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Bloody love Aldi! Another gorgeous tea tonight with clean plates!

165 replies

jimijack · 02/01/2014 19:04

Pasta bake with bacon chucked in & garlic bread. Total cost less than £1 per head.
Plates scraped clean.

Last night it was hunters chicken with rice.

I haven't found anything we haven't liked since I started shopping there.

Saved loads of money and we eat really well.

OP posts:
anchovies · 16/02/2014 19:51

The only bit I was a bit worried about was the cooked meats for packed lunches. Has anyone got any recommendations?

notapizzaeater · 16/02/2014 20:08

We ,like the cooked meats for snacks. The "cheap" ham tastes just like anyone else's. the "naice" ham is tasty too.

Jaisalmer · 16/02/2014 20:24

The stuffing was ok, not fantastic but fit for purpose.

Apple sauce delicious.

Can't get over the chicken....

About to go onto their meal planner page, that is my next plan to save money.

Fluffycloudland77 · 16/02/2014 20:29

I've never liked their stuffing either. I buy smart price stuffing and add dry herbs to it.

Tiredemma · 16/02/2014 20:32

I truly love the recipe planner Page.

MrsYoungSalvoMontalbano · 16/02/2014 20:35

We have had the multi-bird roast for the last few xmases - love it!

Jaisalmer · 16/02/2014 21:03

Tiredemma please could you tell me where the planner is? Do you mean the recipes by category page?

Tiredemma · 16/02/2014 21:08

yes this jai

www.aldi.co.uk/en/recipes/recipes-by-category/

ishesingle · 17/02/2014 02:10

I am a recent convert too. Can't buy my son's favourite cereal there, and today I could not find mascapone cheese, but I have a tesco on my doorstep where I go for midweek milk etc so that isn't a problem. I used to spend £75 for the 3 of us at tesco and I tend to spend £40-45 at Aldi (per week). I use ynab to log my spending and it looks like for every £45 shop I do at Aldi, I top up by around £12 at tesco, so an £18 per week saving - around£1k a year!

Recommend almost everything already mentioned on this thread, plus no one has mentioned the cake mixes which are less than a £1 and can be done in the bread maker. Kids love them, the carrot cake one is particularly fab!

ThatVikRinA22 · 17/02/2014 02:15

marking a place! love aldi and need ideas for meals!

Tiredemma · 17/02/2014 10:25

vicar- seriously- look at the recipes link on their site- some great stuff on there with ALL ingredients from Aldi.

I initally struggled with Aldi because I didnt think I could get 'everything' in there- once I saw the recipes page it made shopping there much easier.

bbcessex · 17/02/2014 14:11

Jaisalmer - very glad to hear the chicken success!

I was a bit of an Aldi evangelist at first too.. it's so great to tap everything in to your usual supermarket and see the savings.. I would say I save between 35 - 40% each week.. Partly because Aldi is such good value, but also because I am more focussed on what I am buying and whether I need it.

Jaisalmer · 17/02/2014 19:32

bbcessex have you become a bit more jaded now? I imagine that maybe the novelty wears off after a while and you just feel fed up having to do that wacky races thing down the aisles and through the checkout!?

ThatVikRinA22 · 18/02/2014 00:03

which bit are these recipes in please? love the link but there are loads of pages! found a tuna pasta bake im going to try....where is the hunters chicken and the pasta bake mentioned in the OP? cheers

Fluffycloudland77 · 18/02/2014 07:08

I think the op made those herself using the jars of cook-in sauces.

bbcessex · 19/02/2014 21:54

jaisalmer... I'm.definitely a bit less excited about Aldi, but that's because its become normal, rather than a novelty.. I havent done a big shop ay any other supermarket since New Year, and I probably won't in the near future..

I have halved my grocery spend in the last two months, because of Aldi and meal planning. I have fallen.off thr meal plan wagon a bit... Need to get back on!

hickorychicken · 19/02/2014 22:05

HaHA yy at wacky races Grin

ValiumQueen · 01/03/2014 18:19

I shop at aldi, then get fed up of it, then go back, then get fed up of it. A compromise that works for me is weekly at Aldi, and monthly at Tesco for a bit of variety.

My son is allergic to soya and dairy. Anyone found anything that fits that diet? I am so fed up of label checking.

eatyouwithaspoon · 02/03/2014 11:34

I didnt like the 3 bird roast but nout found anything else that I havent yet!

ValiumQueen · 02/03/2014 15:58

The three bird roast was great with the marmalade glaze it was advertised with a few years back. Not great on its own.

I tried one of the specially selected caramelised onion quiches and seriously I think they forgot to put the filling in. It was all pastry. The pastry was nice, granted, but the 'filling' was so measly. I scraped it off one quarter portion and it barely filled a teaspoon. Anyone else find that? Did I have a dud one?

I didn't rave about the lasagne but the kids polished it off.

Love love love the lamb shanks.

ValiumQueen · 02/03/2014 16:00

And they have a new bloke there. He is lush! Even my 7yo daughter noticed how attractive he was. He said how good my children were, talked about his son, and accidentally brushed my hand when I went to grab the food. Made an old lady very happy Grin

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/03/2014 18:25

Valium, I return anything we don't like but I keep the receipt in a drawer until I'm sure I don't need it.

I returned a fresh chicken when it went off before the use by date.

headlesslambrini · 02/03/2014 18:34

We have just had the pork in chipwhatsit sauce, nice but too spicy for me. Dont think i will be getting that again.

I love the ham though

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 02/03/2014 20:03

We love AlDi been going for bout 8yrs noticed how much busier it is now meat selection has improved greatly n love the newer super 6 meat

frankfurters vac pk 10 for 99p are as good as herta

we love the specially selected bacon n sausages.

Also 10pk fake wotsits n skips for 99p r great value

bbcessex · 04/03/2014 08:20

I love their 30 bags of crisps for £2.69 or thereabouts.. really nice crisps too.

I buy the 4 pack onions for 89p but regularly find the onions have gone off.. I may start keeping them to take back ala you fluffy - I did also take chicken pieces back that had gone off - never good to smell sour vinegar when you unwrap a thigh !!!