7 Aldi Finds That Taste Homemade (And Save Me an Hour a Week)

Where I live, we went from second-winter to fire-scorching pavement in about a week’s time. With the heat index rising, the last thing I want to do is heat up my kitchen unnecessarily. But I still have to feed my family, including a growing 15-year-old and his posse of volleyball-playing friends.

On days when it’s too hot to be in the kitchen for long or I simply don’t have time, I turn to my favorite Aldi shortcuts that taste homemade—heat-and-serve meals, freezer finds, and other staples that are always a hit in my household. Here are seven items that help me keep my family fed, but save me hours worth of cooking.

1. Rotisserie-Style Pulled Chicken or Pork

A pound of this rotisserie-style pulled chicken or pork costs only $8.79. While it’s a bit more expensive than a Costco rotisserie chicken, there’s way more meat, so this is a frequent buy that my whole family loves. I use the chicken for barbecue chicken pizzas, tacos, fried rice, and chicken salad. I use the pork mostly for barbecue pork and tacos, both of which are also great if you are throwing a party.

2. Mama Cozzi’s Pizza Kitchen Original Pizza Dough

My family loves homemade pizza, but making a pizza dough from scratch takes time and creates a mess in my kitchen. For $1.35, you can get a pound of pizza dough that’s enough to make one large, thin-crust pizza or a small deep-dish pizza. It’s absolutely as good as homemade, especially if you sprinkle some cornmeal on the bottom before you roll it out. I also use this for homemade garlic knots, cinnamon rolls, or as a biscuit top for homemade pot pies. 

3. Season’s Choice Steamable Sweet Peas

My son and my husband love peas, and this 12-ounce bag costs only $1.09, so I always have a bag or two of these in my freezer. If my husband or son didn’t eat enough veggies with their dinner, they’ll each warm up a small bowl to nosh on. I also use them for fried rice, casseroles, salads, and chicken pot pies.

4. Aldi Honey BBQ Bacon Twisters

Four skewers of bacon-wrapped chicken cost only $4.99 at Aldi. They are my go-to summer grill item this year, but they can also be easily cooked in an air fryer. My son loves them as a protein-packed snack.

5. Little Salad Bar Caesar Salad

I usually grab two bags of this 10.5-ounce Caesar salad for dinner since my kiddo can eat an entire bag by himself. Though I love making salads from scratch, this all-in-one kit saves me time and gets some quick nutrition into my family, all for just $3.29 each. I also love adding the rotisserie-style chicken to this to make wraps, too.

6. Mild Italian Style Meatballs

A pound of these pork meatballs costs only $3.29. I typically cook them in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F, then pair them with pasta and jarred sauce and a bagged salad for an easy and quick meal that tastes as good as homemade. What I also appreciate about these meatballs is that they are gluten-free, which is important to some of my family members and friends.

7. Pulmuone Chicken Pad Thai Kit

A nearly 20-ounce bag costs less than $10, and you can put a pad Thai meal on your table in less than 20 minutes. It’s as good as a takeout restaurant and way cheaper. I usually add in some extra rotisserie-style chicken to bulk it up, as my son craves lots of protein. Though you can find this in the fresh deli section at Aldi, I often grab a couple of bags and toss them in my freezer to use when I need a quick last-minute dinner.

_{To learn more about our approach to product recommendations, see HERE.}