Want $20 to spend at Aldi?

ByKristen
363 Comments

I've been busy cooking up some delicious fall foods with ingredients from Aldi....

Butternut Squash Soup....
squash soup with cream swirls

Crustless Pumpkin Pie...
pumpkin pie with whipped cream

And I tried a new pumpkin bread recipe from Cook's Illustrated, which involves cooking the canned pumpkin briefly in order to get rid of the slightly metallic flavor it gets from the can.

Brilliant!

It was delicious and we ate it quickly and so I have no photos.

We did make an instagram video of the process, though....you can see that right here.

And when I made my pumpkin pie this last time, I cooked the pumpkin before baking the pie, and I think it did taste better that way. (I really should make two side-by-side to compare!)

You can see videos of all three of these recipes on my instagram. (Don't worry if you don't have instagram...you should still be able to see the videos by clicking on the links.)

The ingredients for all of these recipes are available at Aldi (for great prices, as usual!), and one of you will get to shop for free!

I've got a $20 Aldi USA gift certificate to give away to one of you, and to enter, you just need to leave a comment.

How about you tell me what your favorite fall recipe is?

I'll use random.org to choose a winner in 24 hours, so hurry up and enter!

rules and such
One entry per person, please.
Gift certificate is valid only in the U.S. (apologies to my international readers!)
Aldi sent me a $20 gift certificate and is providing the $20 giveaway certificate, but this post is not sponsored in any other way.

More Giveaways

363 Comments

  2. My favorite fall recipe is pumpkin spice gluten free pancakes. Super delicious on a cold morning like today.

  3. My favorite fall recipe is anything with pumpkin in it. Pumpkin donuts, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies (especially with icing on them)(Yum!) Oh and Tiffany! I would love your recipe for gluten free pancakes! 🙂

  6. My new favorite fall recipe is my sister's pumpkin cheesecake with chocolate ganache and a caramel sauce. Yum!

  9. I only make it for Thanksgiving....oyster dressing....you either love it or hate it....love it for Thanksgiving.
    Also a big fan of Aldi's:0

  10. I only make it for Thanksgiving....oyster dressing....you either love it or hate it....love it for Thanksgiving.
    Also a big fan of Aldi's:)

  20. All the different flavors of chili: meat & beans, white beans & pumpkin, sweet potato, etc. The possibilities are endless and great for this time of year!

  23. I'm not a big bisquick person but I found a recipe from decades ago for an 'impossible coconut pie'. It takes no time to put together (everything goes in the blender) and with dinner is cooking, it bakes away.

  33. Pumpkin pie with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top.

    I made your crustless pumpkin pie last year and it was a big hit. Delish!

  34. I have two favorite fall recipes. One is crockpot apple butter, and the other is pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.

  36. My favorite fall recipe is pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting.
    We also can't forget the homemade mac&cheese!

  37. It's so hard to pick just one thing. I Love to bake when it gets cold outside. I'm going to go with Apple crisp cause it's my husbands favorite.

  38. My favorite fall recipe is a pumpkin bread recipe I have been making for over 20 years! I make it every year always look forward to eating it!

  40. probably sweet potatoes - baked all fall - I like them differently for thanksgiving but any fall evening, I'll take a sweet potato . . .

  43. My favorite fall recipe is a pumpkin muffin recipe that I make for my 2 boys. They LOVE it, it's easy and it makes them happy when they come home from school to freshly-baked muffins 🙂

  47. My favorite fall dish is creamy potato soup with warm buttered cornbread. $20 goes a long way at Aldi's. It is my favorite grocery store.

  50. A few of my favorite fall recipes include pumpkin pie, pumpkin whoopie pies, apple pie, and potato soup. For several years I didn't have the opportunity to shop at Aldi's as there were none remotely close to our location. We are finally in an area that I can shop there again. One of the best things about being stationed here!

  53. I love all the comforting soups this time of year, especially vegetables using food from my own back yard. What a wonderful blessing,

  57. Almost any warm soup, especially if made with butternut. A second favorite of mine is shopping Aldi. Thanks for the opportunity.

  58. My family loves a simple pumpkin cake I make using a regular cake mix. We top it with Cool Whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Then it quickly disappears:)

  63. My favorite fall recipe is pumpkin pie - the Cooks Illustrated recipe, of course! But for winter, I think my favorite recipe is a family recipe for split pea soup. It's so think it's really more of a porridge, has apples and sweet potatoes in it to give it sweetness and is just a wonderful comfort food. Just taking about it is making me hungry! 🙂

  65. Cranberry-apple pie (thank you, ATK). It is so delicious and a perfectly fall treat for Thanksgiving.

  66. I love your blog. I have been following it since I saw you on the 700 club. I would love to win the Aldi' s gift card we do most of our grocery shopping at Aldi.

  67. I'll enter! 🙂 I just made an entire Thanksgiving dinner with ingredients from Aldi. But, I think my favorite thing that made is the sweet potato dish.

  69. I love Aldi's and my favorite fall food is pumpkin oatmeal in the morning! Aldi's has the cheapest pumpkin and I buy ALOT of it to stock up.

  71. I love Aldi's and my favorite fall food is pumpkin oatmeal in the morning! Aldi's has the cheapest pumpkin and I buy ALOT of it to stock up.

  74. I recently discovered pumpkin-spice puppy chow (or "muddy buddies" if following the Chex box). It tastes like Thanksgiving & is a fun treat!

  76. Mmmm...gonna have to try that butternut squash soup recipe. Was just going to look for one to use a squash from Aldi I got last week!

    I like coconut chicken paired with acorn squash (with butter and brown sugar of course!).

  79. My favorite fall recipe is pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting! Anything pumpkin in the fall is a winning recipe for me.

  81. My favorite fall recipes are anything with pumpkin and cranberries in them. I especially love making homemade cranberry sauce. It's so easy and yummy!

  83. Crustless Pumpkin Pie - more boringly known as Pumpkin Custard. Mine is different than yours. Mine is literally pumpkin pie filling, cooked in glass pan in a bain marie. Recipe from Cook's Illustrated's Best Recipes, natch.

  87. My favorite fall food is soup! Minestrone, potato, stew, chilis. Any of that great hearty comfort food!

  90. I made broccoli cheese soup from Emeril's recipe on Food Network.com. It is out of this world good!

  93. Apple butter! Throw 5 lbs of peeled, cored and chopped up apples into a crockpot with 1 - 2 cups of sugar, a couple of tablespoons of cinnamon and a dash of cloves and salt. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, stirring with a whisk once or twice towards the end. I put it into my jars hot and they seal themselves -- no "canning" required! And super cheap when apples are on sale at Aldi for less than $2 per 3 lb bag!

  94. I'm going to be making Caramel Apple Dessert this year for Thanksgiving. Haven't had it yet, but I 'think' it is going to be my new favorite. 🙂

  98. Really? I have to pick ONE recipe? Umm, my hubby makes me a killer apple dressing--sometimes I share. 🙂

  99. My fave fall recipe is pumpkin ice cream pie - all the pumpkin-spice flavor without the slimy consistency, and I love graham cracker crusts!

  103. One of my favorite Fall recipes is Pumpkin Spice Cake Bread, topped with whipped cream or Cool Whip!

  104. Our family favorite is beans and cornbread. Nothing says cold weather outside like beans simmering all day on the stove.

  109. My husband makes a fall salad- it has greens with apples, feta cheese, toasted walnuts with cinnamon sugar and an apple cider dressing- delicious!

  110. My favorite fall recipe is Pumpkin Bran Muffins. I always make extras to freeze for a great breakfast on busy mornings and they are only 3 points on Weight Watchers.
    I just discovered your blog today when looking for a pudding recipe. I love Aldi. Aldi not only saves me money but time and stress knowing I don't need to clip coupons or do much comparison shopping to get a good deal.

  113. Pumpkin bread and butternut squash soup are my favorite. I'm trying out a new eggless pumpkin bread recipe this Thanksgiving and am excited about it! 🙂

  115. I really like the idea of cooking the pumpkin a little first. Can't wait to try this. Hope I win--LOVE ALDI'S!!!

  116. My favorite Thanksgiving dish is rice pilaf dressing with sage, onions and celery. It is a good side for all my gluten intolerant lovelies and everyone else loves it, too.

  117. Kristy's Green Beans!!!
    Green beans with butter, soy sauce, garlic, bacon and brown sugar. You can't go wrong!

  122. I love anything with pumpkin, especially pumpkin pie! I also need to mention sweet potato pie-yum yum!

  123. My favorite fall recipe is white chicken chili, with corn, butter and great northern beans. The corn is frozen from my garden, so it is extra sweet!

  124. My favorite fall recipe is Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies with (or even without) cream cheese frosting.

  126. Oh I'd love to win this! I guess my favorite Fall recipe would be pumpkin bread, especially as my recipe makes 2 loaves!

  129. Believe it or not, I love making cornbread dressing! After years of growing up with the yucky, soggy, crouton stuff, I learned how to make the crispy-yet-tender cornbread dressing - made believers out of my whole family, too!!

  130. Goulash is my favorite fall recipe. It's hearty, filling, and reminds me of hanging out with my best friend when we were youngsters.

  135. My favorite fall recipe is baked butternut squash, but I am totally trying your butternut squash soup idea!

    Thank you for sharing the recipes and the giveaway!

  136. my favorite? roasted brussels sprouts. no, wait. acorn squash. no. my Aunt Gladys' molasses cookies. oh, there's too many to choose from!

  137. Yeah for Aldi! I realized the other day I have been shopping at Aldi for over 25 years (3 different states). Getting ready to go there this evening, in fact.

  139. I love my mama's apple pie and stuffing! I make a pretty mean old fashioned pecan pie made with maple syrup and cream instead of corn syrup. Nom nom....

  140. My favorite fall recipes include any with pumpkin as the star of the show! I crave and devour pumpkin bread, cookies, soup, and lattes!

  141. We eat a ton of soup this time of year, and right now my favorite is tortellini soup. The best part is that you can get all of the ingredients at Aldi!

  143. Favorite Fall Recipe: Hearty Hamburger Soup!!

    Hands down a family favorite and one I plan to stock my freezer with for a great post-partum meal:)

    Thanks for offering this lovely giveaway.

  144. I love to make simple, baked acorn squash. 🙂 Even the kids will eat it. I just wish it was available year-round...

  145. Crustless Pumpkin Pie is one of my favorites. My grandma used to make this every Thanksgiving!

  155. Turkey hash made from leftover turkey! Mine is really simple, just a simple soup of turkey, potatoes, onion and celery. The potatoes help to thicken it a bit. Love to serve it over toast. Yummmm!

  157. I found a fabulous pumpkin brownie recipe thati ml oving this fall. Have made it thrice...altho today's skipped the pumpkins alayer.
    Up North, where we had lots of squash growing, roasted seeds were my favorite.

  160. Favorite fall recipe? Cranberry cheesecake! I'm going to make one for Thanksgiving and am going to Aldi for all the ingredients tonight!

  170. My favorite fall soup is a flavor-FULL veggie lentil soup. Extra credit given if it can be made in the crock pot!

  178. Oh I love love love soups, butternut, Italian sausage with zucchini....and homemade dinner rolls...
    Blesdings
    Happy holidays
    Rhonda

  183. I have so many fall recipes I love but my favorite would have to be Paul's Pumpkin bars. They are a dense, moist pumpkin "bar" with cream cheese icing. I enjoy them more as a "cake"!

  184. I just love to eat traditional thanksgiving foods all year round! But if I had to pick it would be pumkin pie, with whipped cream of course!

  188. Hmmmm... favorite fall recipe? I think it would have to be pumpkin cheesecakes! 🙂 Mmmm....
    Thanks for the chance!

  193. Stuffing! Well, that's my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. Hmmm ... my favorite non-Thanksgiving meal is beef stew.

  202. My favorite fall recipe is simple apple crisp topped with vanilla ice cream...oh the warm cinnamon apples topped with a sweet crunchy topping. Delish and the house smells fabulous!

  203. I love making sweet potatoes any way I can think of. I used to just make them in the fall, but now I'm thinking I should make them other times of the year, so much yummier than regular potatoes!

  206. Our new favorite fall recipe is apple cake from Smitten Kitchen.

    BTW - our high school just completed a food drive competition. Each first period class against all the other first period classes. Winning class got a free breakfast. My son's class brought in money and I took him shopping TWICE at Aldi's. The kids and teacher were blown away that we were able to buy so much food with the money they donated. His class ended up with 800 food items.....and took 4th place. The winning classroom donated 1,700 items!

  217. Fall is my favorite time of the year, and I associate it with the return of comfort foods...pot pies, soups, chili and of course anything made with apples or pumpkin. The most sentimental of my fall recipes is my grandmas pumpkin dessert, a cross between a pumpkin pie, bar and crumble. Love it but usually the only time we make it is for Thanksgiving 🙂

  224. My new favorite recipe is called banana donuts named by my daughter. Banana, almonds and medjool dates rolled into little balls. So easy, do delicious

  228. Love Aldi!! There is not one where I live in VA so when I visit my daughter in NC we always go there to stock up. My fall favorite is my fresh apple cake!!!!

  231. My favorite fall recipe is banana bread. Even though it is great the rest of the year, my mom always made loaves and loaves of it for the holidays. As soon as I start making banana bread I think of fall and Thanksgiving and Christmas coming soon :).

  238. My favorite Fall recipe has to be pumpkin rolls. My family loves them...but also pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars...do you see the pattern? lol

  240. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I like to make sweet potato black bean burritos this time of year.

  241. Favorite fall food to prepare is Beef Vegetable Soup simmered all afternoon.
    The Aldi card would make a nice gift for my daughter. (We do not have Aldi yet) Thanks, as always.

  246. My favorite fall recipe, hands down, is sweet
    potato soufflé! It has everything one could want in a fall comfort food side dish....it's creamy, spicy, luscious, and crunchy all at the same time! It will be making an appearance at my
    Thanksgiving Day table for sure!!

  250. Wow! This time of the year a $20 gift certificate would be great. I shop almost - always at Aldi's. They have such a great variety of groceries plus the best produce!

  251. My favorite is Wolfgang Puck's Butternut Squash Soup - but I change it a bit from his...it also makes enought for an army!
    Wolfgang Puck Cafe - Butternut Squash Soup - Downtown Disney

    Ingredients:

    1 Cup Vidalia or Sweet onions, minced

    5 lbs butternut squash, peeled and diced

    2 Oz whole butter

    1 Qt heavy cream

    2 Tbsp curry powder

    1 Tsp fresh ground white pepper

    1 Cup light brown sugar (or more depending on sweetness of butternut squash in season)

    1 lb carrots, diced

    2 lbs New Red potatoes, peeled and diced

    1 gallon vegetable stock

    Method:
    In a large pot, sweat the onions, carrots, and squash in the butter. Sauté well, but do not brown.

    Add the vegetable stock and potatoes.

    Cook until all the vegetables are tender.

    Add the cream, white pepper and curry powder. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes.

    With a hand blender, puree until smooth. Serve.

  252. We can't wait for winter weather when the coconut biscotti I make seems just right with coffee or tea. I think I got the recipe years ago from Cooking Light. Biscotti is surprisingly easy to make and the homemade versions are so much better tasting than the store bought.

  254. I've made 4 apple crisp batches this fall with apples from our tree. This is our first big crop ever. My family peels all the apples together and it's very fun.
    The recipe is from Cooks and the apple cider reduction is wonderful for maximum flavor.

  255. My favorite dish is my dad's pumpkin bread recipe. I've tweaked it to make it a little healthier but my kids still ask for it at least once a week.

  256. Favorite fall recipe is any kind of nice warm soup to warm up and a slice of pumpkin roll for dessert 🙂

  261. My favorite is salted caramel mini cheesecakes 🙂 and the best thing is all the ingredients can be bought at Aldi 🙂

  263. This thanksgiving I want to really take time to count the blessings that I so often take for granted and take the time to praise The Lord for those blessings!

  267. My mom's apple pie! I've tried so many others (even Cooks Illustrated) and none are nearly as delicious!

  268. My favorite fall recipe is sweet potato tart...I make a buttery crust and load it with sauteed sweet potato, shallots, goat cheese, and thyme. So yummy!

  269. I would have to say sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows, yum! Sounds healthy doesn't it? ; )

  271. I love anything with pumpkin in it. When I worked in a nursing home years ago, one of the ladies who volunteered always baked pumpkin brownies iced with a cream cheese frosting...yum!

  272. No idea on favorite fall recipe... favorite cooler weather dishes are chili and lasagna though. Neither are overly fall oriented.

  276. Because of you, my husband is now a huge fan of Aldi. He loves shopping there. One of our favorite fall recipes is Taco Soup. Very easy and so yummy on a cold fall day!

  280. The Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread from the Allrecipes website made with my home cooked pumpkin is delicious!

  281. Soup....any soup. Creamy, brothy, chowdery, it matters not. If it's hot and liquid, I'm all over it.

  287. I used to travel 25 miles to Aldi; now one is in the next town over! I have never purchased something there that was not quality.

  288. My favorite fall recipe is Pumpkin cupcakes with a sweetened cream cheese icing. I tried pumpkin cake a few years ago at my brother's wedding. A few months later my daughter asked for that flavor cake for her birthday.

  292. I love the tip about cooking the pumpkin to get rid of the metallic taste! Simple, but brilliant. I also love crust-less pumpkin pie, but I did it to save some calories!
    Also, everyone should stock up on Aldi's pumpkin now! It is a seasonal item, and it is amazingly inexpensive compared to everyone else.

  300. Ooooh. So far, it's a tie between pumpkin soup and pumpkin whoopie pies (growing up in south central PA I experienced that deliciousness!)

  301. One of my favorite fall recipes that might be different:
    Fried Potatoes & Turnips
    Heat a large skillet with 1/4 cup of canola oil and 2 or 3 Tbsp. bacon grease.
    Slice potatoes and peeled turnips and an onion into skillet
    Salt and pepper to taste.
    Fry at medium heat, covered, turning occasionally, until done.
    Remove cover to let them get crispier.

  303. I wish we had an Aldi's in our area! We enjoy going to Aldi's and shopping there whenever we see one in our travels! (I would love to try this butternut squash soup -- I know I would love it, but my husband doesn't prefer squash!)

  304. My favorite fall recipe is Cranberry Salsa, recipe found at Simply Recipes. I have made it 6 times so far this season, and Aldi has been selling cranberries for less than what I can get them for at the farmers market. I bought 4 bags to save some cash and stashed some in the freezer. Score!

  305. I love to make what we call pork harvest stew.
    Now that I'm thinking about it I must put it on next weeks menu.
    Yummmm

  306. my favorite fall recipe is just about anything cooked in the crockpot. I love the way the house smells when I come home from a busy of work. I know that I have one less thing to do because dinner is already cooked!

  309. I love soups of any kind: squash soup, tomato soup, and my favorite bean and kale soup (soup easy 5 ingredient recipe!)

  310. My favorite fall recipe is roasted vegetable soup. Just roast up a big batch of veggies and then either mash or blend them together with a little chicken or vegetable broth and heat back up. Such a great flavor!

  311. My favorite fall recipe is chocolate chip pumpkin muffins. They make the house smell amazing and they taste like fall. 🙂

  314. Chicken/Sausage Gumbo. Fall just puts me in the mood to chop and dice and simmer gumbo on the stove for hours. The smell is comforting.

  316. My favorite holiday recipe would have to be homemade mac and cheese or my aunts famous bacon green beans! Yum!!

  317. My favorite is definitely the sweet potato casserole with a pecan, brown sugar, cocount, molasses and butter topping. I don't even care if there is much sweet potato underneath!

  321. My favorite fall recipe is anything pumpkin (my kids would choose anything banana). Thanks for the chance!

  324. I grew butternut squash for the first time this year and love it! Hopefully I'll get a chance to give this soup a try. Favorite fall recipe: Pumpkin Face Cookies They have a spicy pumpkin filling and you cut out a face for each one. A bit of work, but so good.

  329. not sure if I have a favorite, but one we're enjoying right now is pumpkin cream cheese muffins with home made caramel sauce.

  333. My favorite recipe is a pumpkin bread recipe my mother has made for many years. She would make mini loafs for my teachers and my sisters teachers in elementary junior high and high school. We have kept this tradition on, doing the same thing for our kids teachers as well. There is nothing special to the recipe. Just the fact that it is a part of the fall tradition brings the Thanksgiving holiday together for us.

  335. My girls have begun to eat me out of house and home. $20 would go a long way at Aldi to help my grocery budget. Our favorite fall recipe is pumpkin bread.

  338. I don't know if I have a specific favorite fall recipe, but I do lean more towards comfort foods in the fall. My favorite thing Aldi carries in the fall is the pumpkin cookie mix though! Soo good!

  340. I love all pumpkin, but I think my very favorite fall recipe is a cranberry congealed salad. I could make it other times, I guess, but it just screams "Thanksgiving!" to me!

  341. One of my favorite soup recipe is the butternut squash soup. This soup freezes really well too for a super fast light dinner later on a lazy day. I also made cinnamon toast and froze them. I put butter, cinnamon and brown sugar on some old slices of whole wheat bread and tossed them in the frozen two weeks ago. I baked them at 350 right out of the freezer for 10 minutes. There it was a perfect fall dinner!

  344. My favorite fall recipe is caramel apple pie. The top is full of oats, brown sugar and caramel sauce, so it's like an apple crisp in a pie crust. Still, it's amazing.

  350. Love love love Aldi's. Favorite recipe? Pumpkin cheesecake with mini choc chips & fresh whip cream - wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it!

  351. My favorite fall recipe is Homemade stuffing - preferably made even easier with a crockpot recipe! Yum!!! I tend to crave saltier foods over sweet foods....and I love stuffing as delicious not-so-wholesome carbs! 🙂

  353. I love making homemade pancakes on Sunday mornings and topping them with warm pumpkin syrup from Aldi. Yum!

  355. Mmm. My favorite fall recipe is "sausage"-corn chowder. (I say "sausage" because we are vegetarian, and so we use veggie-sausage links.) 🙂

  356. So excited to tell you that I finally got to shop at Aldi! We (belatedly) honeymooned in Orlando last month. Arriving five hours before check-in, we used GPS to avoid tolls from the airport and explore a little. When we passed an Aldi, we had to turn around and go back. We had a blast, exploring every aisle and buying a cartful of groceries. DH did not know that I had gotten an upgrade on our room to one with a kitchenette, I think he just thought I was a little nuts. We had fun with the carts (brilliant strategy) and we bought cute Aldi shopping bags for gifts (10-cent souvenirs, woo-hoo!) for our frugal (and envious) friends. We loved everything, but especially memorable were the pumpkin bagels with pumpkin spice cream cheese. And, yes, since we ate so many meals in, we went back a second time and found even more yummy deliciousness. If it weren't for you, Kristen, I never would have known about Aldi, except now I want one of my own. I used to be happy that I had a nearby Costco and a Winco about a half hour away. Now I see how nicely an Aldi would fit into the mix.

  358. Squash. I love it prepared just about any way you can think of, but mostly roasted with butter and salt. Yum.

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