5 Frozen Items First-Time Aldi Shoppers Should Add To Their Carts

Aldi is a chain of supermarkets that got its start in Germany at the beginning of the 1960s. Less than a decade later, the concept arrived in the United States, and now Americans throughout the country make sure to always have a quarter on them in case they need to make a stop at this grocery store for some essentials. That quarter is for getting a shopping cart, which the retail chain requires customers to rent, so employees don't have to round up renegade carts from the parking lot, which can waste time and add to operational costs. This is one feature of Aldi's pared-down customer experience, along with charging for grocery bags, that helps it offer some of the lowest prices on groceries of any supermarket chain in the USA.

If you haven't visited an Aldi store before, don't expect to find all the extras you'd find at competing chains, like free samples, artful displays, and a customer service desk. However, you can expect to find outstanding deals on home essentials from produce to paper goods. One section you should never skip at Aldi is its array of frozen foods. There are a lot of staples in the freezer case, like meat, vegetables, and cut fruit. However, Aldi also has some more unique frozen items that you should definitely try, especially if it's your first time visiting this German-born retailer. Below are five such items that we recommend. Please keep in mind that prices and availability may vary.

It can sometimes be challenging to find some protein to add to a meal at the last minute, and dumping frozen meat into a pan and hoping for the best can be a recipe for (watery) disaster. That's why keeping a bag or two of these dumplings in your freezer can be a lifesaver. You can fry, boil, or steam them, but the best way to cook potstickers involves all three techniques: fry on one side, add water, cover, and let them finish cooking until the water evaporates. For an extra traditional touch, mix a spoonful of flour or starch into the water, which will create a thin, lacy crust on the bottom of the pan. Flip the pan over onto a plate when the liquid evaporates, and you'll have an extra crispy way to enjoy potstickers.

But there's so much more you can do with these. Because they're mild in flavor, they can be added to almost any type of recipe, like a pot of soup or bowl of curry. You can even use them in a casserole, and they're excellent with Alfredo sauce. What's best about these is that you can enjoy them at room temperature or even right from the fridge, making them a convenient and interesting addition to a lunchbox or picnic. If you're not a fan of pork, these also come filled with chicken.

A 16-ounce package of Fusia Asian Inspirations Pork Potstickers is available at Aldi for $3.99.

These look like crab cakes, and if you smother them in a bold sauce they taste a bit like crab cakes, too. However, they're made with a combination of surimi and lobster meat and cost a small fraction of what a traditional crab cake will run you at less than a dollar each. When you're preparing a multi-course meal, the money you'll save on these lobster cakes means that you can splurge a little on some other components of your repast, like steak or a nice bottle of wine.

They are a perfect stand-in in recipes where fresh seafood may not be the solo star. They're great in crab cake benedicts smothered in an Old Bay Seasoning-infused hollandaise sauce, and they're also fantastic in sandwiches and wraps. You can opt to pan fry or bake these, and they come out beautifully when cooked in an air fryer, too. To really jazz them up, sprinkle each one with your favorite seasoning before cooking, or dip in parmesan cheese for an extra rich experience.

A five-count package of Fremont Fish Market Lobster Cakes is available at Aldi for $4.99.

Sometimes you're craving a snack that's a bit more substantial than a granola bar, and you can't imagine anything more satisfying than a burger. However, even with a frozen patty, a hamburger isn't exactly the simplest thing to prepare, and you may not want to wait in line at a drive-thru just to get a snack. That's why you need a package of these cheeseburger pita pockets. They're about the size of two White Castle sliders, but are much more substantial. The pita bread does a nice job of soaking in the juices of the Angus beef, and you can actually taste the difference in beef quality in these microwaveable cheeseburger pockets.

While small enough for an adult snack and a perfect after-school pick-me-up for an older kid, they can also be the perfect size for a little one's meal, along with some veggies. The slice of American cheese in each melt is enough to give you a creamy mouthfeel, but a solid tip is to stuff the pocket with an extra slice for even more ooey-gooey goodness. You can also fill each pita cheeseburger with shredded lettuce, pickles, onions, or whatever else you like on your burger. A dip into some homemade burger sauce is also highly recommended. Not into beef? No worries — Aldi also sells a chicken version for the same price.

A six-pack of Bremer Angus Cheeseburger Pita Melts is available at Aldi for $5.49.

Some people are pizza purists while others believe that putting any toppings on a flat piece of dough makes it a pizza. There are valid arguments for both sides, but taking a more liberal pizza stance means that you can tailor this dish to every meal of the day, including breakfast. Yes, you can have a pepperoni pizza with your morning coffee, but if you also want eggs and sausage with your pie, your local pizzeria might not be able to deliver on that craving, if they're even open yet. Fortunately, Aldi's Breakfast Best line offers the perfect solution for this conundrum.

These personal pizzas feature deep-dish crusts that may not be as profound as what you get in Chicago, but do a formidable job holding in a combination of scrambled eggs, sausage crumbles, cheese, and creamy white gravy. It may remind you a bit of a Southern breakfast in pizza form, and is a fun change of pace from more traditional morning meals. While best cooked in an oven or air fryer, you can also microwave these and have breakfast on the table in just over five minutes. As with most frozen pizzas, you can also switch things up by adding toppings and seasonings. For extra meatiness, sprinkle some crumbled bacon and diced ham over your pizza, or you can make a Mexican-inspired creation with salsa, black beans, and a dollop of sour cream.

A two-count package of Breakfast Best Deep Dish Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Pizza is available at Aldi for $3.99.

Gelato isn't quite the same as ice cream, and many will argue that it's so much better. The primary difference is that gelato is churned much more slowly than ice cream, resulting in a very thick, creamy texture. While it's a frozen treat typically enjoyed at a gelateria, or gelato shop, there are certain brands widely available at major supermarket chains, like Talenti. However, they can be more expensive than even some premium ice cream brands.

That's why Aldi's gelato, which costs under $4, catches many first-time shoppers' attention. It tastes like the real thing, and its packaging closely resembles the rectangular bins from which swirls of the cold and creamy Italian dessert are scooped in traditional shops. The triple chocolate flavor features swirls of milk, white, and dark chocolate that look like waves crashing against a rocky shoreline. For a lighter alternative, try Aldi's mixed berry flavor. And don't throw away the plastic container, as it's the perfect size for other Italian desserts, like tiramisù.

A 28.5-ounce tub of Sundae Shoppe Triple Chocolate Gelato is available at Aldi for $3.29.