Groceries

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Par-baked, almost-from-scratch, and gluten-free options!

Stock up on these items to stretch out your shopping trips.

These are cheesy, warm, and rich — perfect for a simple fall dinner. (Bonus: even the kids love them!)

The votes are in, the scorecards have been checked, and the champions await their medals — but we’re not talking about the Olympics here. This is a whole different kind of competition: the Aldi Fan Favorites survey. For the third year, the grocery store asked its shoppers to vote on their most-loved products in a variety of categories — you might remember that back in May we told you about how you could participate and also win yourself a $1000 gift card.

There is a time and a place for jarred pasta sauce: The time is all the time and the place is my kitchen. (Can someone print that on a wooden sign and sell it in Home Goods? Thanks.) That’s not to say that I don’t have a deep love and appreciation for the homemade stuff, which pretty much courses through my Italian American, New Jersey-born veins. It’s just that in a pinch, jarred pasta sauce feels like a gift from up above.

As disappointing as it is when Trader Joe’s discontinues a favorite product, the one thing that makes up for it is finding out what took its place on the shelves. Every Trader Joe’s shopping trip is an opportunity to discover an exciting ingredient, packaged good, or some other surprise that will pique your curiosity.

Serious question: How is it nearly August already? We hate how quickly the days seem to be flying by. But. But! We love when it’s time for a new batch of Aldi Finds. See, our sources always share the upcoming list toward the end of the month and it’s always so much fun to see what will be hitting store shelves. Next month there’s going to be lots of breakfast items, dinner shortcuts, bold snacks, and more.

The last year of lockdowns (and beyond-the-norm grocery shopping that’s come with them) has taught me a few things about my shopping habits and my family’s food preferences. After discovering the supreme value of a second refrigerator and my kids’ deep abiding love of ramen, I’ve also come to terms with my love-hate relationship with Costco.Once an “event” to distract the kids on a rainy day, it’s now become a necessary, grin-and-bear-it activity.

While it’s my duty as Kitchn’s Unofficial Costco Critic to peruse the wide warehouse aisles in search of the best deals, hottest new products, and just-for-fun bulk buys, it’s also my pleasure. On a recent visit, I spotted the single best product I’ve seen all year for parents — and I can’t keep it to myself any longer. The best thing parents can buy right now at Costco is The Ice Cream Party Box.Find it in stores: The Ice Cream Party Box, $17.

I didn’t grow up shopping at Aldi, the wildly popular grocery store that is known for great deals and fun products. In fact, it’s only in the last five years that the budget grocer has opened locations in Southern California where I live. While I used to shop a lot at Costco, I eventually started making the switch over to Aldi in 2016. It took me a few trips to get my bearings and learn the Aldi ways (yes, you’ll get your quarter back), but I’m a firm believer in it now.

If there’s one section of Costco I never, ever skip, it’s the frozen food aisle. I can easily fill up my cart in that aisle alone. (The organic fruits! The vegetables! The breakfast foods! The treats!) In fact, I’m such an avid Costco freezer-aisle shopper, I’ve even purchased a separate chest freezer so that I have lots of extra storage at home.What have I been stocking up on lately? I’m glad you asked!

Name: ConstanceLocation: Winchester, MAAge: 38Number of people in household: 2 adults and two 5-year-oldsOccupation: Project AssistantHousehold income: $30,000 Grocery budget: $200 for two weeksGrocery stores of choice: Costco, Stop and Shop, and the farmers marketStop and Shop is just down the road from our house so it’s the most convenient location for us to buy groceries from.

Costco trips make my registered dietitian heart skip a beat (in a good way). While I am sometimes tempted by a two-pound container of chocolate-covered raisins or a monster-sized wheel of cheese, I typically stick to a few go-to staples that feed my family of three for quite some time. Stacked with nutritious and cost-effective options, this tried-and-true grocery list helps me create nourishing meals in a simple way.

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. It’s easy to miss the IKEA Marketplace after a long day of labyrinth-navigating and warehouse-picking.

I’m a mom of six kids, ranging in age from 10 to 21. My college sons live at home, so that means I’m cooking for a small army every night — and shopping for enough groceries to accomplish that. Being a mom doesn’t necessarily mean you know everything, and being a mom of six doesn’t mean that I have cosmic levels of knowledge (or patience, for that matter). Rather, parenting a large family has given me plenty of opportunities to grow and learn.