The Aldi Breakfast Item Instagram Is Chasing After

"Potatoes. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew." While those words were spoken by a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," the reality is many people love the versatility of potatoes. It doesn't matter if it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you're bound to see a potato in some form or another on menus at any time of day. While the most unhealthy way to enjoy the vegetable, but arguably the tastiest, fried potatoes are a common menu item at restaurants and at breakfast, we tend to see them in the form of hash browns. 

While grating or chopping a potato into small pieces and frying it up has been around in a variety of cultures, history books document the term "hashed browned potatoes" from the 1887 cookbook "Kitchen Companion" (per Live Naturally). You might be surprised to learn that the French word for hacked is "hacher," and that's where we get the word "hash" from (via Etymology Online). There are a variety of hash brown recipes, from triangles to shredded pieces to an oval patty at McDonald's. Now, Aldi has brought back another form of hash browns for you to try and it's drawn some positive reviews.

Aldi's hash browns offering comes in the form of Hash Brown Sticks by Season's Choice. The brand has been at Aldi for several years, but only seems to appear on shelves every so often. One Instagram user in 2021 said, "I loved them but I can't find them anymore. Are they a once-a-year thing? Missing my hash brown sticks in northwest Indiana" (via Instagram). Well, they're back according to Aldi USA, and social media is very interested. One Facebook commenter said they have cooked some up with eggs and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Others on Aldi's Facebook page described them as "great in the air fryer" and "already a big hit at our house" (via Facebook). One reviewer said, "The flavor and texture reminded us more of long tater tots than hash brown patties," but that they still paired very well with eggs (via Aldi Reviewer).

But since Aldi's hash brown sticks only seem to appear as often as Punxsutawney Phil takes a peek outside, you may want to check with your local store to see if they're available before visiting. And if you are able to locate a bag of these delicious potato sticks, make sure to use this trick to keep them from sticking to the frying pan.