With apologies to Aldi, every time I see a Brookdale product on an Aldi shelf, I think “prepper food.” Part of it is because a few Brookdale products are actually popular with some preppers. The label, which has been around at least since 2001, consists purely of canned food products, including beef stew, chili, and sloppy joe sauce. With the exception of the sloppy joe sauce, most Brookdale food is heat-and-serve and requires no other ingredients to make a complete meal. What’s more, Brookdale products are cheap. That makes Brookdale products a great option for your emergency supply pantry or your camping backpack.
Brookdale Vienna Sausage is a Regular Buy. That means you can find it in stores all the time. At the time of this post, the sausages cost 41 cents for a 4.6-ounce can, or about 8.9 cents an ounce.
The package says that the sausages are “made with chicken” and that “beef and pork [are] added in chicken broth.” The fine print also says that you can have them “as a ready-to-eat snack, or add them to soups, casseroles, and salads.” The cans are pop-top, so you don’t need a can opener.
They come with a couple of cooking methods: skillet and microwave. For the skillet, drain the broth and lightly brown the sausages in butter for 1-2 minutes or until hot. In the microwave, cook the sausages and broth in a microwave-safe dish on medium power for 1-2 minutes, handling the heated product carefully to avoid burns. These sausages come pre-cooked, so you don’t have to worry about cooking to a specific temperature like you do with raw meat.
As you would expect from a processed food, the nutrition and ingredients aren’t exactly whole foods. Of particular note is the sodium, which packs 48% of your daily allowance in this little can.
Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
More nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
And, boy, can you taste it. These are soft and salty. They are vaguely like a hot dog, but with a saltier taste. They are definitely not to be confused with cocktail or little smoky sausages either — these have a texture and taste all of their own.
The Verdict:
Brookdale Vienna Sausages have a vaguely hot dog-like taste, but they are also much more salty due to their high sodium content. I’m sure there’s a market for these little sausages — Aldi wouldn’t sell them otherwise — but it’s hard for me to see them as much more than an emergency food, and even then there are probably better options.
Could be worse. It could be something like potted meat or tourist delight. Given all the fun times in 202X, definitely have some of these and others as “prepper food”. If the “gas shortage/crisis” turns to “food shortage” … well …
On a lighter note, these are good in fried rice. Cold Rice + Peas/Carrots + Kimchi + vienna sausages + white pepper = delicious! You won’t need to add soy sauce or salt. They’ll also work in Korean Army Stew or with Ramen.
Joshua I like Vienna sausage since a kid. I have not tried this brand before. I believe this product is too salty at 48% sodium content. I like that carb is only 2%. Can you convey to the manufacturer if they can lower sodium because the chicken stock added may have salt in it already. I’ll be looking for the change. Thanks.
We don’t work with Aldi or the suppliers Aldi contracts with. If you have concerns about a product, here’s how to directly contact Aldi: https://www.aldireviewer.com/contact-aldi/
Libby’s Vienna Sausage’s 130 gr can’s salt is 820 mgm vice 1100 mgm for Brookdale’s 130 gram can. Armor says 510 grams for a 48 gram serving (3 sausages) which works out to 1381 mgr for a can the 130 gram size of the Brookdale, Armor is 25% more salty than Brookdale!
I like them. The flavor falls between Libby’s and Armor. More lively and intense than Libby but less heavy handed than Armor. Nice snappy mouth feel, The price point is cheaper than either Libby or Armor. None of the 3 are reminiscent of hotdogs and they aren’t meant to be. They are Vienna Sausages a totally different product You can pick nits over salt content if you wish but they are a solid choice for keeping a few cans in your desk, locker, tackle box and pantry shelf for those quick grab something meal and many a child has been raised on Vienna Sausages.
And many an arctic fox has been saved by them.