acids (via Healthline). Plus, it comes in red, black, and white varieties, each with a slightly different flavor while still being mostly interchangeable. Quinoa makes a great substitute for rice, but it's also a good base for bowls or topping for salads.

You can use quinoa to make Buddha bowls, salads, and burgers. However, it also works well in soups and stews or stuffed into veggies like peppers, according to the Huffington Post. The best part of all might be that you can make a large pot of quinoa and reserve some for breakfast as a porridge (via Cookie and Kate). That means you'll get a quick dinner and meal prep for the next morning done at the same time.

Finally, Aldi sells packs of frozen Alaskan sockeye salmon filets. Salmon fillets make for a delicious and healthy meal that can be used in a ton of different dishes. While Aldi does sell salmon burgers too that are fast and easy to make (via Make the Best of Everything), the fillets seem a little more versatile to us.

You can use the fillets to make a fast and easy soy-glazed salmon with rice by pairing it with one of Aldi's stirfry mixes, according to The Kitchn. These salmon fillets can also be baked in the oven and topped with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of dill sauce for a classic healthy meal. Salmon can of course be used to top pasta dishes, but it can also be cooked and flaked to be incorporated into a salmon corn chowder or a salad too (via Tasty). However you like your salmon, you can use this Aldi product to find quick and easy new ways to incorporate it into meals.