Aldi’s produce prices aren’t necessarily the lowest prices in Minneapolis this week (are they in your city if you live elsewhere?), although a couple other things are at great prices.
If you’ve never shopped at Aldi bring a quarter (not 25 cents, but a quarter) for the refundable deposit on your cart and bring your own grocery bags. They take cash or debit card, but not credit card. Find an Aldi near you.
Remember that Aldi is owned by the parent company that owns Trader Joe’s, if that makes you somehow feel better about shopping there. If you don’t live near an Aldi, but can get your hands on an ad remember that Target and Walmart will price match equivalent produce items (if sold in the same quantity, packaging, etc.) and Walmart will price match generics if they carry a Great Value brand in the same size/quantity.
Baking Potatoes. $0.79 for a 5-pound bag. I know we are in potato salad season, but I still buy a bag like this, make mashed potatoes (just like normal) and freeze them in side dish-sized portions. This time of year when it is hot and I don’t like to run the stove I cook the potatoes in my crock pot. We also cube them, mix with some oil and spices, then cook them on the grill as a summertime side dish. What do you do with 5 pounds of potatoes?
Buns. $0.79 per package of hamburger or hot dog buns. We eat hearty grain, whole wheat bread and until this summer have always eaten whole wheat buns, but I have decided to keep a package or two of these white buns in the freezer for last minute dinners. When I see whole grain buns on sale, I’ll get those too, but that doesn’t happen quite as often.
Blueberries. $1.69 per pint. Over the winter we started buying Aldi’s frozen blueberries, which are like $1.69 per pound or something similar, and use those mixed into oatmeal and yogurt. Not sure if I want to pay this much for the fresh ones.
Watermelon. Although $3.49 each isn’t a bad price, some our local grocery stores have them for $2.99 this week.
Chicken Breasts. $5.49 for a 3-pound bag of frozen chicken breasts ($1.83/lb). I am not sure if these are the type that have had saline solution added to them or not (sometimes frozen breasts have things added). Anyone know?
About Carrie Rocha
We also make what we call campfire potatoes just cube potatoes, mix in some onion, seasoning, alittle olive oil and grill in tinfoil packets they are soo yummy I grew up eating these and now my husband cooks them on the grill, I have never cooked on a grill in my life (34) I know sad huh oh well I do enough cooking inside to make up for it, besides the hubby loves it must be the caveman in him, man make fire or whatever. I don’t know the potato salad sounds great right now its soo hot here in Baraboo, WI how is it in MN?
Yum! Cooking them in tinfoil is a great idea since it saves on washing pans, which is usually my job even when my husband cooks :)
We also do these on the grill w/tinfoil. Add carrots, onions any other leftover fresh veggies and cook w/ a little butter, but more water. Makes them less greasy. My kids loooovvee these! We wafer slice ours like potato chips. Just had them last night!
We do something similar usually when we go camping over our camp fire (sometimes at home on the grill) make a hamburger patty, potatoes, carrots, onion, can add celery too, and season, wrap in foil, I put them all in a big baggie and in our cooler, when we get there we can just toss on our fire! My Dads family called them hobo dinners so we do to.
In our house its my husbands job to wash although I do it sometimes. Tinfoil is great, I just wrap them up good and then you can turn them on the grill we like to get ours really crispy they are so good.
Another way to get crispy type potatoes in oven or grill is after you clean and cut them to put them in ice water bath. Then season and I use a little olive oil and you will have “french fried” like without all the grease or mess.
We like hobo’s here. At least that is what we call them. Use hamburger or turkey formed into pattie and then season put in middle of tinfoil and then add sliced potatoes, onions, carrots and dot with butter (everyone can add what they like). Wrap up the tinfoil and put on grill. We have also made them in our Scout troop with frozen chicken fingers, frozen mixed vegs (baseball type) as the girls called them dot with butter and cook. Easy and you can eat out of the foil (like a hobo) which saves on mess. Tasty
May I make a couple recommendations if you’re going to freeze white hot dog and hamburger buns? Suck all the air out of the bag that you possibly can; over wrap in another air tight bag or container; thaw in the refrigerator. Otherwise these buns tend to dry out very readily. I’ve gotten so I’d rather use a slice or two of bread rather than deal with freezer burned buns. I also like lightly toasted English muffins for hamburgers. These keep much better in the freezer.
On the Chicken question, I need to go look at the bag but I do not think they have the saline solution added. They just have a coating of Ice on them from being flash frozen, The ones with Saline taste funny to me and I do not have that experience with the Aldi (Kirkwood frozen chicken). I have been cooking with this chicken for many applications for over a year. While Fresh is nicer it is not worth the Price. I only buy fresh if I can get it cheaper than Aldi.
Paulette – Do you know if the advertised price for chicken is the regular price or a sale price?
I’m all over fresh blueberries for that price! I think will check to see how much they are at Sam’s club first, though, because we’d eat that many I think.
when you make your ‘hobo’ packets,,, how long on the grill should I let them cook? How about if it’s just potatoes or veggies without the meat? Thanks!
I guess it depends on how hot your grill is and how big you cut your vegetables? I usually open one cause fan them closed then tuck ends. (pull tinfoil up togeter then fold everyother way then tuck ends) I like the 1/4 lb burger but hubby likes 1/2 pound. With scouts we put them on coals so they took less time. If you open and juices are not pink and potatoes/carrots break easily they are done for our family.
I have never made them without meat but certainly think it would work but I would use some sort of butter to grease the foil or non stick foil as the meat usually has enough to keep them from sticking on bottom and sides. The dots of butter do the top.
Frozen vegetables would be quicker then fresh. I want to say 30 minutes with hot grill is my best guess. I should time them next time. Sorry I am not more helpful.
Also favorite desert on grill is grilled pineapple. If have coconut milk then that even adds to the good taste. Love pineapple as is but on grill is even sweeter and like candy.
I like to get blueberries and use for everything. Not sure on price but I think from what I have scene it is not a bad price. When we were kids and picked berries at my grandparents farm it was usually hotter like July/August so may be cheaper then but ?
Thanks for the tips on the buns. Never thought about using English muffins and usually keep longer. Great idea. Would love more helpful hints on freezing/canning and grilling. Maybe a Thursday topic?