Highlights From the 2020 Aldi Holiday Guide

EDITOR’S NOTE: View highlights from the Aldi holiday gift guide here. 

Aldi has done it again. While we’re all staying at home, the discount retailer has given us yet another fantastic holiday guide to parse through. You can access this 23-page gem on Aldi’s website here. This latest guide covers all things food-related at Aldi during this Christmas season, and it includes ham, seafood, appetizers, side dishes, desserts, candy, and even recipes that you can put together using all-Aldi ingredients.

The food guide complements a Christmas gift guide that Aldi dropped a couple of weeks ago that details all the toys, games, gadgets, and little luxuries Aldi is hawking this year. (These guides are in addition to a Thanksgiving guide and a fall guide that Aldi published earlier this year.)

Some of the food products in the Aldi holiday guide are Regular Buys that are available all year, but many of them are Seasonal Favorites that are in stores only during the holiday months, and some are Aldi Finds (Special Buys) that stores receive only one shipment of and once they’re sold out that’s it. You can check your weekly ad to see when Aldi Finds will hit your local store.

Below are some of our favorite foods in the holiday guide, along with links to our reviews.

Breakfast:

• Goldhen Cage Free Grade A Large Eggs — Aldi sells a variety of eggs, including conventionally raised eggs and cage free, organic, or free range options.
• Appleton Farms Pork Sausage Roll — A base for breakfast casseroles and biscuits and gravy.
• Specially Selected 100% Pure Maple Syrup — This was voted an Aldi Fan Favorite in 2020 and is a staple on our breakfast table.
• Season’s Choice Shredded Hash Browns — Fantastic in breakfast casseroles or whenever you want some potato goodness.

Drinks (Non-Alcoholic):

• Summit Sparkling Ginger Beer — A popular Aldi drink, but be aware it doesn’t contain actual ginger.
• Nature’s Nectar Apple Cider — A classic seasonal drink.

Drinks (Alcoholic):

• Corte Bella Rosso — A sweet wine with a bit of fizz and notes of strawberries and grapes.

Side Dishes:

• Baker’s Corner Biscuit Mix — This is available in Cheddar Herb or Rosemary Garlic flavors, and they’re both great. We think the Cheddar Herb variety is a pretty good imitation of Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
• Specially Selected Brioche — Available in rolls or buns. We recommend them all.
• Sweet Harvest Cranberry Sauce — Available in whole berry or jellied varieties. We’re partial to the jellied sauce.

Main Courses:

• Appleton Farms Spiral-Sliced Double-Glazed Brown Sugar Ham — A classic at our holiday table, and as good as any name-brand ham.
• Fremont Fish Market Snow Crab Legs — Our family often chooses crab legs over more traditional holiday fare, and Aldi crab legs are our go-to.
• Specially Selected Mussels — If you like shellfish, these are worth a try. Our taste testers approve.
• Reggano Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles — We’ve been using these for years and love them. The instructions currently on the back of the box can be confusing, but our review has the full recipe that used to be on the box, and you won’t go wrong if you follow it.
• Specially Selected Premium Marinara — While not as good as Simply Nature Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce, in our opinion, this is a decent no-sugar-added sauce.

Desserts:

• Bake House Creations Pie Crusts — Found in the refrigerated section, these are as good as any name-brand store-bought pie crust. We use them often in pies and quiche recipes. If you can’t find these crusts, Aldi also sells Belmont Deep Dish Pie Crusts in the freezer aisle. If you’re looking for things to fill your pie crust with, Aldi sells apple pie filling, cherry pie filling, and canned pumpkin. Don’t forget the ice cream or whipped cream while you’re at it, and Aldi even sells pumpkin spice whipped cream during the holidays if you’re feeling adventurous.

Cooking Supplies and Extras:

• Simply Nature Organic Wildflower Honey — This is one of several types of honey Aldi sells.
• Burman’s Dijon Mustard — Aldi does a decent job in the condiment department, and this is a favorite, great for sandwiches or for making a holiday ham glaze.
• Carlini Canola Cooking Spray — Works as well as more expensive brands when you need to add a little nonstick to your pan or dish.
• Countryside Creamery Heavy Whipping Cream — Great for adding creamy richness to recipes, for making into homemade whipped cream, or for splashing into your coffee or tea. (Psst: if you need ideas for what to do with leftover heavy whipping cream, check out this post at our sister site.)
• Tuscan Garden White Vinegar — For cooking projects or even household cleaning.