Jeanette Hurt - The Unofficial Aldi Cookbook: Delicious Recipes Made with Fan Favorites from the Award-Winning Grocery Store

Text and photographs copyright 2021 Jeanette Hurt. Design and concept copyright 2021 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published in the US by:

Ulysses Press

PO Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-64604-124-4

ISBN-13: 978-1-6460-4125-1 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020946841

Acquisitions editor: Casie Vogel

Managing editor: Claire Chun

Editor: Mark Rhynsburger

Proofreader: Renee Rutledge

Front cover design: Rebecca Lown

Cover photograph: Natasha Breen/shutterstock.com

Interior design: what!design @ whatweb.com

Layout: Jake Flaherty

Interior photos: shutterstock.com

NOTE TO READERS: This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, ALDI, Inc. or any trademarked brands and products mentioned within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in ingredient lists and elsewhere in this book belong to ALDI, Inc. and their respective owners, and are used here for informational purposes only. The author and publisher encourage readers to patronize the quality brands mentioned in this book.

This book is dedicated to my mom, who introduced me to ALDI, as well as my cousin Julie Neubauer and my sister Karen, who are both longtime ALDI nerds, and my sister Julie, who is a new ALDI nerd.

My mom started shopping at the local ALDI in Villa Park, Illinois, in the early 80s. This was probably one of the first ALDIs in the United States, as the German grocery chain opened its very first US store in Iowa in 1976.

My mom told me it made no sense to spend extra money on brand names. And although she belonged to a local food co-op for things such as whole wheat bread (back then, ALDI didnt have the extensive bakery section it does now) and wheat germ, she bought the rest of our groceries at ALDI. I grew up as an ALDI kid.

Fast forward to getting my first apartment. I had just moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it was my second job out of college. My job as a police reporter was part-time, so I had to make my grocery budget stretch. Of course, I shopped where my mom had taught me to. Back then, a 6-ounce jar of Happy Farms tomato paste cost about 27 cents, and I remember thinking that 27 cents a can was a steal!

I still shop at ALDI, and today, that same can of tomato paste costs about 33 cents. Its still a steal, and I use it to make my homemade marinara sauce, my chicken parmigiana, and my Swiss steak, and sometimes my 10-year-old son eats it straight out of the can with a spoon!

I have reusable bags in my trunk, I have a quarter or two in my cupholder (more on both the bags and the quarters in a few paragraphs). As a certified ALDI nerd, I know that although I might not be able to buy boysenberries or brandy, I can get everything else on my list thereand I rarely spend more than $150 (and when I spend that much its usually because lobsters are on sale, I found too many must-haves in the AOS aisle, or my son managed to put 20 containers of yogurt in the cart along with five boxes of macarons). And yes, I know that AOS stands for Aisle of Specials, but everyone I know who shops at ALDI calls it the Aisle of Shame. Because, shame on you if you dont browse it.

ALDI started out as Albrechts grocery store in 1913 in Germany. Eventually the Albrecht brothers took over from their mama, and they turned it into Albrecht Discount or ALDI, for short.

In 1976, ALDI opened its first store in the United States in Iowa. The companys on track to become the third largest grocery chain in the United States, with more than two thousand stores today.

Many of the stores brand name items are organic, and the company has plans to make all of its packaging either recyclable or compostable by 2025.

If youre new to ALDI or havent shopped there in years, you might be surprised by your experience. Years ago, the stores didnt have the quality lighting they have now, their produce section sometimes was a bit sad, and if you wanted whole wheat bread, you had to go to a different store.

If youve never shopped at ALDI, remember to bring a quarterbecause you need a quarter to check out a cart. Its an ingenious systemplug in your quarter, get a cart; put your cart back, get your quarter back. Many times, youll find a quarter because ALDI shoppers are generous folks, but that innovative quarter system means that youll save more than quarters because store employees seldom have to go round up carts in the parking lot. Youll also never have to worry that your cars going to be dented by a stray cart. Many ALDI nerds have special quarter holders (I just use a compartment in my car).

When ALDI first opened in the United States, they didnt have this quarter system, but they always stocked items still in their cases on the shelves, and they were green before environmentalism was cool, as you have always had to bring your own bagsand bag your own groceries. ALDI cashiers consider themselves the fastest in the businessand they really are. The lines move fast, and once you get used to bagging your own groceries, youll be out of there in time to get on with the rest of your life.

When you walk into the store, youll be delighted. Instead of sad producea few lonely apples and heads of wimpy iceberg lettuceyoull find a bright and captivating fruits and veggies section thats really well kept up. Its also, for the most part, already bagged or sealed in containers so fewer people actually touch your cauliflower. Their bagged salads, fresh berries, and avocados are just as good or better than any other grocery stores (including a very expensive one some people call Whole Paycheck), and their selection of organic produceas well as organic, well, anythingis really huge. Its also a lot less expensive.

Produce isnt the only area that ALDI has revamped. Its bakery and bread selections are vast. From the high-fiber, whole wheat bread that my husband prefers for his sandwiches to the chocolate croissants my son loves as a treat to the gluten-free wraps and bagels I adore, theres really just about any kind of bread you need. And if youre entertaining, its selection of French bread, sourdoughs, and Hawaiian rolls is exactly what you need to put out a luscious spread.

The fresh dairy and eggs are also impressive. Regular eggs cost about 79 cents a dozen, and they sometimes go on sale for 65 cents or less. The organic ones run about $2.50. When it comes to yogurt, you can get everything from low-fat to Greek-style to kiddie squeezies.

Outside specialty cheese stores, I havent found as big a cheese selection at any other storethink fresh chvre, Gouda, aged cheddar, Manchego, Borgonzola (a Brie and blue cheese blend), to name a few. Before the holidays, this section grows even larger with other cheeses, as well as prosciutto, Serrano ham, and other sausages and hams, too. And this is where I find a can of fresh crabmeat for less than $10! ALDI also has a decent selection of vegan productsspecifically vegan cheeses and milks, as well as meat substitutes.