13 Must-Have Items for Your First Aldi Shopping Trip

If you live in an urban or suburban area, you may have many grocery stores to choose from when stocking up for the week. That might make you less inclined to try grocery stores that you haven’t been to before. But that may be a mistake, particularly if you’re not already shopping at Aldi. Aldi is widely considered one of the most affordable grocery stores in the country, and although it doesn’t boast quite as many products as other grocers, the products it does carry tend to be pretty high quality.

Interested in seeing what the Aldi hype is all about? I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite Aldi products, based on personal experience and positive online reviews, that might just give you an idea of what the store is all about. Try out these top picks from the popular grocery chain, and see why it’s a store worth shopping at. 

There are types of cheese that you buy specifically because you want to include them in a certain dish you’re making, and then there are other types of cheese that, although they’re great in recipes, really shine all on their own and can be eaten all by themselves. Emporium Selection’s Le Gruyère cheese falls into the latter category. This cheese comes straight from Switzerland, and it’s known for its nutty, complex flavor profile that can taste a little mushroom-y. It’s a hard-but-creamy cheese with a lovely crystalline bite. Every sliver is a treat.

If you only know about Aldi because of its reputation for providing affordable staple foods, then you may not realize that you could find such a gourmet product there. But it’s always one of my favorite products to purchase when I shop at the chain. Try some for yourself the next time you want to treat yourself to a cheese that’s a step up from the shredded stuff you’d find in plastic bags.

It’s always a good idea to have some quick and simple proteins on hand that you can cook throughout the week, and chicken sausage may just be one of my favorites. It’s super easy to cook and you can incorporate it into a wide variety of dishes, from pasta and stir-fries to fun takes on hot dogs. But why settle for basic chicken sausages when you can get your hands on ones that boast a ton of flavor in every bite? That’s why I love picking up Never Any! tomato and basil chicken sausages from Aldi.

These sausages boast an impressive depth of flavor — so much so that you won’t even need to add any additional seasonings to the pan. There’s a hint of sweet, umami tomato, but the basil is the flavor that really shines. That herby, green flavor makes for a unique chicken sausage experience you can’t get with just any brand. Buy a few packs at the time and keep the extras in the freezer. Then, the next time you forget to plan something for dinner, you can simply pull those sausages out and whip up a quick dinner that’s destined to be delicious.

One of the best sections to visit when you’re at Aldi? The bakery section. Surprisingly, the chain boasts some really incredible breads that often taste fresher than the stuff you can get at a local supermarket that actually has an in-house bakery. And although I always pick up a few plain brioches when I visit my local Aldi, I also always add the Speciality Selected sliced brioche with chocolate chips to my cart.

Like any good brioche, this bread is nice and airy, with a super soft texture that makes for a luxurious bite. But what really sets it apart is the fact that it contains chocolate chips, which essentially transforms an average loaf of bread into a dessert. You can use it a ton of different ways, but it may just taste its best when it’s prepared simply. Just toast it until it’s lightly browned, then spread some salted butter on top for an elevated slice of toast. That mixture of subtly sweet and salty flavors comes together perfectly, making for some of the most flavorful toast you’ve ever experienced. You may never want to go back to plain bread again. 

Mexican street corn, or elote, is one of the best street foods in the world. But unless you’re going to fairs or festivals on a regular basis, you’re probably not eating it very often (unless, of course, you’re making your own Mexican street corn at home). Luckily for you, though, there’s an easy way to indulge in those same flavors without having to book a trip to Mexico or waiting for your local vendor to bust out their grill on a street corner. Just visit Aldi to give Park Street Deli’s street corn dip a try.

Is it the same thing as actual Mexican street corn? Of course not. After all, it’s in dip form. But this dip really does capture a lot of those same tangy, cheesy, and smoky flavors, making it ideal for dipping tortilla chips into. You don’t just have to treat it as a dip, though; it also makes for a delicious spread to use on sandwiches, stir into pasta salads, and even put on toast if you’re really trying to get creative in the kitchen. It’s great for parties, but I also just like having some on hand to add to recipes that need a little something extra. Make sure to snag some on your first visit to Aldi so you can taste it for yourself.

One thing that Aldi is known for is offering really solid prices on otherwise expensive products. And if your local grocery stores are like mine, then you’ve probably noticed that meat prices can be sky-high. Before you skip the steak altogether and stock up on canned tuna for the week, head to Aldi and get yourself a Black Angus strip steak. While it may not be the cheapest cut, it’s more affordably priced than the steaks you’ll find at other grocery stores. And, it really delivers on the flavor front.

You’ll get a hefty piece of steak with just enough fat. If you’re a medium-rare person like I am, you’ll want to prepare it on the grill or on the stove to ensure that the outside comes out beautifully browned while the inside stays juicy. You’ll be blown away by the quality — and hopefully by the price as well. Although steak may not be something you buy on a regular basis, knowing where to get an affordable cut of steak means that you can snag yourself a package whenever you want to celebrate at home without paying steakhouse prices.

Would it be great to have the ability to snag fresh baked goods from a local bakery every morning? Of course. But most of us just don’t have the time or budget to do so. That’s why knowing which grocery stores sell decent baked goods is so important. All too often, baked goods you get from the grocery store are stale or just don’t taste that great in general, but luckily, Aldi offers some good bakery products. One of my favorites for when I want something especially sweet for breakfast is the chain’s Bake Shop cinnamon rolls.

These cinnamon rolls are not for the faint of heart — they’re for people who have a serious sweet tooth. They’re doused in a sweet and sticky frosting that makes them feel super decadent. The roll itself is soft, buttery, and rich, making it easy to pull apart (and easy to eat). Serve it alongside some coffee for a decadent start to your day, or save it for dessert when you can savor every last bite. Either way, you won’t be able to believe that these cinnamon rolls came from Aldi’s bakery section.

Trader Joe’s may be known for its Everything But the Bagel seasoning, but what if you could get those same flavors in bread form? That’s just what you’ll get when you try the Specially Selected small-batch everything sourdough loaf from Aldi. On the inside, you get a standard loaf of sourdough bread, albeit a rather tasty one. It has a nice bouncy texture to it, along with a complex, yeasty flavor, which is exactly what I look for in a sourdough loaf. But on the outside, you’ll find a variety of seeds and spices that gives it its everything bagel-like flavor.

This bread is ideal for making flavorful toast, but it also makes for excellent sandwiches since it packs a lot more flavor than a typical loaf of bread. And since you can snag it for such an affordable price, there’s no reason not to upend your normal bread routine and give something new a try.

We’d all love to make cookies from scratch on a weekly basis, but that’s not always a possibility. There’s either not enough time in our schedules or we simply don’t have the skills to bake the kinds of cookies we’d like to have on hand. But there’s no shame in buying packaged cookies for your pantry, and if you’re shopping for them at Aldi, then you absolutely have to try Benton’s peanut butter fudge cookies. If you’re chocolate or a peanut butter lover, these are bound to blow you away.

It all starts with a chocolate cookie base, which is then covered in a layer of peanut butter. The peanut butter in this cookie is quite rich, with a lovely saltiness to it that breaks up the otherwise super sweet cookie. Both of those elements are then covered in a layer of fudge, making for a chocolate–peanut butter cookie that’s seriously out of this world. They are kind of messy, so you should avoid taking them anywhere they can melt, but otherwise, the only downside of these cookies is the fact that they’re not going to last long in your pantry.

King’s Hawaiian rolls are perfect for when you want a roll with a touch of sweetness to them. But when you shop at Aldi, you’ll probably notice that most of your favorite name-brand products are nowhere to be found. Just because those specific products aren’t there, though, doesn’t mean you can’t find similar alternatives that achieve the same goal — and some might even be better than the products they’re mimicking. That may just be the case when it comes to L’Oven Fresh’s Hawaiian sweet rolls. These sweet rolls are a bit less cloying than their name-brand counterparts, which is ideal if you’re after a milder flavor.

You can use these rolls in so many different ways. Honestly, they’re delicious just on their own, whether you want to eat them with some butter, dip them in soup, or just snack on them straight out of the package. I also like using them for a sweet slider, including one with ham and cheese. Once you try these Hawaiian rolls, you may never go back to the name-brand version again.

Perhaps one of the most beloved products you’ll find at Aldi is the store’s iconic Kirkwood breaded chicken breast filets. These breaded filets come in handy on those nights when you just can’t be bothered to prepare any kind of protein from scratch. They’re far more interesting than a plain chicken breast, largely because that breading tastes so, so good. It’s flavorful and has a nice kick of salt and seasonings that give it a more complex flavor than you might expect from a standard frozen product. The breading is also thick enough that it makes the chicken crispy — especially when you elect to cook it in an air fryer — but it’s not so thick that it makes you feel like you’re getting more breading than actual chicken.

This frozen product is ideal to keep in your freezer for whenever you forget to meal plan. Serve it alongside a fresh salad or even some frozen veggies, and you have an easy weeknight meal that comes together in basically no time at all.

There are times when you just need a meal in the freezer that’s ready to go when you are, which is why I love to grab a Whole & Simple Mediterranean-style chicken quinoa bowl at Aldi whenever I go. It comes with a base of brown rice and quinoa, and the spinach, red bell peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes give the dish a fresh feel. Of course, there’s plenty of chicken there, too, which helps you feel full. This frozen meal is perfect for those days when you just don’t feel like cooking or you need a quick lunch that you can easily take with you to the office.

Oftentimes, frozen meals just don’t taste very good, but this chicken quinoa bowl from Aldi is absolutely an exception. Try this the first time you visit the grocery chain, and you’ll have a better sense of just what Aldi offers in terms of its frozen prepared food section.

There’s nothing like a good lobster roll on a cool summer’s evening, particularly if you’re lucky enough to spend time in the Northeastern U.S. during the summer months. But let’s be honest: Lobster rolls can be really pricey, and you probably don’t want to spend money on them on a regular basis. But what if you could enjoy those same flavors in dip form? That’s probably why Aldi developed this Park Street Deli lobster roll dip. It tastes shockingly similar to an actual lobster roll (albeit without the actual roll, of course).

This dip is delicious when paired with chips — I prefer kettle-cooked potato chips, but you don’t have to limit yourself there. However, you can also spread it onto a roll, perhaps with some cheaper type of seafood, like shrimp, and enjoy a lobster roll-like experience at home without having to shell out the cash for an actual $30 lobster roll.

If you’re like me, you always want to make sure you have a little treat on hand to sate any sweets cravings, which is why I love Aldi’s Sundae Shoppe original ice cream crunch bars. These vanilla ice cream bars are coated in a layer of chocolate and are studded with pieces of crispy rice. Their texture is excellent and they’re affordably priced. And, unlike a lot of other ice cream bars, you get 12 of them in a box. That means you can share them with your family (or hoard them in the back of the freezer for yourself).

One of the reasons I love Aldi so much is the fact that it’s a place where you can get products that feel like a luxury without necessarily having to pay luxury prices. These ice cream bars are an excellent example of just that.

I chose the products on this list based personal experience, and then corroborated my favorites with online reviews. I attempted to highlight an array of different products rather than focusing on one or a few specific categories. The products featured here represent both everyday staples as well as fun, speciality offerings that offer good value for their price, which gives a sense of the breadth of products the popular chain offers. These stood out at some of Aldi’s most unique and/or most delicious offerings.