The $3 Aldi Grocery I Keep Stocked in My Freezer Every Fall

Although my 13-year-old athletic son has a pretty good palate, he is quicker to reach for a snack pack of cookies than he is to grab a bunch of carrots. So, I have to find a compromise — something that is appealing to him yet has more substance than cookies or candy. And once again, I found a great compromise in the freezer aisle at Aldi.

One of my son’s absolute favorite snacks (or mini meals) is Mama Cozzi’s French bread pizzas. He enjoyed them once as an after-school treat at his friend Jack’s house two years ago, and they’ve been a hit in our house ever since. 

At $3.29 for a two-pack, they take 12 minutes to warm up in the oven, and my son can eat both of them in less than that timeframe. (When my son was a bit younger — say, 10 — he would be full after eating just one in the pack, but now it takes both pizzas to fill him up.) They crisp up on the bottom yet they’re slightly soft on the inside, with melting strands of mozzarella and quarter slices of pepperoni that are sprinkled so densely that there’s a spicy bit of meat in each bite.  

One package makes the perfect after-school snack for a teenager — it gives him enough fuel to get his homework done, but he’ll still be hungry enough for eating his entire dinner before we head out to gymnastics practice. I usually keep two or three boxes in the freezer because they’re also great for weekend snacks and desperation dinners, and they’ve even been consumed as breakfast a time or two. My son loves “discovering” them in our freezer, even though they’re not really a big surprise because they practically have a dedicated shelf. Still, he still takes great delight at finding them, and I’m delighted that I can stock such an easy snack.

Find it in stores: Mama Cozzi’s French Bread Pepperoni Pizza, $3.29 for 11.25 ounces  

This article originally published on The Kitchn. Read it there: The $3 Aldi Grocery I Keep Stocked in My Freezer Every Fall