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Create a Cheap and Easy Aldi Thanksgiving Dinner on a Budget

Planning an Aldi Thanksgiving dinner on a budget is pretty easy to do.  Aldi offers many options to create an affordable and yummy Thanksgiving meal without busting your bank account.  

I decided to combine my love of all things Aldi, meal planning, and saving money to create a mega blog post for others like me who want to create a fantastic Thanksgiving Day dinner for my loved ones without ruining my monthly grocery budget.  Off I set on my adventure to Aldi (one of my favorite places in the world :-)) to explore some of the many options available for planning a tasty, affordable, and fairly easy meal for Thanksgiving using all things that can be purchased at Aldi.

Aldi Thanksgiving Dinner Planning: Main Dish Options

When it comes to planning your Aldi Thanksgiving dinner, you have several options for the main dish.

Turkeys, turkey breast boneless roasts, duck, ham, pork roasts, and seafood are just some of your options, 

Photo Credit: Tim Sackton

Main Dish - Turkey Options

If you are planning turkey as the main dish for your Thanksgiving Day meal, Aldi has several options to choose from.  At my local store I found:

  • Bone-In Turkey Breast for $1.59/lb.
  • Antibiotic-Free Whole Turkeys for $1.49/lb
  • 3 lb. Boneless Turkey Breasts for $8.99
  • Whole Turkeys for $0.69/lb.

Main Dish - Ham Options

If it’s ham that you want to be the main attraction of your Thanksgiving meal, Aldi also offers a variety of options.  I found six on a pre-Thanksgiving trip to my local Aldi store:

  • Appleton Farms Carving Ham $3.29/lb
  • Appleton Farms Smoked Ham $1.29/lb.
  • Appleton Farms Spiral Ham $1.69/lb.
  • Appleton Farms Quarter Boneless Sliced Ham $3.99/lb.
  • Never Any! (Antibiotic Free) Quarter Sliced Ham – Honey or Hardwood Smoked $3.99/lb.
  • Appleton Farms Shank Portion Bone-In Ham $1.29/lb.

More Main Dish Options - Seafood

There were also many options available if you want to have a seafood main dish.  A few that I saw that would be wonderful choices included:

  • Cocktail Shrimp Ring 16oz with cocktail sauce $8.99
  • Fresh Salmon (several options including one on a cedar plank) $7.69-$9.99/lb.
  • Seafood Mix (raw shrimp, calamari, bay scallops, and mussels) $5.99
  • Raw, Peeled Medium Shrimp $5.49 for 12 ounces 

More Main Dish Options- Beef and Pork

There were also some great and affordable options available for anyone looking for pork or beef as their main dish.  A few I noticed that would be delicious choices include:

  • Black Angus USDA Choice Beef Bottom Round Roasts $4.49/lb.
  • Cattlemen’s Ranch Bacon Wrapped Beef Filets (5 oz each sold in twin packs) $4.79 per pack
  • Black Angus USDA Choice Petite Sirloin Steak $5.99/lb.
  • Roseland Marinated Pork Tenderloin (teriyaki or peppercorn) $3.49 per tenderloin
  • Half Pork Loins $1.89/lb.

Main Dish - More Poultry Options

If you or someone in your household doesn’t care for turkey (this is the case in our house) but you’d still like a poultry main dish for your Thanksgiving feast, Aldi has a few great options you might enjoy:

  • Kirkwood Duck with Orange Sauce $2.49/lb.
  • Kirkwood Cornish Hens 22 oz. $3.49 each
  • Kirkwood Whole Chickens $0.95/lb.

Aldi Thanksgiving Dinner Planning: Side Dish Options

Many feel that Thanksgiving dinner is all about the sides!  Your Aldi Thanksgiving dinner can include all the classics from mashed potatoes and stuffing to sweet potato casserole and cranberry sauce but there are also options to get creative and think outside the box if you want! 

If you are working on a tight budget, you can go simple to watch your pennies but still have a lot of sides for your family and friends to chose from.  Here is just some of the countless options you can pull off shopping at Aldi for your Thanksgiving meal:

Fresh Vegetable Sides and Ideas

Fresh veggies make the most delicious side dishes!  Some feel that Aldi’s produce section can be lacking but I don’t usually find that to be the case.  I was able to find many great deals and some very fresh looking produce on my recent visit.  Here are seven options I found especially intriguing for consideration for my Thanksgiving dinner menu:

  • Baby Carrots $0.79 for a 1 pound bag (Serving suggestion: we love this recipe which uses a bag of baby carrots, a stick of butter, some honey and brown sugar. Simple, inexpensive, and delicious!)
  • Acorn Squash $0.69/lb.
  • Butternut Squash $0.69/lb.
  • Fresh Green Beans $1.89/lb.
  • Fresh French Green Beans $2.99/lb.
  • Fresh Asparagus $2.29/lb.
  • Brussel Sprouts $2.59/lb.

 

Frozen Veggie Sides

Frozen vegetables are another great option for your side dishes. They offer affordability and prep is usually easier then fresh which often have to be cleaned and chopped.  Here are eight of the options Aldi offers:

  • Seasons Choice Super Sweet Corn 16 oz. $1.09
  • Season’s Choice Steamable Broccoli Florets 12 oz. $0.89
  • Season’s Choice Steamable Asparagus Spears 8 oz. $2.49
  • Season’s Choice Extra Fine Green Beans 16 oz. $1.75 (these are my favorite green beans for making green bean casserole.  This recipe always wins me rave reviews!)
  • Season’s Choice Steamble Cut Green Beans 12 oz. $0.79
  • Season’s Choice Steamable Brussel Sprouts 12 oz. $1.15
  • Season’s Choice Broccoli or Cauliflower and Cheese Bake 24 oz. $3.99
  • Season’s Choice Steamable Super Sweet Corn 12 oz. $0.75

 

Canned Veggies and Recipe Ideas

Canned vegetables are an easy and inexpensive way to add some sides to your Thanksgiving table and Aldi has some fantastic options and prices.  Here’s what I found:

  • Happy Harvest Whole Kernel Corn 15.25 oz $0.44
  • Happy Harvest Cream Style Corn 14.75 oz $0.44
    Recipe idea: Grandma’s Corn Pudding.  Yum!
  • Happy Harvest Small Sweet Peas 15 oz $0.44
  • Happy Harvest Sliced Carrots 14.5 oz $0.45
  • Happy Harvest Pickled Beets – Sliced or Whole 16 oz $1.39
    Recipe Idea: Beet and Spinach Salad
  • Happy Harvest Cut Green Beans 14.5 oz $0.44
  • Happy Harvest French Green Beans 14.5 oz $0.44  
    Recipe Idea: Green Bean Casserole (without cream soups)

Sweet Potato Sides

For many people, no Thanksgiving meal is complete without a sweet potato dish on the table.  We are one of those families!  In fact, we love sweet potatoes so much that we eat them throughout the year.  Aldi has some simple options for sweet potato sides as well as fresh sweet potatoes if you want to make your own casserole or fresh baked sweet potatoes!  Here’s a few sweet potato options I spotted around the store:

  • Happy Harvest Yams – Cut Sweet Potatoes in Syrup 29 oz. $1.65
  • Sweet Potatoes $1.69 for 3 lbs  Note: this may vary by your location and the week.  When I went back the week after I took this picture, the sweet potatoes were $0.87 for a 3 lb bag. If you are looking for a sweet potato casserole recipe to try, here is our favorite!
  • Chef’s Cupboard Cinnamon Sweet Potato Mash 5 oz package $0.89

Mashed Potatoes, Potatoes Au Gratin and Beyond

There were many options for potato side dishes at Aldi.  Here’s a few options that stood out for me:

  • Chef’s Cupboard Homestyle Mashed Potatoes (assorted varieties) 4 oz packet $0.69
  • Chef’s Cupboard Scalloped Potatoes or AuGratin Potatoes 4.7 oz box $0.75
  • Idahoan Flavored Mashed Potatoes (assorted varieties) 4 oz packet $0.99
  • Bob Evans Refrigerated Mashed Potatoes 24 oz $3.27
  • Russet Potatoes 10 lb bag $2.89 (Note: this was two weeks before Thanksgiving…I imagine they will be on sale the week of!) Quick and Simple Recipe: Chef John’s Mashed Potatoes
  • Season’s Choice Shredded Hash Browns 30 oz $1.75. Recipe Idea: Cheesy Potato Casserole

Gravy

Gravy!  A must have for any Thanksgiving table that features turkey and mashed potatoes!  Aldi has packets of gravy starting at just thirty cents for the frugal shopper and jarred pre-made gravy for those looking to keep things simple.  Here’s the details of what they offer:

  • Chef’s Cupboard Homestyle Turkey Gravy 12 oz jar $1.19
  • Stonemill Regular or Reduced Sodium Brown Gravy 0.37 oz $0.30
  • Stonemill Gravy Mix (turkey or pork) 0.87 oz $0.49

Stuffing - Boxed and Homemade Options

Mmmm!  Stuffing!  Or dressing?  No matter what you call it, Aldi has you covered!  Here’s what I found:

  • Chef’s Cupboard Herb or Cornbread Bagged Stuffing 14 oz bag $1.69
  • Chef’s Cupboard Stuffing Mix (aka Stove Top Stuffing) assorted varieties 6 oz box $0.79

Another option is using bread.  My mom used to make stuffing this way when I was a child.  I remember the paper grocery bag full of bread slices sitting out to dry for a day or two leading up to Thanksgiving.  She always made such amazing stuffing!  

Here’s a couple recipes to try:

Don't Forget the Cranberries!

Cranberries….a must for many Thanksgiving tables.  Aldi offers canned cranberries either in jellied or whole berry form.  Both varieties sell for $0.89 a can.  They also sell fresh cranberries, which I failed to get a picture of, for $0.95 a bag if you prefer to make a homemade cranberry dish!

Breads, Rolls and Biscuits....Oh My!

Bread, rolls, and biscuit options were also plentiful.  I found these:

  • L’oven Fresh Brown and Serve Rolls 12 ct. $0.99
  • Bake House Creations Crescent Rolls 8 oz. $0.79
  • Specially Selected French Baguette 9.5-12 oz. $1.49
  • Specially Selected French Dinner Rolls 12 oz. $1.99
  • L’oven Fresh Hawaiian Sweet Rolls 12 ct. $1.19
  • Specially Selected Italian Bread 16 oz. $1.99
  • Bake House Creation Jumbo Buttermilk Biscuits 16 oz. $0.99
  • Bake House Creation Jumbo Flaky Biscuits 16 oz. $0.99
  • L’oven Fresh Butter or Potato Dinner Rolls 12 ct. $2.29

Aldi Thanksgiving Meal Planning: Dessert Options Abound

Mmmm!  Dessert!  Many people like to make their own desserts for Thanksgiving but if you don’t want to or need an easy fix, Aldi has a lot of options to pick from!  Here is what I found:

  • Belmont Mini Cheesecake Bites – 24 ct in New York Style, Strawberry Swirl, and Turtle $9.99
  • Belmont Cheesecake Twin Packs – Assorted Varieties $1.99
  • Belmont Chocolate Creme or Key Lime Pie 25.5-36 oz. $4.99
  • Bake Shop Cherry or Dutch Apple Pie 24 oz. $3.49
  • Bake Shop Pecan Pie 23 oz. $4.99
  • Bake Shop 10 inch Pumpkin Pie 37 oz. $5.89
  • Bake Shop Pumpkin Pie 24 oz. $3.49

Creating a Plan for Your Aldi Thanksgiving Meal

Here’s some tips to help you plan and stay on budget for your Thanksgiving meal:

  • Decide how much you would like to spend before you even start planning.  This might make it easier to stay on budget and avoid going overboard.
  • Know how many you are serving and if you would like to have leftovers.
  • If you are going with turkey, know how to calculate how much you need.  It is recommended that for bone-in, you have 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per person.
  • If your budget is tight, consider scaling down the amount of sides you make or supplementing them with some inexpensive options.
  • If you are having guests over for Thanksgiving dinner, consider asking everybody to bring a dish to help you out.  Not only will it help save your grocery budget, but it will also save you some time in the kitchen and allow you to spend more time enjoying the holiday and spending time with your loved ones!

Eating Healthy on a Budget: 6 Simple Tips to Save on Fruits and Vegetables

One thing that can certainly make or break your grocery budget is purchasing produce. 

It’s a common complaint of many that eating healthy can cost too much.  This doesn’t have to be the case though.  With a few simple tips, I think you will find that there is a lot of ways to save on fruits and vegetables and stick to your budget while doing it!

#1 - Shop at Several Stores

If your time allows, I highly recommend shopping two or three grocery stores at least.  This allows you to take advantage of the produce deals in their weekly ads and offers you a larger variety of options at each.

I typically shop every week at Aldi, Kroger, and Fresh Thyme plus Randazzos, which is my neighborhood produce market (we’ll get more into that in a bit!)

I check online when the ads post for the week and take note of the produce deals they have so that I can add the ones we can use to my weekly grocery list. 

Pay especially close attention to the produce that is featured on the front page of your favorite grocery stores’s ads.  These will be the loss leaders and are going to be the best produce deals at the store that week.

I make time to hit several stores a week by planning an early Sunday morning errand run, when I can, or planning to hit one or two stores at a time when I am out throughout the week either heading home from work or appointments.

#2 - Look for a Market that Specializes in Produce near Your Home

Two of our three past homes have had a produce market within a mile or two of our home.  I can’t tell you what a godsend this has been!  

Since they mainly sell produce (and a lot of it!) they can typically get much better rates on it that grocery stores.  The one that is near my current house also sells by the case to local restaurants so they have really amazing rates!  It is not usual for me to walk out of there with 4-5 grocery bags full of produce for $15-$20.

To find one near you, try typing one of the following terms into the search engine: produce market, vegetable market, or fruit market.

#3 - Hit Farmer’s Markets in the Warmer Months

This is a great way to get good deals on fresh and local produce.  It also helps you support small and local businesses.  Got to love that!  Plus, farmer’s markets are a treasure hunt because you never know what you might find!

You can use this website to help you locate farmer’s markets near you.

#4 - Shop with the Seasons

This typically means eating a lot of apples, potatoes, squash, etc in the fall: berries, melons, and stone fruits in the summer months: and citrus in the winter.  

The prices are always better when something is in season and plentiful. I know I can usually find three pound bags of apples in the fall for $1 so we eat more of them.  In the summer, scoring berries for $1 a carton and huge watermelons for $3 is commonplace so we consume them a lot then.  

The other advantage of shopping what is in season is that it always tastes better than.  Berries and watermelon always taste their best in summer and winter citrus always seems juicer to me than the stuff I buy in the summer.

#5 - When you can’t find deals, stick to the tried and true basics!

Get creative to save on produce. Buy tried and true favorites that are always affordable alongside with what ever is on sale and in season!

Apples, bananas, carrots, and citrus such as clementines are usually affordable options year round.  So is bagged garden salad which often sells at Aldi for .89 a bag.  

You can also get frozen bags of vegetables such as corn, green beans, and broccoli for $1 or less a bag.  This is a great way to add more produce to your meals not only inexpensively, but also easily.  This bagged veggies often come in steamer bags that you can pop right into the microwave.  

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are also often year round bargains when it comes to produce consumption.  You can bake them and eat them whole or dice them up and add them to skillets or foil packet meals.  Of course, you can never go wrong with mashing them either!

#6 - Grab Marked Down Produce When You Can

When hitting the grocery store, always be on the lookout for great markdowns in the produce section. 

Kroger, for instance, will bag up produce that is about to go bad and sell the bags for $0.99.  They also markdown ripe bananas and will place markdown price stickers on bagged items like bagged salads and sugar peas that are near or at their expire by dates. 

Just make sure that you incorporate these items into your meal plan as soon as possible!

What are your favorite ways to eat healthy on a budget?