Here are the stores open on Christmas that you’re most likely to visit—but be sure to check your location’s hours before heading out.

Grocery Stores Open on Christmas

• ACME: Some locations of this East Coast grocery store will be open with reduced hours.
• Albertsons: Select locations will be open on Christmas, but hours will vary by location.
• Giant: Most locations will be open on Christmas between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Safeway: Some Safeway locations will be open on Christmas, so check your local store for hours.
• Vons: Von’s locations that are open on Christmas Day will have reduced hours.

Convenience Stores and Gas Stations Open on Christmas

• 7-Eleven: Most 7-Elevens continue the usual 24/7 schedule on Christmas Day, though some will operate with reduced hours.
• Circle K: Most should be open 24/7 on Christmas, like every other day of the year.
• Cumberland Farms: Most Cumby’s stores will be open Christmas Day, with exact hours varying from location to location. Some open stores plan to give away hot coffee and cocoa on Christmas!
• Sheetz: Open 24/7, this store stays open even on holidays.
• Speedway: Most Speedway locations will stay open 24/7 as usual.
• Wawa: This is another 24/7 chain that doesn’t close for Christmas. (Maybe that’s a reason why people are obsessed with Wawa.)
• Weigel’s: You can rely on this 24/7 convenience store to remain open on Christmas Day.

Drugstores Open on Christmas

• CVS: Many CVS stores will have shorter hours on Christmas. Most will be open between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
• Walgreens: Walgreens locations are open on Christmas Day. Some will be open 24/7, per usual, and those that aren’t generally open 24/7 may have limited hours. Pharmacy hours will vary, so call ahead if you need a script filled.
• Duane Reade: The sister store to Walgreens, Duane Reade follows the same holiday hours. Double-check with your local store for location-specific hours.

Drive-Thrus Open on Christmas

• Caribou Coffee: Most locations will be open, but many will operate with reduced and varied hours.
• Burger King: Hours will vary for this burger joint’s locations.
• Dunkin’ Donuts: On Christmas Day, grab a cup of joe and your favorite treat. Store hours vary by location, so check the hours before heading out.
• McDonald’s: Select locations of this fast-food franchise are open on Christmas Day.
• Starbucks: Stop by one of the select open Starbucks locations for a holiday drink or last-minute gifts like coffee mugs. You’ll want to call your local cafe for its exact hours.

You should be able to find everything your family needs for a merry Christmas! If you’re still stuck, try these last-minute holiday recipes ready in 30 minutes.

Stores Closed on Christmas Day

The list of retailers closed on Christmas may seem longer than usual, but many major chains have been closing for the holiday for decades. Here’s a partial list of stores that will be closed this December 25th:

• Aldi
• BJ’s
• Costco
• Dollar General
• Dollar Tree
• Family Dollar
• Food Lion
• H-E-B
• Home Depot
• IKEA
• Jewel-Osco
• Kohl’s
• Kroger stores
• Lowe’s
• Publix
• Ralphs
• Randalls
• Sam’s Club
• Save A Lot
• Shaw’s
• ShopRite
• Sprouts Farmers Market
• Stop & Shop
• Target
• Trader Joe’s
• Tom Thumb
• Walmart
• Wegmans
• Winn-Dixie
• Whole Foods

If you can’t find any grocery stores open on Christmas near you, check out our collection of common baking substitutions and homemade pantry staples that’ll help you out in a pinch.

The post The Stores Open and Closed on Christmas Day 2025 appeared first on Taste of Home.

Create-A-Treat Pre-Built Gingerbread Manor Cookie Kit

My daughter is 18 now, but she and her friends still love to get together to build and decorate gingerbread houses. This Create-A-Treat brand Pre-Built Gingerbread Manor Cookie Kit ($13.89) scores points because the main gingerbread McMansion is already assembled, so you don’t have glue the walls together yourself with icing and moan when they come crashing down. Extra points for the two large trees made appropriately with green cookie dough.

Lindt Teddy Advent Calendar

Advent calendars have always been a part of my holiday season, counting down with a little treat (or simply an opened door) from Dec. 1 to Dec. 24. The Lindt Teddy Advent Calendar ($19.99) actually boasts 27 Lindt chocolates because some days have more than one chocolate. The candies include reindeer and teddy bear shapes as well as wrapped truffles, but dark chocolate lovers should look elsewhere. These treats are almost all made from milk chocolate, with the exception of one snickerdoodle white chocolate truffle variety.

Bartons Holiday Mingle Mix

I’m not sure I knew there were so many varieties of holiday candy until I bought this 24-ounce bag of Bartons Holiday Mingle Mix ($9.59). It includes dark chocolate pretzels with white drizzle, milk and dark chocolate caramel corn, milk and dark chocolate peanut butter cups, milk chocolate pretzel balls, milk chocolate nonpareils, white coated cookies with sprinkles, and something called “red gems” which tasted like off-brand M&Ms. Everyone’s sure to have a favorite, but save the chocolate-drizzled candy corn for me.

Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark

As I was pondering the large container of Kirkland Signature peppermint bark ($16.99), another shopper plopped two in her cart and conspiratorially said to me, “Everybody likes chocolate and mint, right?” Maybe not everybody, but if those two tastes happen to be a holiday favorite for you, you’ll want to buy this. It’s giant slabs of dark chocolate coated in white chocolate and sprinkled with peppermint candy pieces. Buddy the Elf probably eats this for breakfast.

Kirkland Signature Mini Cran Orange Bisconie

Never heard of bisconie? Me neither, till now. Think of a biscotti without that teeth-shattering crunch, mixed with a scone. Kirkland Signature Mini Cran Orange Bisconie ($7.99) come in a pack of 12 and look kind of like sliced-off muffin tops. They make for a great morning treat to dip in tea or coffee, or to just devour plain. Be warned: They’re very citrusy.

Stonemill Kitchens Organic Cranberry Sauce

There will always be canned cranberry sauce (“canberry”) on my table, the old-fashioned variety that shows off the ridges of the can it came in. But I pair it with a fancier cranberry sauce. It’s easy to make your own, but you can also scoop up a 36-ounce tub of Stonemill Kitchens Organic Cranberry Sauce ($8.99). It’s tart and tasty!

Kevin’s Natural Foods Turkey Gravy

I think I buy more gravy than any other item when shopping for a holiday meal. You can drizzle it on turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, and you’ll want leftovers for a true Ross Geller Moist Maker sandwich (with a center slice of gravy-soaked bread). You can’t go wrong with Kevin’s Natural Foods Turkey Gravy ($9.99), which comes in a box of two 24-ounce pouches.

Vicky’s Kitchen Cornbread Cranberry Stuffing with Turkey Italian Sausage

Gravy is great, but stuffing is my favorite part of the holiday meal, so I always make sure I have enough. If you want to switch it up and skip the Stove Top, try Vicky’s Kitchen Cornbread Cranberry Stuffing with Turkey Italian Sausage ($15.49), which comes in a 40-ounce package. It’s slightly different from the stuffing that comes with the Vicky’s Kitchen turkey breast, featuring turkey Italian sausage rather than turkey maple sausage.

The post These Are the 8 Best Costco Winter Finds appeared first on Taste of Home.

Butter

Aldi: $3.49

The Countryside Creamery unsalted butter sells for $3.49 for a 1-pound box.

Costco: $11.89

Kirkland Signature unsalted butter comes wrapped in a bundle of four, 1-pound packages for $11.89. This calculates out to $2.97 per pound, making it the least expensive price per pound for butter on this list. In terms of both price and flavor, Kirkland butter is often my go-to choice for big batch baking.

Trader Joe’s: $3.99

Trader Joe’s brand unsalted butter sells for $3.99 for a 1-pound box.

Brown Sugar

Aldi: $1.89

Aldi’s Baker’s Corner brand brown sugar sells for $1.89 for a 32-ounce bag. This comes out to mere cents per ounce. This is the best value on our list for brown sugar.

Costco: $8.89

Costco sells an organic brown sugar for $8.89 for a 7.5-pound bag. This comes out to about 7 cents per ounce.

Trader Joe’s: $3.99

Trader Joe’s organic brown sugar sells for $3.99 for a 24-ounce bag. This comes out to about 16 cents per ounce, making it the most expensive option.

Granulated Sugar

Aldi: $2.89

The Baker’s Corner granulated sugar sells for $2.89 for a 4-pound bag. This comes out to about 72 cents per pound.

Costco: $6.69

Costco has several granulated sugar options sold in bulk. First, Pioneer has granulated sugar in a 10-pound bag for $6.69, which comes out to about 67 cents per pound. There is also a Pioneer 25-pound bag for $15.99, which is 64 cents per pound. Finally, there is even a 50-pound bag of sugar for $29.99 or 60 cents a pound. This 50-pound bag is the best deal overall, but it might be difficult to store such a large volume in a typical home kitchen.

Trader Joe’s: $3.99

Trader Joe’s organic cane sugar sells for $3.99 for a 2-pound bag. This comes out to $1.99 per pound. Like the Trader Joe’s brown sugar, the granulated sugar is significantly more expensive than the other stores.

Eggs

Aldi: $2.33

Aldi’s egg prices change frequently, and at the time I was shopping at my local store, a dozen was selling for $2.33.

Costco: $4.59

Kirkland Signature Cage Free Eggs are sold in a package of 2 dozen for $4.59. This comes out to about $2.30 per dozen, making them the least expensive on this list.

Trader Joe’s: $2.99

The Trader Joe’s brand of cage-free, grade A large white eggs sells for $2.99 a dozen.

Vanilla Extract

Aldi: $4.49

Aldi’s Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract sells for $4.49 for a 2-ounce bottle. This comes out to $2.25 per fluid ounce.

Costco: $9.99

Costco sells pure vanilla extract in a 16-ounce bottle for $9.99, This comes out to about 62 cents per ounce, which is the best deal for vanilla extract I have found. I find it to be high-quality vanilla, and it is what I keep my pantry stocked with all year round.

Trader Joe’s: $7.99

Trader Joe’s has a few vanilla extract options. I chose the Double Fold bourbon vanilla extract selling for $7.99 for a 3.55-ounce bottle. This comes out to $2.25 per fluid ounce. There were other organic vanilla extract options retailing for $8.99 and $9.99, but I went with the cheapest option I could find at Trader Joe’s for comparison purposes.

All-Purpose Flour

Aldi: $2.19

A 5-pound bag of Baker’s Corner All-Purpose flour sells for $2.19, which comes out to about 44 cents per pound.

Costco: $8.99

There are a couple of flour options at Costco: A 12-pound bag of King Arthur All-Purpose Flour sells for $8.99, which calculates to about 75 cents per pound. Or, a 25-pound bag of Ardent Mills flour costs $7.99, which comes out to 32 cents per pound. While that is the best deal on this list, it is definitely a huge volume of flour to lug home and store in your kitchen.

Trader Joe’s: $2.99

Trader Joe’s unbleached enriched all-purpose flour sells for $2.99 for a 5-pound bag. This comes out to about 60 cents per pound and is the most expensive on this list.

Baking Powder

Aldi: $1.85

An 8.1-ounce box of Baker’s Corner baking powder sells for $1.85, or about 23 cents per ounce.

Costco: N/A

At this time, the Costco near me is not currently selling baking powder.

Trader Joe’s: $1.99

The Trader Joe’s brand of baking powder sells for $1.99 for an 8.1-ounce container. This is about 25 cents per ounce.

Baking Soda

Aldi: $0.89

Baker’s Corner baking soda is $0.89 for a 16-ounce box, which comes out to about 6 cents per ounce.

Costco: $8.89

Costco sells an alarmingly large bag of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. This 13.5-pound bag sells for $8.89, which works out to 4 cents per ounce. It would be quite difficult to use up this much baking soda in a home kitchen before it expires. However, it can be used for cleaning as well, so that would be the only reason I might buy this volume of baking soda.

Trader Joe’s: $0.99

Trader Joe’s brand baking soda sells for $0.99 for a 16-ounce box. This is about 6 cents per ounce.

Chocolate Chips

Aldi: $3.75

Baker’s Corner semi-sweet chocolate morsels cost $3.75 for a 12-ounce bag. This comes out to about 31 cents per ounce.

Costco: $15.99

Nestle Toll House semi-sweet morsels are available at Costco in a giant 72-ounce bag for $15.99. This comes out to about 22 cents per ounce. Based on the high quality of these Nestle chips as well as the value, this is my go-to choice for chocolate chips.

Trader Joe’s: $3.99

Trader Joe’s sells semi-sweet chocolate chips at $3.99 for a 12-ounce bag. This comes out to about 33 cents per ounce.

Bottom Line

Overall, if you want to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies, the cheapest ingredients can be found at Aldi.

I would definitely recommend stocking up on all your dry goods for baking at Aldi. The flour, sugars, baking soda and baking powder are all the best deals without having a ton of product leftover like you would when shopping at Costco.

That being said, I still find value in my Costco membership as a baker. I prefer to buy my refrigerated products like eggs and butter there. It’s typically the best deal price-wise, and the quality for the price is spot-on. And, honestly, Costco’s incredible deal on vanilla extract and chocolate chips alone is worth the membership for me.

While I am a big fan of Trader Joe’s and shop there often, it is not the best deal in terms of ingredients for baking.

The post I Bought Cookie Ingredients at Costco, Aldi and Trader Joe’s—This Store Was the Cheapest appeared first on Taste of Home.

Rather than driving around with your fingers crossed, hoping your nearest grocery store will be open, check out this list of grocery stores open on Thanksgiving Day 2025. Please note that all grocery stores in Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will be closed on Thanksgiving due to state law.

Grocery Stores Open on Thanksgiving

These grocery stores offer Thanksgiving hours this year:

• ACME: Most Acme markets are open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
• Albertsons: Typically, Albertsons are open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving, but some locations may have reduced hours. This chain also makes our list of stores open on Christmas Day.
• C-Town: This northeastern grocery store will be open on Thanksgiving Day with reduced hours, from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Cub Food: Most Cub grocery stores will be open on Thanksgiving, with most locations closing early at 4 p.m.
• Fairway Market: Fairway will be open with reduced hours, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Food4Less: Most stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., though some locations will be closed.
• Food Lion: Stores will be open until 3 p.m., but opening times vary by location.
• The Fresh Market: All locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
• Giant Food: Shoppers can expect their location to be open for its regular hours.
• Hannaford: Hannaford stores will operate between the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
• Harris Teeter: Harris Teeter stores will be open at 6 a.m., but with reduced hours until 2 p.m.
• H.E.B.: H.E.B. is open from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., with curbside available from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and home delivery available from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Kroger: Kroger operates with limited hours (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) on Thanksgiving.
• Martin’s: Martin’s supermarkets will close early at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
• Meijer: Stop by a Meijer between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. for last-minute shopping.
• Piggly Wiggly: Hours depend on the store, with some locations being open until 11 a.m., noon or 2 p.m. Some locations will be closed.
• Ralph’s: Most stores will be open until 10 p.m.
• Safeway: Safeway stores will be open, but hours differ depending on the location.
• Save A Lot: You’ll want to check your local Save A Lot because reduced hours will vary by store.
• ShopRite: Operating hours on Thanksgiving will vary depending on the location, with some operating normal hours, others having reduced hours and some that are closed.
• Sprouts Farmers Market: Stores will operate with limited hours, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Stop & Shop: Most stores will operate during their regular hours, which vary by location.
• Vons: Vons is open on Thanksgiving with modified hours: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Wegmans: Most Wegmans are open until 4 p.m.
• Whole Foods: Many Whole Foods locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., but some locations will be closed.

Since many stores’ hours vary depending on the area, check your local store before you go.

Other Stores Open on Thanksgiving

For some, Thanksgiving is not only a celebration with our good food and loved ones. It also marks the day people commence Black Friday shopping. If you’re eager to shop early Black Friday deals, here’s a list of stores open on Thanksgiving this year:

• Big Lots: Most stores will open at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.
• CVS: This year, many CVS locations will be open with typical hours. However, the store’s pharmacy hours may be reduced or completely closed, so check your local CVS if you have a script to fill.
• Dollar General: Dollar General will be open on Thanksgiving, but hours will vary by location.
• Dollar Tree: Get any last-minute needs from Dollar Tree from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
• Family Dollar: Most locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but some stores’ hours may vary.
• Walgreens: 24/7 Walgreens locations will remain open on Thanksgiving, while other Walgreens locations’ hours will vary by store.
• Wawa: The majority of Wawa stores are open on Thanksgiving.

Stores Closed on Thanksgiving

While some large chains remain open this Thanksgiving, these stores will officially be closed on Thanksgiving this year:

• Aldi
• BJ’s Wholesale Club
• Costco
• HomeGoods
• Hy-Vee
• JCPenney
• Kohl’s
• Lidl
• Nordstrom
• Publix
• Sam’s Club
• Target
• TJ Maxx
• Trader Joe’s
• Walmart

Now that you know what will be open and closed this Thanksgiving, you can plan Thanksgiving meal prep accordingly.

Related:

• Martha Stewart Says This Is the Best Time for Thanksgiving Dinner
• Creamed Corn Oreos and More Wacky Thanksgiving Foods to Try
• Aldi Just Dropped a Thanksgiving Meal for $40—Here’s When You Can Get It

The post The Stores Open and Closed on Thanksgiving Day 2025 appeared first on Taste of Home.

But when Glen Powell isn’t acting, he’s probably in the kitchen. Food is a big part of the actor’s life, which led him to co-found Smash Kitchen earlier this year. Smash Kitchen’s first drop was a line of organic, non-GMO condiments: mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and barbecue sauce (a sweet nod to his Texas roots). But now he’s turning up the heat with some brand new oils. And the best part? You can get them at Walmart.

What’s in Glen Powell’s new Smash Kitchen line?

You might have already seen Smash Kitchen condiments at Walmart while you were browsing for your own pantry restock. Now, the brand is launching an all-new line of cooking oils. The lineup includes avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. All three are available as oil sprays, which is really helpful when it comes to greasing griddles for pancakes or spraying muffin tins before baking.

The part of this launch that I think is really great is the inclusion of avocado oil. It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take the heat when you’re pan-frying or searing food. It also means a less smoky kitchen and better-cooked food.

The other thing that I love about this line is the price point. The entire line ranges from $5 to $15, which is a great, accessible price point for quality oils. With groceries getting more expensive every day, it’s great to have a variety of options for every budget.

Where can I buy Glen Powell’s Smash Kitchen line?

All the Smash Kitchen products, including the condiments and oils, are available at Walmart locations nationwide or at Walmart.com. These are permanent additions to the Smash Kitchen line, so you can pick up a few on your next shopping trip.

Related:

• Glen Powell’s Breakfast Hack Has Fans Divided
• Michael B. Jordan Orders This at McDonald’s
• This Is Jeremy Allen White’s Go-To Breakfast

The post ‘Running Man’ Actor Glen Powell Just Brought His Favorite Pantry Staples to Walmart appeared first on Taste of Home.

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Costco makes its own pumpkin streusel muffins, sold in a pack of eight for $6.99. These softball-sized muffins are moist and soft with a crumbly streusel topping. I wouldn’t mind if they had even more pumpkin flavor, but they make for a nice breakfast or brunch offering regardless.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Whipped Topping

If you want something similar to Costco’s famed pumpkin pie, pick up the store’s homemade pumpkin cheesecake. It features a graham cracker crust and a light, fluffy pumpkin whipped topping, priced at $21.99. Not bad for over 4 pounds of sweetness! This elegant and satisfying dessert would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving table.

Sugar Cookies with Fall Sprinkles

When I unpacked my Costco haul, my teenager went straight for the sugar cookies with fall sprinkles, sold in a 24-pack for $9.99. These aren’t fancy—the simple sugar cookies are decorated with brown, red, orange, green and yellow sprinkles—but the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture makes them a great snack to toss into school lunch bags.

Caramel Apple Strudel Bites

Costco’s own apple strudel bites, sold in a 12-pack for $8.99, are my favorite of the store’s fall baked goods. It helps that they’re smallish (one fits in your palm with room to spare) yet big on flavor. The braided, sugar-topped dough surrounds a caramel-apple filling that’s even better if you pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Kirkland Cranberry Walnut Loaf

It took me some strength and a good bread knife to saw a slice off of the hearty 2-pound loaf of Kirkland cranberry walnut bread, which sells for $7.99. But it was worth it. This is no Wonder Bread; it’s a bread-lover’s loaf, with a crisp crust, chewy crumb and generous amounts of cranberries and walnuts in each slice. Slather on the best butter you can find, and enjoy.

Cranberry and Jalapeno Chicken Meatballs by Amylu

Meatballs by Amylu makes a variety of precooked meatballs that are just right for tossing in a slow cooker and simmering in your favorite sauce. These fall-flavored cranberry and jalapeno meatballs are the ideal blend of sweet, spicy and savory. They’re sold in two-packs (each containing about 30 meatballs) for $15.99. I always make one package the week I buy them and freeze the other for my holiday parties later.

Panera Bread Autumn Squash Soup

I only recently learned that there’s a Panera Bread restaurant right across from my Costco. But do I even need to go there? Costco sells plenty of Panera’s tasty soups, and this autumn squash variety is the perfect fall warmup meal on a crisp day. The soup is sold in a two-pack of 24-ounce containers for $11.99.

Perfect Bar Pumpkin Pie Seasonal Batch Protein Bars

Protein is the hot food trend these days, and if you want your protein to have a seasonal flair, pick up this 12-pack of pumpkin pie-flavored Perfect Bars for $15.99. Each bar contains 14 grams of protein, and they’re made with freshly ground organic peanut butter, honey, organic dried pumpkin and spices. You need to keep these bars refrigerated, so don’t just toss them in your cupboard like you would a granola bar.

Rana Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Ravioli

Butternut squash isn’t quite as glamorous as pumpkin, but they’re both true fall flavors. These plump Rana butternut squash and caramelized onion ravioli come in a connected two-pack of 16-ounce packages, priced at $8.69.

Nuovo Pasta Pumpkin- and Bat-shaped Ravioli

My teen daughter squealed when she saw these adorable Nuovo pasta pumpkin- and bat-shaped ravioli. They’re stuffed with a blend of creamy ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and aged Asiago, but really, it’s the Halloween shapes that set them apart. They come in a connected two-pack of 16-ounce packages and sell for $10.99.

The post These Are the 10 Best Costco Fall Finds That Aren’t Pumpkin Pie appeared first on Taste of Home.

Thanksgiving meal prep is always a little bit daunting and stressful. There are a lot of logistics to consider, especially if you’re the one who is hosting. I’m thankful that for the past few years, my mom has at least loosened her grip on needing to make everything for the big day. Now, I’m in charge of Thanksgiving desserts!

Something that would make a big hosting event even easier is an all-inclusive dinner. It turns out that Walmart is doing just that, by launching a special Thanksgiving deal with an affordable price tag. Removing a lot of the stress off our plates leaves more room for seconds, right?

What is the Walmart Thanksgiving Deal?

For just $40, you will be able to serve a veritable Thanksgiving feast to 10 guests this November. Walmart has slashed prices on all the key ingredients you need for Thanksgiving staples, like pumpkin pie and green bean casserole. And Walmart is taking it one step further by offering the entire Thanksgiving meal basket as a one-click option when buying groceries on Walmart.com—complete with free express delivery too.

“We know every dollar and minute counts—which is why we are offering a low-price, one-click Thanksgiving meal basket featuring iconic brands like Butterball and Stove Top alongside trusted Walmart private brand items,” said John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart. “We want every family to be able to share a meal and celebrate without compromising on quality, quantity or tradition.”

What’s included in the Walmart Thanksgiving meal?

The meal is meant to feed 10 people. This year, the basket includes all of the following items:

• Butterball turkey, 13.5 pounds
• Kinder’s fried onions, 4.5 ounces
• Campbells cream of mushroom soup, one can
• Stove Top turkey stuffing, twin pack
• Great Value dinner rolls, 12-count
• Fresh russet potatoes, 5 pounds
• Fresh cranberries, 12 ounces
• Great Value baby carrots, 2 pounds
• Great Value corn, three cans
• Great Value green beans, three cans
• Great Value artisan macaroni and cheese, three boxes
• Great Value brown gravy mix, 2 packets
• Great Value pie crusts
• Great Value evaporated milk, one can
• Great Value 100% pure pumpkin, one can

The Thanksgiving meal basket is also customizable, with three other options also being available in a one-click format: a gluten-free option, a high-protein option and even a prime rib meal basket.

How long is the Walmart Thanksgiving basket available?

This deal is available now through December 25. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to take advantage of the meal for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or even Christmas Eve. And the best part is that you don’t even have to visit Walmart to buy the basket—you can order it at home and have it delivered straight to your door. It doesn’t get much more stress-free than that.

Related:

• Aldi Just Dropped a Thanksgiving Meal for $40—Here’s When You Can Get It
• The $4 Walmart Freezer Find I Make When I Don’t Feel Like Cooking
• Walmart Just Dropped the Pioneer Woman Fall Collection—And It’s Already Selling Out

The post Walmart Is Dropping a $40 Thanksgiving Meal That Feeds 10 People appeared first on Taste of Home.

Lucky for us, we exist in the same timeline as Aldi. Not only is the grocery chain giving us great deals on complete Thanksgiving meals and incredible finds like pork schnitzel for Oktoberfest, but it’s also giving us all the goods we need to keep our pantry efficiently stocked.

What are the Aldi pantry storage items?

No doubt you’re familiar with Aldi and its giant barcode ways. The store opts for its own private line of products that helps keep costs down without sacrificing taste. But that’s not all Aldi excels in. It also has a magical row of decor and household items at prices that would put every other department store to shame. This season, the Aldi Finds aisle will have you filling your cart to the brim.

To really maximize the usable space of your pantry, Aldi has the Kirkton Bamboo Pantry Organizer with round and expandable options for $9.99. You know that stuff that gets shoved to the back of your cabinets and forgotten about? Not anymore! Then, turn all those mismatched spice jars into a uniform display with the Crofton 12-piece Round Spice Jars with Bamboo Lids. The whole set is only $4.99, and you can display them on the Bamboo Pantry Organizer.

You can also grab the Crofton Hanging Pantry Containers for $9.99 to easily access all your dry pantry needs without worrying about stacking items that will topple over. If you’re short on countertop and pantry space, add moveable storage! The SOHL 3-tier Rolling Cart comes in black, white or green for $24.99. Store small appliances on it or bulk meal prep items, and roll it back into the pantry before the guests arrive. Altogether, you can give your pantry an upgrade for less than $50.

How long are the Aldi pantry storage items available?

Items like these cycle out quick, especially when they’re such incredible deals. It’s very likely these pantry musts will only be around while supplies last, so don’t go waiting around on this collection. Your kitchen will thank me later.

Related:

• This Is The Frosting I’ll Be Using for All My Holiday Baking
• Aldi Just Dropped the Ultimate Charcuterie Board for Holiday Hosting—and It’s Only $14.99
• Buc-ee’s Is No Longer the #1 Convenience Store—Here’s What Took the Top Spot

The post Aldi Just Launched Everything You Need to Organize Your Pantry This Fall appeared first on Taste of Home.

It’s not just the variety of products Aldi carries, but the price point as well. Even as groceries get more expensive, Aldi keeps things affordable. It even dropped the price on all the ingredients you need for a Thanksgiving meal, so the entire dinner only costs $40.

So, yeah, until it betrays me by doing something silly—like discontinuing its Diet Coke dupe—I will continue to sing Aldi’s praises. And when I saw one of the store’s latest drops, I knew I had to share the good news.

What’s special about this Aldi charcuterie board?

You’ll know the Aldi Finds aisle when you see it: brimming from floor to top shelf with all kinds of budget-friendly kitchen and home finds. This is what I lovingly call the “danger zone” with my friends, because every time I walk down it I end up buying something. Most recently, it was a skeleton-shaped candleholder, a wooden salad bowl and a trio of gilded acorns for my dining room table. Like I said, it’s dangerous!

But Aldi just started selling something that every host should keep in their kitchen. It’s the Crofton Dinner Board, and it retails for $14.99. It’s a wooden serving board with three separate divets that can be used to hold any kind of snacks or dipping sauces.

Think of the possibilities. Now your favorite olives, crispy chickpeas, pickled onions, hummus, creamy French onion dip and tzatziki can all sit neatly alongside your crudités. This means ample options for guests and way fewer dishes to clean up after the party.

When is the Aldi charcuterie board available?

Aldi’s charcuterie board dropped in stores on October 15, and will be available while supplies last. True of most Aldi Finds, they’re “here today, gone tomorrow,” according to the brand’s own pithy slogan. If you want this for your next football Sunday, you’ll want to head out to Aldi and buy one as soon as possible. I’m not above driving to different Aldi locations in my area just to find what I need!

Related:

• Aldi Just Made a Big Change Inside Its Stores—Here’s What To Expect
• These Are the Best Finds at Aldi for Oktoberfest
• Aldi’s Halloween Collection Is Dropping Earlier Than Ever—Here’s When You Can Shop It

The post Aldi Just Dropped the Ultimate Charcuterie Board for Holiday Hosting—and It’s Only $14.99 appeared first on Taste of Home.

But I have to admit that when I think about Thanksgiving now, my first reaction isn’t one of joy or tradition. I usually inhale sharply thinking about how expensive groceries have gotten. I know that I’m not alone in this thinking, as bleak as it may be. And mind you, I’m usually a glass-half-full kind of person!

The reality is that the price of food is something that more and more of us have to contend with, both on a daily basis and for special occasions. Which is why it brings me great joy to announce that Aldi is doing something about it—and it’s a pretty big deal. Literally! The supermarket chain is releasing its $40 Aldi Thanksgiving meal just in time for the holidays.

What is the $40 Aldi Thanksgiving meal?

Leave it to the budget-friendly grocery store to save the day! Usually, shopping at Aldi is going to yield a more affordable grocery cart than shopping at its competitors. But now Aldi is taking it to an entirely new level by slashing prices and bundling all the ingredients you need for a Thanksgiving feast—the turkey included.

“The ALDI commitment to low prices is unwavering and I am thrilled that we are able to offer an even more affordable holiday meal than last year,” said Atty McGrath, CEO of Aldi U.S. “Saving our shoppers money is our mission every day— but is especially important during the holidays when they need it most.”

How does the $40 Aldi Thanksgiving meal work?

The best part, in my opinion, is that this isn’t about buying a box of premade Thanksgiving food. Instead, Aldi cut the price on 21 individual ingredients that you can use to build your own Thanksgiving meal. That means that $40 is enough to purchase everything for stuffing, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole and more. And yes, the whole turkey is included! You can buy everything in store, then make your meal at home according to grandma’s recipes.

The $40 price tag is calculated by assuming you’ll be feeding 10 people. That means that it only costs $4 per person to enjoy the feast! Here are all of the items that will have their price slashed:

• Whole turkey
• Chicken broth
• Condensed cream of mushroom soup
• Evaporated milk
• Hawaiian sweet rolls
• Miniature marshmallows
• Cut green beans (x2)
• 100% pure canned pumpkin
• Shells & cheese (x2)
• Brown gravy mix (x3)
• Poultry spices & herbs
• French fried onions
• Pie crust
• Chicken or cornbread stuffing (x2)
• Whipped dairy topping
• Yellow onions (3 lbs.)
• Baby peeled carrots
• Celery
• Cranberries
• Sweet potatoes (3 lbs.)
• Russet potatoes (10 lbs.)

When is the $40 Aldi Thanksgiving meal available?

The good news is that the $40 Aldi Thanksgiving meal is available from October 15 to December 24. That means you can enjoy slashed prices on all these fall cooking staples whether or not you’re shopping for Thanksgiving. And if you enjoy the quality of the food and the price point, you can even do a repeat for Friendsgiving or your Christmas dinner!

Related:

• These Are the Best Finds at Aldi for Oktoberfest
• Aldi Just Made a Big Change Inside Its Stores—Here’s What To Expect
• Is Aldi’s Diet Cola Really a Dupe for McDonald’s Diet Coke?

The post Aldi Just Dropped a Thanksgiving Meal for $40—Here’s When You Can Get It appeared first on Taste of Home.

6. Baker’s Corner Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread and Muffin Mix

Baker’s Corner is one of the house brands at Aldi, and the limited-edition Apple Cinnamon baking mix has just hit store shelves. This mix can be used to make one loaf of quick bread or a dozen muffins. I opted for the quick bread loaf option, and all I had to do was add water, oil, eggs and applesauce to the mix.

It baked for just under an hour, and the loaf rose beautifully in the oven. Popping it out of the pan felt effortless, and it sliced like a dream. I liked how the recipe called for 1/2 cup of applesauce. It added moisture and a fresh twist, while cutting down on the need for extra oil. However, I did find the overall flavor to skew more artificial. To make it more autumnal, I would add cinnamon to the mix; it didn’t feel like there was quite enough!

5. Duncan Hines Dolly Parton’s Caramel Sheet Cake Mix

I will always love you, Dolly, but this particular cake mix from Duncan Hines fell a bit short for me. The caramel sheet cake mix is part of the Dolly Parton collection, and it was very easy to prepare. The mix is combined with milk, eggs and melted butter and baked in a 13×9-inch pan.

Once the cake cooled, I topped it with a caramel sauce that comes included in the box. This sauce is combined with melted butter as well as an optional 3 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar. I found the caramel sauce to be a bit thin when only the butter was added, so I thickened it with the optional confectioners’ sugar. One tablespoon rather than three was enough to thicken the sauce.

In terms of texture and flavor of the cake, this mix wasn’t a standout. I was hoping for something a little different and with some pizzazz, but it ultimately just tasted like any other cake mix. That being said, the box also gave directions for a caramel apple sheet cake, which adds thinly sliced Granny Smith apples to the top of the cake. If I were to prepare this baking mix again, this would be the way to go.

4. Betty Crocker Caramel Apple Cookie Mix

This seasonal cookie mix from Betty Crocker couldn’t be easier to prepare. All you have to do is combine the mix with a stick of softened butter and one egg. The cookie dough had a fantastic consistency, and it was easy to scoop and bake.

The cookies emerged from the oven a bit on the pale side, and the flavors felt a little artificial. That being said, there was a very intriguing “mix it up” option listed on the back of the bag. It suggested spreading each cookie with Betty Crocker prepared cream cheese frosting, adding chopped fresh apple and finishing with a drizzle of thick caramel sauce. This is exactly how I’d make them more luxurious!

3. Miss Jones Baking Co. Maple Donut Glazed Muffin Kit

You would never guess these maple donut glazed muffins are gluten-free. Eggs, milk and melted butter are combined with the gluten-free mix and spooned into greased mini or standard muffin tins.

I was surprised when I had significantly more batter than the recipe indicated. The mix is supposed to make 24 mini muffins or 12 regular muffins. I easily filled a 24-count mini muffin pan and had enough leftover to make four more regular-sized muffins.

The maple-flavored icing threw me for a loop. The recipe on the box calls for combining the packet with 2 tablespoons of water. However, this resulted in an incredibly thin glaze that looked quite different than the thick glaze depicted in the photo on the box.

Thin glaze aside, the flavor and texture of these donut muffins were amazing. I paired them with a warm cup of coffee on a chilly fall morning. I can certainly see myself making the muffins again, but next time, I’ll add the water for the glaze just a few teaspoons at a time until it reaches a more attractive consistency.

2. Bettergoods Maple Brown Sugar Blondie Bar Mix

Bettergoods is a private-label brand at Walmart, and I was excited when I spotted this mix for maple brown sugar blondie bars. The baking mix is combined with an egg, melted butter and some water before it is spread into an 8×8-inch pan.

Once the bars are completely cooled, there is a prepared maple icing packet to drizzle on top. The incredible aroma of these bars lured me in even before I took the first bite. I could smell the maple, cinnamon and brown sugar notes as they were baking, and the taste did not disappoint. The flavors were bold and didn’t have the fake aftertaste I found in some of the other mixes. These bar cookies were very easy to prepare and would make a great addition to any fall dessert table.

1. Trader Joe’s Pumpkin & Spice Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix

For me, there was one clear winner in this taste test of fall baking mixes, and it was head and shoulders above the competition. The pumpkin and spice snickerdoodle cookie mix from Trader Joe’s is so good, it could easily pass as homemade.

These cookies are the best of all worlds. The cookie dough itself has all the pumpkin pie flavors we crave this time of year, but then the cookies are taken to a whole new level by rolling the unbaked dough in an incredible sugar and spice mix. This might be the best snickerdoodle I have ever tasted. The classic cinnamon-sugar combination gets an autumnal boost with ginger, nutmeg, allspice and clove.

Pick up a few boxes of this cookie mix as soon as you see it in stores. I’m sure they’ll fly off shelves this season.

The post We Tasted 6 Special Edition Fall Baking Mixes—Here’s Our Favorite appeared first on Taste of Home.

I joke with my friends that all day long all I do is create something out of nothing—by writing words onto a blank page or filling a pan with ingredients. Eventually, I have a finished story or a complete meal, but they had to start from somewhere. And, sometimes, I’m so exhausted that I don’t have any mental energy left to think about what to make for dinner. Joanna Gaines might have saved me from some of that headache with her new line of Magnolia Table products, available now at Target.

What is the new Magnolia Table line?

If you own one of her three Magnolia Table cookbooks, then you know how good Joanna Gaines is at getting food on the table. Her banana bread and buttermilk biscuit recipes have achieved a cult status among her fans for being reliably delicious. Now, she’s taken that one step further by offering them in the Target freezer aisle. That’s right—all you have to do is pop a tray of biscuits in the oven, and they’ll be hot and ready in 20 minutes.

The Magnolia Table line offers six of Joanna’s recipes: banana bread, cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies, silo cookies, sugar cookies and buttermilk biscuits. You can simply take them out of the freezer, put them in the oven, and enjoy baked goods that feel homemade in a matter of minutes. The cinnamon rolls are the only item that need to thaw before baking—that way they achieve a good rise.

It seems almost too good to be true. But I went to Waco, Texas where the Magnolia Table restaurant is based for an exclusive sneak peek and was able to taste some of Joanna’s new Magnolia Table frozen offerings.

How do the frozen Magnolia Table items taste?

I tried the banana bread, cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies and buttermilk biscuits while chatting with Joanna Gaines herself. I even had the biscuits three ways—as a bun for a honey butter fried chicken slider, as biscuits and gravy and slathered with homemade strawberry butter. And I’ve never eaten a frozen biscuit that tastes this good.

I asked Joanna how the new Magnolia Table line fits into her cooking ethos. “It’s all about balance. What’s the intention of cooking to begin with? For me, it’s wanting to gather my family and friends around the table,” she told me over biscuits in the Magnolia test kitchen. “What can I do practically that can be homemade, and how much of it can be a little bit of a cheat? I love to cook with a balance of both.”

If you like cooking, then you’ll definitely resonate with that mentality. Cooking is about feeding ourselves, sure, but it runs so much deeper than that. It’s the ultimate act of love. And Joanna Gaines just gifted all of us a little more love in our busy lives.

Related:

• 15 Recipes Inspired by Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Restaurant, Magnolia Table
• 8 Slow-Cooker Meals Inspired by Joanna Gaines
• Joanna Gaines Eats the Same Post-Baby Meal Every Time—Here’s Why

The post Joanna Gaines Just Dropped Her Buttermilk Biscuits at Target, and I Got a Sneak Peek appeared first on Taste of Home.

Doppel Keks

These delicious sandwich cookies come wrapped in a giant tube. They’re not too sweet, and have the perfect chocolate-to-cookie ratio. The cookie itself has a nice snap and good crumb, which is what I think Paul Hollywood would say if he ate one.

Bavarian Soft Pretzel Sticks

You don’t have to go to a shopping mall to enjoy a soft pretzel! While Aldi carries both traditional twists and sticks, I definitely prefer the pretzel sticks. They’re perfect for dipping into spicy mustards and beer cheese spread.

Apple Walnut Cake

Step aside, pumpkin spice; fall is really about apples. And nothing celebrates the humble apple better than this cake. It’s a great combination of almond cake, apple slices and caramelized walnuts. Keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to bake it.

Pork Schnitzel

Aldi actually carries this in beef, chicken and pork varieties, so you can choose your own schnitzel adventure. I like pork the best, because it feels very hearty and German. Pair this thinly breaded pork loin with braised cabbage and just like that, dinner’s ready—and it’s delicious.

Cherry Frangipane Tart

If you don’t like marzipan, you can’t come over for a holiday meal at my house. This showstopping cherry tart plays up all the sweetness of almonds, and pairs it with the juicy tang of cherries. If you’re entertaining guests, definitely break this out after dinner to wow them.

Mushroom & Cheese Strudel

There may be an abundance of sweet strudels in the world, but I prefer their savory counterparts. This flaky puff pastry bakes from frozen and is filled with cheese and mushrooms. It’s a perfect fall appetizer—that is, if you feel like sharing.

Red Cabbage with Apple

If you’re not embracing cabbage this fall, then you’re sorely missing out. The powerhouse cruciferous vegetable is unbelievably versatile, as evidenced by this jarred version. It’s slightly sweetened with apple and makes a great side dish to any meal. Better yet, throw it on a brat.

Hazelnut Doppelino Sandwich Cookies

Yes, this is a different cookie than the Doppel Keks: It’s smaller! While it comes in three different flavors (chocolate, hazelnut and speculoos), I strongly prefer the hazelnut variety. They’re perfectly sweet and adorably bite-sized, and they pair well with your morning coffee.

The post These Are the Best Finds at Aldi for Oktoberfest appeared first on Taste of Home.

Like any icon, especially one that’s been around in the U.S. for nearly 50 years now, Aldi was ready for a refresh. And that’s exactly what the chain recently announced.

What is the big change?

Aldi has just begun an overhaul to its packaging across all of its private-label brands. It is also launching its first-ever namesake brand in an effort to make its popular private labels easier for shoppers to find and identify in stores.

What this means, in practice, is that all the chain’s exclusives—which represent 90% of the products it sells—will now be identified either as being part of the namesake Aldi brand, or it will bear a hard-to-miss “an ALDI Original” graphic on its packaging.

Atty McGrath, the chain’s new CEO, said in a news release that the change has been in the works for the past few years in response to customer feedback and represents “the next step in our journey to modernize our simpler, quicker shopping experience.”

Some of the company’s most popular private-label products, will continue to bear the names of their iconic brands with that “ALDI original” graphic. These will include in-house brands like Clancy’s, Simply Nature and Specially Selected, as well as the grocer’s popular Happy Farms dairy product and Sundae Shoppe ice cream lines. Some items will officially be adopting their shopper-given nicknames, such as the fan-favorite “Red Bag Chicken.”

Shoppers will have to wave goodbye to seeing names like Dakota’s Pride, Little Journey, Lunch Buddies and Sweet Harvest on Aldi’s shelves. Instead, they’ll be identified simply as Aldi products. Let’s be honest, though: You were probably already calling them Aldi products anyway. We know we were!

When will the new labels go into effect?

The refreshed packaging should begin showing up at your Aldi store soon, but the company said it will take “the next few years” for the transition to be complete across all of its private-label products.

In the meantime, we’ll be angling to get a look at this grocery glow-up with our own eyes on our next trip down Aldi’s aisles.

Related:

• Chipotle Is Dropping a Brand New Sauce, and I Got a Sneak Preview
• Starbucks Just Released Protein Lattes and Cold Foams—Here’s My Honest Review
• This New Costco Bakery Item Will Be Your Go-To Holiday Dessert

The post Aldi Just Made a Big Change Inside Its Stores—Here’s What To Expect appeared first on Taste of Home.

Maybe I’m biased as an eternally sweaty person, but I love when the temperature goes down and stays down. Curling up with a good book and some tea is the ultimate way to spend a chilly fall evening. Of course, this also means it’s peak season for soups and stews, but I don’t always have time to stand over the stove. That’s when I turn to my fail-proof cozy fall meal: grilled cheese. But this one doesn’t require you to turn on the stove.

What is the $4 Walmart freezer find?

Enter the frozen-food love of my life: Lily’s Toaster Grills. Now, I have to admit that I walked right by these in the grocery store at least a dozen times before actually picking one up. The truth is that I was dubious that a toaster grilled cheese would taste good. The key part of the grilled cheese is the whole “grilling” part, ya know?

But as a food writer, my curiosity eventually got the better of me. I decided to try it out and see if it held a candle to a real buttery, crispy classic grilled cheese.

One of the key things that I didn’t realize at the grocery store is that you need to heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds before you put it in the toaster. This might seem like a weird way to start making a grilled cheese, but it’s actually pretty genius. It thaws the sandwich and also starts to soften the cheese. I transferred it to my toaster and set it to a five (my toaster settings max out at six). Mere minutes later, my sandwich popped up and was ready to eat.

How do the Lily’s Toaster Grills taste?

As I took my grilled cheese out of the toaster and cut it in half, I felt a little bit like Janice from Friends. All I could think was, “Oh. My. God!” I stared at it on my plate for a minute and couldn’t believe that it hadn’t been fried up in a pan. It looked and smelled like a fresh grilled cheese.

And guess what? It tasted like one too. The combination of the crispy, buttery bread and the melty American cheese made it feel like it had just come out of a skillet. There was no part of this sandwich that remained unthawed or cold. I thoroughly enjoyed it and started mentally meal planning for the earliest moment I could eat this alongside a cup of canned tomato soup for an easy weekday lunch.

Where can I buy Lily’s Toaster Grills?

I bought my Lily’s Toaster Grills at Walmart, where it cost $3.97 for a box of two. I’ve seen them similarly priced at Target, Jewel and Meijer as well, so I would check the frozen aisle at your local grocery store the next time you’re shopping to see if they’re in stock. And while I may be enjoying these now during cozy season, there’s no doubt that this will become a new go-to snack in my house, year round!

Related:

• Walmart Just Dropped the Pioneer Woman Fall Collection—And It’s Already Selling Out
• Our Best Grilled Cheese Ideas
• Easy Savory Snacks to Make Anytime

The post The $4 Walmart Freezer Find I Make When I Don’t Feel Like Cooking appeared first on Taste of Home.

Because of its size, it lends well to many servings. As a food stylist, I wanted to create different ways for people to put their own twist on the store-bought sweet. Choose one or mix and match with several!

6 Ways to Serve Costco’s Pumpkin Pie

Since Costco has already done all the heavy lifting, it’s fun to find easy ways to personalize the prepared dessert. All you need to think about are toppings!

Pie Crust Cut-Outs

If you want to decorate the top of your pumpkin pie like a fancy pastry chef, all you need is a roll of refrigerated pie crust and small seasonal cookie cutters. I like traditional shapes like pumpkins, apples or fall leaves. Simply cut out the desired shapes, place them on a baking sheet, and bake at 400°F until they’re golden brown. Arrange them near the crust after cutting the pie into slices.

Spiced Pecans

For those who can’t decide between a slice of pecan pie or pumpkin pie, enjoy the best of both worlds by adorning the top of the Costco pumpkin pie with a sprinkling of cinnamon spiced pecans or a few pieces of a homemade pecan brittle. If you want to eliminate all of the heavy lifting, this time of year you might even find pre-made spiced pecans on store shelves. Trader Joe’s candied pecans are some of my favorite.

Candy Corn

The kid’s table at your Thanksgiving celebration will love it if you garnish the top of your holiday dessert with a handful of festive candy corn. The traditional candy corn looks great, or kick it up a notch and pick up a bag of Autumn mix. This mix typically comes with the classic colors, a brown and orange candy corn version and mini candy pumpkins.

Spiked Whipped Cream

If the kids get a special treat, the adults at the table deserve something just for them as well! While a dollop of whipped cream is always welcome on top of a slice of pumpkin pie, a spirited twist can be even more fun. Spiked whipped cream is easy to make, and just a dash of bourbon takes the dessert to a whole new level.

Salted Caramel Drizzle

Sweet and salty combinations keep taste buds excited, and that’s why I like to add a drizzle of caramel ice cream topping to a slice of pumpkin pie and finish it off with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. It adds flavor, texture and a little crunch.

Toasted Marshmallow Topping

Sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows are a traditional Thanksgiving side dish, so why not toss a few mini marshmallows on top of your Costco pumpkin pie too? To really turn it into a show, you can use a small kitchen blow torch and toast the marshmallows just before serving.

The post The Costco Pumpkin Pie Is Back—Here Are 6 Ways You Can Serve It appeared first on Taste of Home.

Costco’s newest bakery item combines some of its most popular dessert options into a single, easy-to-transport package that’s perfect for the upcoming holidays or cozy fall get-togethers.

What is the new Costco bakery item?

It’s a Dessert Bar Tray, and it’s a thing of dreams. The chain took a handful of its top-ranked bar cakes and made them finger foods. The tray includes four autumnal and wintry flavors: pecan caramel brownie, brookie, wildberry macaroon and Macaroon Madness bars. With eight bars per flavor, that’s a total of 32 dessert bars. That can feed quite the crowd!

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With so many flavor options, this dessert tray will empty in no time. I’m a brookie ride-or-die to the end, but I’m quite intrigued by the wildberry macaroons. I’ll have to stop at my local Costco to try ’em for myself!

How long will the new variety pack be available?

We’re hoping this sweet treat tray sticks around through the end of the holidays, but we can never be sure. I would grab a tray now to kick off fall before they all get snatched up. For only $19.99, this dessert is an absolute steal. Even if you don’t have any parties or get-togethers on the horizon, I think it’s safe to say you deserve to treat yourself anyway (just make sure you leave one for me).

Related:

• How to Shop at Costco for a Small Household
• Is Aldi’s Diet Cola Really a Dupe for McDonald’s Diet Coke?
• Aldi Just Dropped Everything You Need to Make Sourdough Like Taylor Swift

The post This New Costco Bakery Item Will Be Your Go-To Holiday Dessert appeared first on Taste of Home.

Despite my love for the chain, there is one aisle I’ve never been interested in: the one with Aldi’s house brand sodas. If the Aldi Finds aisle is my kryptonite, then the tonic is the beverage aisle (pun very much intended). Sure, call me a snob, but I prefer a Diet Coke over any store’s house brand version. Call me a sucker for marketing and branding—I don’t care. Diet Coke is life.

I was curious, though, when I started to see chatter online about Aldi’s Diet Cola being a dupe for the king of all Diet Cokes: a McDonald’s Diet Coke. Well, I scoffed, this certainly can’t be possible. Aiming to prove the internet wrong, I went and bought a case of the Summit Diet Cola.

Is Aldi’s diet cola a dupe for a McDonald’s Diet Coke?

Generic sodas are nothing new. Brands take well-known products and try to imitate them at a lower cost—both visually and in terms of taste. The result is often just fine. In this case, the packaging for Aldi Diet Cola is freakishly akin to that of a Diet Coke: It’s a light silver can with red lettering.

But when I took a sip of the Aldi diet cola, I was immediately blown away. I actually said, “Wow!” and then took a second sip just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. Yes, this generic cola is good. And not just good, it tastes better than a can of Diet Coke. My first impression was that it tasted like someone had canned a McDonald’s fountain Diet Coke.

Real Diet Coke fans know that what sets the McDonald’s version apart is an unmistakable, almost proprietary balance of flavor and carbonation that you usually can’t get anywhere else. So, I decided to take my testing up a notch. I poured a can over ice, and drank it with a straw. It was perfection.

I am convinced that if you poured the Aldi Diet Cola into a McDonald’s cup, I wouldn’t know the difference. Consider me impressed yet again by Aldi, because I will now be buying its Summit Diet Cola in bulk. It really is a super dupe for McDonald’s Diet Coke!

Related:

• Aldi Just Dropped Everything You Need to Make Sourdough Like Taylor Swift
• I Tried the New Popeyes x Hot Ones Menu—Here’s How Spicy It Really Is
• Coke Zero vs. Diet Coke: What’s the Difference?

The post Is Aldi’s Diet Cola Really a Dupe for McDonald’s Diet Coke? appeared first on Taste of Home.

But if I’ve learned anything from following Taylor Swift, it’s that she never stops creating. In fact, her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, drops in just two weeks. The studio isn’t the only place where she gets in the creative mood though. On a recent episode of the New Heights podcast, Taylor revealed some of her favorite hobbies. Or, as she put it, “I’d say all my hobbies could be categorized as, like, hobbies you could have had in the 1700s.”

We know Taylor likes baking cookies, and it turns out that another of those hobbies is making sourdough bread. I need to know who feeds her starter when she’s on tour! Details aside, I’ve been trying to get motivated to get back into sourdough. The stars seem to have aligned, because Aldi just dropped a sourdough kit that has everything you need. Or should I say, knead.

What’s in Aldi’s sourdough kit?

Making sourdough bread requires a few advanced techniques and special tools. Think of this Aldi sourdough kit as having everything but the sourdough starter. It includes:

• Bench scraper: You’ll need this to divide the dough and to shape the dough into a loaf while creating surface tension.
• Dough whisk: Different from French whisks and flat whisks, a dough whisk is made specifically for thicker batters and doughs.
• Lame with two blades: Bread lames are one of the essential bread baking tools. Use these to score your loaves with all sorts of designs (besides aesthetics, scoring bread lets steam escape for a more even bake).
• Proofing basket: Also called a banneton, this is a lined basket that helps keep the shape of your loaf while it proofs.

The best part is that you get all of these materials for $14.99. It’s an incredible value, especially since you can use these tools over and over again to make plenty of loaves.

When is Aldi’s sourdough kit available?

This kit is available right now at Aldi stores nationwide, while supplies last. Since it’s an Aldi Find, it lives by the store’s “here today, gone tomorrow” credo. That means that once they’re sold out, they’re gone for good. So if you’re ready to enter your sourdough era, then it’s time to take a “Getaway Car” to Aldi!

Related:

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• I Made Taylor Swift’s Viral Homemade Pop-Tarts—Here’s What I Thought
• 11 Ideas for a Super Bowl Party (Taylor’s Version)

The post Aldi Just Dropped Everything You Need to Make Sourdough Like Taylor Swift appeared first on Taste of Home.

In the end, it came down to Kirkland bacon vs. Coleman bacon. Kirkland products are known to be above average in quality, and so many people swear by them. I am neither a Kirkland devotee, nor a name-brand-only buyer. I usually go with whatever is the best overall value. Therefore, I started this taste test with an open mind and an empty stomach.

Testing Kirkland Bacon vs. Coleman Bacon

Appearance Test

Before cooking the bacon, I took a good look at the uncooked strips of both options. Overall, the thickness of each slice was about the same, but there seemed to be a little more fat on the Kirkland strips (pictured on bottom) and a bit more meat on the Coleman strips (pictured on top).

Then it was time to get cooking. For standardization purposes, I thought it would be best to crisp the strips in an air fryer. I cooked both brands at 400°F for 10 minutes.

Flavor Test

Next came the fun part, the taste test. Before chowing down, I took note of the grease that accumulated on the tray after each was cooked in the air fryer. From the batch of Coleman bacon, I gathered 12 grams of fat. From the Kirkland, 31 grams of grease dripped off. That being said, I also noted that the Coleman brand stuck a little more to the tray.

The Coleman bacon was meatier and with a more robust overall flavor. I noted the Kirkland bacon was decidedly saltier. Upon looking closer at the packaging, this made sense since the Kirkland bacon contained 320 mg of sodium per serving and Coleman bacon came in at 280 mg of sodium per serving.

Texture Test

In terms of texture, both bacon options crisped up well and also made decent crumbles for bacon recipes. The Kirkland bacon skewed a bit more brittle in terms of texture and the Coleman was more meaty and chewy.

Packaging

The Coleman bacon packaging won me over. In fact, I was a bit frustrated when I first picked up the flimsy and slippery plastic wrapping around the four-pack of Kirkland bacon. It was difficult to hold, and the individual packages inside flopped all around. The Coleman bacon was neatly arranged in a box that was easy to pick off the shelf and toss in my cart.

Is Kirkland bacon better than Coleman?

Overall, both Costco bulk bacon options were quite impressive. Neither produced limp nor rubbery strips, they cooked up well and both were delicious on their own or in a sandwich. However, for me, the slightly more expensive Coleman bacon came out on top. This hickory smoked uncured bacon was made without nitrates or nitrites added to the heritage duroc pork. The bacon was more tender, juicy and flavorful than the Kirkland brand. The house-brand option seemed to compensate for lower-quality pork with additional fat and salt.

Coleman bacon came in a box with three 12-ounce packages. That’s 2.25 pounds of bacon for $13.69, or $6.08 per pound. The Kirkland Signature bacon is sold in a pack of four 16-ounce packages for $18.99, or $4.75 per pound. I felt that the difference in flavor, more convenient packaging and humanely raised pork all made the extra expense worth it in the long run.

The post Is Costco’s Kirkland Bacon the Same as Coleman Bacon? We Investigated appeared first on Taste of Home.

What are the new Trader Joe’s Carnival Fun Cake Fries?

These new limited-edition frozen foods are Trader Joe’s answer to childhood favorite summer foods. Meant to mimic the taste and texture of the carnival classic funnel cake, these frozen fries come in 12-ounce bags that cost $4.99 each. The Trader Joe’s freezer section is full of fun finds, and this one is no different. Picture a funnel cake that is unwound and cut into fry-shaped pieces. With a quick bake in the oven, your kitchen smells heavenly and you’re ready to enjoy funnel cake magic at home!

How to Prepare the Trader Joe’s Carnival Fun Cake Fries

These Trader Joe’s Carnival Fun Cake Fries heat up in a matter of minutes, which gives you plenty of time to whip up fun toppings to take them to the next level. From simple to a bit more complex, these toppings all nod to carnival treats of summers past. Add these to a state fair-inspired dinner or set up a dessert station for the family to add any toppings they like.

Cinnamon and Sugar

Mix equal parts ground cinnamon and granulated sugar together to make an all-purpose cinnamon sugar coating. Sprinkle the mix over the Carnival Fun Cake Fries as soon as you take them out of the oven, then transfer to a serving plate. The warm fries and warming cinnamon sugar mix almost tastes like a churro.

Powdered Sugar

There’s nothing more nostalgic than a funnel cake from a stand at the summer carnival dusted with powdered sugar. Instead of sprinkling this topping on right when the Fun Cake Fries come out of the oven, let them cool just slightly (about one minute) before sprinkling with powdered sugar. That way, the sugar won’t melt before you serve them.

Banana Split

If you’re looking to get a bit more outlandish with your Fun Cake Fries, give them a banana split makeover. Add sliced banana, whipped cream, roasted peanuts and, of course, a cherry on top. This one was my favorite combination that I tried. To make it even more like a banana split, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Oreo

Chocolate lovers, this one will be the way to your heart. First, crush some Oreos (or Joe-Joes!) in a large resealable plastic bag. Once the Fun Cake Fries have cooled slightly, drizzle them with chocolate syrup, add whipped cream, and then sprinkle with the crushed cookies. Double chocolate and double the fun!

The post Trader Joe’s Just Released Funnel Cake Fries, and I Tried Them 4 Different Ways appeared first on Taste of Home.

Dark Chocolate Covered Powerberries

I first bought a bag of these antioxidant-filled chocolates for myself, but soon my daughter kept asking for some as well. I never would have guessed she would have liked the intense flavors of açai, blueberry, cranberry, pomegranate and dark chocolate, but we were both instantly hooked. They are $4.99 for an 8-ounce package, and it’s easy to toss three or four of the chocolate balls into a lunch bag. These super snacks have an irresistible sweet-tart flavor that can curb a chocolate craving without over-indulging.

Pink Lady Apple Chips

The cinnamon-sugar coated pink lady apple chips arrive at this list straight from my daughter. She devours the thinly sliced and delightfully crunchy chips that are made by vacuum crisping using minimal oil. The rosy-blush color and crisp bite of the pink lady apples are maintained, and they taste almost as juicy as a fresh apple. Each 2.5-ounce bag sells for $2.29, and you could probably get about three lunch-sized portions out of it. Even beyond the lunch box, these are excellent sprinkled on top of Greek yogurt for breakfast or on ice cream for dessert.

Mediterranean Hummus Snack Pack with Pita Chips

The best part about these snack packs is that they can be tossed directly into a lunch bag, and you are an instant hero. All the heavy lifting is done for you. Inside is Trader Joe’s bestselling hummus along with the perfect amount of pita chips, all in a snack tray that makes it portable and easy to enjoy. It’s $2.99 for an 8-ounce package that includes two snack packs.

Tiniest Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are always fun, but they are even more exciting when they are teeny tiny! These itty bitty chocolate chip cookies are made for small fingers. When you want to give your kids a little treat (literally) these are the way to go. My daughter loves having just a few at the end of a meal, and I like that they are made with butter and not oils. An 8-ounce bag is $3.99, and there is enough to sprinkle into to lunch boxes day after day.

Just a Handful of Rainbow’s End Trail Mix

Also in the effortless, toss-and-go category are the pre-made pouches of Trader Joe’s iconic Rainbow’s End Trail Mix. Of course, you could divide it up yourself into individual baggies, but this is just so much easier, and I am all about it. For $5.49, you can buy a bag with 10 convenient pouches filled with a colorful combination of raisins, peanuts, almonds and multi-hued, candy-coated chocolate. With two grams of fiber and five grams of protein per bag, this snack provides the boost kids need to take on the day.

Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies

I’m not sure who loves these alphabet cookies more, my daughter or me! She loves to spell out words before taking a bite or hunt down the elusive “Z” to write her name in edible format. I am all about a phonics lesson along with snack time. Plus, I can’t help grabbing a few of these small cinnamon cookies when I want a little treat. Each large 15-ounce tub sells for $5.99, and you’ll be able to spell a lot of words before hitting the bottom.

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Snackers

One of the newest snacks that caught my eye in the refrigerated case are these pre-portioned snack size pouches filled with bite-sized balls of fresh mozzarella cheese. I’m a huge fan of creamy fresh mozzarella, and I never would have guessed they would find a way to make them portable! Each pouch is 70 calories and 5 grams of protein. An 8-ounce package is $3.99 and contains eight snack pouches. I had to make this suggestion a twofer because I’m also totally obsessed with the Trader Joe’s “Sprinkles” teeny tiny tomatoes. A few of those pair perfectly with these mozzarella balls and become a Caprese-inspired lunch box treat that feels as elegant as it is easy.

The post These Are the Best Trader Joe’s Snacks for Back-to-School Lunches appeared first on Taste of Home.

And Aldi takes holidays very seriously. When I bought my house in the late summer of 2021, I realized that my existing Halloween decorations were woefully inadequate. But I didn’t want to further break the bank (did I mention I had just bought a house?) by going overboard with holiday spending. So I went to Aldi and bought a very cute set of felt pumpkins for $4.99.

All that to say that there’s a special place in my heart for Aldi’s Halloween collection. Which is why I’m so excited to announce that their decorations are dropping earlier than ever this year!

When will Aldi’s Halloween collection be in stores?

This year, Aldi stores nationwide will start selling the Halloween collection on August 13. There are so many items to pick from, but I have to say that these three have caught my eye:

1. A novelty glass bud vase in the shape of a squirrel
2. A ceramic ghost holding a pink pumpkin
3. A pink skull candle

Sure, my Halloween vibes probably lean more cute than scary, but there’s nothing wrong with that! Plus, I like that Aldi always has plenty of fun fall decor that can be left up long after Halloween has come and gone.

How long will Aldi’s Halloween collection be available?

Like most Aldi Finds, I’m sure these Halloween decorations will vanish pretty quickly. If you have your heart set on buying something specific, you should plan to hit up your local Aldi on August 13 when the collection drops.

I’m not above taking some PTO when there’s an exciting Aldi drop. (If you’re my boss, that’s definitely a lie. I love work!) After all, what could be more rejuvenating than stocking my home with pumpkins, ghosts and skeletons? I feel more productive already. Thanks, Aldi!

Related:

• This $4.95 Aldi Find Is So Good, I Always Buy Two at a Time
• The Dunkin’ Fall Menu Was Leaked, And I Can’t Wait to Try This New Item
• Our Top 10 Halloween Recipes

The post Aldi’s Halloween Collection Is Dropping Earlier Than Ever—Here’s When You Can Shop It appeared first on Taste of Home.

Kirkland ice cream bars with chocolate flavored coating and roasted almonds is distributed by the Costco Wholesale corporation in Issaquah, Washington. While the Häagen-Dazs vanilla milk chocolate almond ice cream bars are distributed by Dryer’s Grand Ice Cream in Walnut Creek, California. There is some suspicion that these two products are so similar that they might be coming from the same manufacturer. However, based on the information on the box as well as through our analysis and taste test, we don’t think that is the case.

Testing Kirkland Signature Ice Cream Bars vs Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Bars

Ingredients

Before even taking the first bites of ice cream, we compared the ingredients on each package. The packaging on the Häagen-Dazs bars describes the dessert as containing “Madagascar vanilla, rich milk chocolate and toasted California almonds.” The official ingredients listed for the vanilla ice cream are cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla extract. The coating contains milk chocolate, almonds roasted in vegetable oil and coconut oil. We love an ingredient list without artificial flavors or fillers! Each of the Häagen-Dazs bars weighed in at 77 grams and contain 270 calories and 19 grams of fat.

The Kirkland ice cream bars were made with ice cream containing cream, milk, nonfat milk, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract. This is quite similar to the Häagen-Dazs bars. The chocolate coating with almonds contains sugar, coconut oil, nonfat dry milk, unsweetened chocolate, soybean oil, unsweetened chocolate processed with alkali, soy lecithin, almonds, canola oil and/or safflower oil. The label has a disclaimer that this product contains a bioengineered food ingredient. Each Kirkland bar weighed in at 78 grams and had 280 calories and 21 grams of fat.

Appearance

The Kirkland bar was wider but thinner than the Häagen-Dazs bar. Given that their size differed by a mere gram, the amount of food was virtually the same even though they were shaped differently. We also noticed that the Häagen-Dazs coating contained more nuts and the chocolate layer seemed slightly thicker.

Price

The Häagen-Dazs bars are sold in a 15-count box for $12.79. That comes out to 85 cents per bar. The Kirkland version is sold in an 18-count box for $10.99, which comes out to 61 cents per bar. Both are quite a good value for a summertime treat, so in the end, it was really going to come down to the taste test.

Taste

Overall, we found the vanilla ice cream in the Häagen-Dazs bars to be richer, creamier and with a stronger vanilla flavor. That was on par with our previous analysis of the best vanilla ice cream brands. We also thought the coating had a stronger, more authentic chocolate flavor. Finally, the fact that the almonds were roasted on the Häagen-Dazs version gave them a more robust taste.

All this being said, the Kirkland ice cream bars were still quite delicious! The ice cream was nice, just not as vanilla-forward. The primary difference was in the chocolate coating. It was a bit waxier and more artificial tasting than the name-brand bars. There were also fewer nuts. If you like more crunch, Häagen-Dazs is the way to go.

Which ice cream bar is better: Kirkland or Häagen-Dazs?

Ultimately, we preferred the Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars. The price per bar is slightly higher, but that wasn’t enough to sway the vote. The chocolate tasted more authentic, the ice cream was creamier, and the almonds were more flavorful and present.

The post Costco’s Kirkland Ice Cream Bars vs Häagen-Dazs: Which Ones Are Better? appeared first on Taste of Home.

What is Costco’s peaches and cream bar cake?

The peaches and cream bar cake is 37 ounces of dessert bliss, with fluffy whipped cream and tart peach filling sandwiched between layers of vanilla sponge cake. I loved the delicate white chocolate curls on top as an extra flourish. For $18.99, this large dessert is a bargain for serving a crowd. The size and shape is consistent with Costco’s other bar cakes, like the springtime carrot bar cake or everyone’s favorite tuxedo mousse cake, which is a staple in the bakery case.

How did the Costco peaches and cream bar cake taste?

After the first bite of the sample, I knew this cake was coming home with me. I certainly hope it becomes an annual flavor offering, because I would line up to buy it again. The texture was delightfully light and airy, as a perfect sponge cake should be. Since it’s made with whipped cream rather than heavier buttercream frosting, this also contributed to it being more delicate. Several Reddit users had the same thought as me: Rather than being too sweet, this cake leaned more tart because of the peaches.

The cake would be perfect to serve at a summer baby or bridal shower. I think it would also be a big hit at a graduation party. The flavor profile makes it a great choice to serve after a heavier meal like a summertime backyard barbecue.

How long will the peaches and cream bar cake be at Costco?

Costco loves to be secretive about the comings and goings of its products, so there’s no real way of knowing how long this cake will remain on store shelves. However, at the rate they were being snatched up, I’d say this cake is selling fast. If you’re interested in getting one for yourself, time is of the essence!

Related:

• Recipes to Make with Farm Stand Fresh Peaches
• Gorgeous Desserts You’ll Want to Eat All Summer Long
• We Ranked Every Costco Food Court Item, and the Winner Shocked Us

The post I Tried the Costco Peaches and Cream Bar Cake and Had to Buy One appeared first on Taste of Home.

1. Organize Your Fridge

Organizing doesn’t mean that you need to go out and spend a lot of money on aesthetically pleasing containers (although if you want to, go ahead!). It’s as simple as putting a basic system in place. “I find that if there’s too much in there, ingredients and leftovers get lost and sometimes wasted,” says Test Kitchen manager Catherine Ward. She has it down to a science: “Fruits, greens and veggies on the bottom shelf, meats and cheeses on one side of the middle shelf and leftovers on the other. Top shelf is yogurt, eggs, pickled items and Asian sauces and condiments. All other condiments and butter are on the door.”

You can take it one step further and make sure containers have their label facing forward. It makes it so much easier to see everything at a glance. This way you’re not digging around to make sure you grabbed the plain yogurt instead of the vanilla, for example. Plus, when everything has a designated spot, you can quickly see what you’re running low on, or what you need to use up.

2. Shop Smart

Going to the grocery store without a plan is like throwing a bunch of random clothing items in a suitcase and hoping you have some good outfits to wear on vacation. You’ll probably get by just fine, but chances are you’ll be wasting precious cargo space lugging around a bunch of clothes that you never wear. Imagine showing up for a beach vacation with a ton of sweatshirts!

It’s the same with buying food. Just 10 to 15 minutes of planning can save you energy and money while shopping. These are a few ways that our staff streamline the grocery-shopping process:

• “I meal plan on Saturdays. I look at my calendar for the upcoming week and note which days I have time to make dinner and which days need something quick. This method allows me to look forward to the days when I have time to cook, but also helps me stay realistic about busier days.” — Emily Parulski, newsletter editor
• “I utilize grocery pick-up through our local grocery store. Being able to do my grocery shopping online has been a game changer for me.” — Ellen Crowley, culinary producer
• “Unless I’m making specific dish, I mentally plan a week’s worth of dinners based on what we have. We don’t shop daily, so I have a packed pantry, lots of fresh veggies in the fridge and I’m a big fan of my freezer. I scan what we have, plan a few days of dinners at a time and defrost what we need.” — Lesley Balla, associate food editor

3. Pick a Planning Day

Meal planning is certainly not a new concept, but I think a lot of home cooks forget just how flexible you can be with it. Everyone’s schedules are so different, and sometimes Sunday is just too busy to handle all of those household chores. The most popular meal prep days for our staff are actually Monday and Saturday!

Figure out the schedule that works for you. I like to split my meal planning session and my grocery shopping into two different days, otherwise I get overwhelmed. On Friday mornings I like to save recipes and make a list for the coming week, then I grocery shop on Sunday. Since I’m usually an overambitious planner, I like the buffer day between planning and shopping so that I have a chance to be more realistic about my grocery needs.

My Google calendar isn’t just a scheduling tool; I love to use it as a grocery list, too. I block out two hours on Sunday for grocery shopping, and then I write my grocery list in the calendar event itself. If I’m out shopping and I can’t remember if I have any limes, for example, I can look at my calendar and see if I bought them the previous week.

4. Embrace Ingredient Prep

The game-changer in getting meals on the table quickly isn’t preparing seven dinners on Sunday night (although, if you have the energy and fridge space for that, I applaud you!). Instead of thinking of prep days as a chance to cook entire meals, use it as time to prep specific ingredients. This way, weeknight meals come together with a lot less chopping, peeling, marinating and mixing.

These are just some of the items that our staff regularly make ahead for quicker weeknight meals:

• Croutons
• Marinara sauce
• Ramen broth
• Salad dressing
• Pickled veggies
• Pulled pork
• Pizza dough

Aside from that, ingredient prep can be as simple as dicing or cubing vegetables for stir-frying and roasting. Or you can clean, dry and store berries and fresh herbs in the fridge so they’re ready to use. If I have a jar of pickled veggies and a creamy dressing in my fridge, I become invincible during the week!

5. Use Frozen Vegetables

Almost everyone on staff that I talked to had high praise for the utility of frozen vegetables. If you don’t currently have a bag of broccoli florets in your freezer, you’re missing out!

Frozen vegetables are the single most versatile ingredient to always have on hand. They can go from freezer to oven to table with remarkably little effort and time. You don’t have to thaw them before roasting them, and they still get nice and toasty in the oven. Plus, they’re almost always chopped, which saves on prep time, too.

Food writer Valerie Goodrich shares her secret to elevating the humble frozen vegetable: “After cooking the veggies, I dress them with a pinch of salt, squeeze of lemon and pat of butter to make them taste a bit more special with minimal effort.”

6. Empty the Dishwasher

Just like washing and prepping ingredients, sometimes the real time suck of cooking is all of the other stuff you have to do in tandem. Putting a meal on the table knowing you have to go back to a messy kitchen afterwards can drain all the fun out of dinnertime.

“Whenever I cook on weeknights, I always make sure the dishwasher is emptied before I start,” says Valerie. “That way, I can load the dishwasher as I cook, which makes my kitchen feel so much less chaotic and makes clean-up a breeze.”

7. Enhance Store-Bought Items

Thanks to Ina Garten, we all know that “store bought is fine.” And while she’s correct, there are a lot of ways that you can customize store-bought items for your own meals. It’s that sweet spot of making something unique and tasty without spending hours making it from scratch.

I love adding my own toppings to a frozen pizza. At a minimum, I’m shaking on some oregano, basil, garlic powder and onion powder. Fresh spinach and cremini mushrooms always seem to accumulate in my fridge, and using them as pizza toppings is a great way to make sure they don’t spoil. They also add depth of flavor and some extra nutrients to a simple frozen pizza.

Associate editor Alyssa Asaro loves to doctor a jarred pasta sauce to make it feel fancier. “I’ll add cheese, lemon, spices like garlic powder or red pepper flakes,” she says. “And sometimes I’ll even add meat.” Her favorite starting point is this spicy vodka sauce.

8. Use C.O.R.N.

If you have a few different leftover meals in your fridge, but not enough for your entire family to eat the same thing, then it’s time to use C.O.R.N. This stands for “Clean Out Refrigerator Night” and it’s what Catherine Ward swears by. “I don’t cook dinner every night but dinner is served every night. Sometimes it’s leftovers, and on those nights, we might all be eating something different.”

Saving leftovers from spoilage while also making sure you have dinner on the table is a win-win. Sure, one half of your family might be enjoying stuffed peppers while the other is finishing up a teriyaki stir-fry, but the most important thing is that everyone is together and fed!

9. Your Freezer Is Your Friend

Once you’ve fully embraced the power of your freezer, you’ll never look back. I’ve already mentioned the utility of frozen vegetables, but there’s so much potential in your freezer. Several of our staff always make double batches of soups, lasagnas and chilis, so half can be frozen for a later date.

But aside from making freezer meals, you can also batch-cook ingredients and freeze them so they’re ready to heat and go. Senior editor Lindsay Mattison is a huge proponent of cooking and freezing proteins. “These are real wins for last-minute dishes because they thaw in about 30 minutes in cold water,” she said. “Pulled pork, meatballs, smoked brisket or braised pork belly work especially well. Pulled pork can be used for everything from sandwiches to salads, rice bowls, baked potatoes, mac and cheese, tacos and nachos.”

10. The “One Thing” Principle

Every staff member I talked to always mentioned that one thing they keep on hand so that they can throw together a quick meal. Emily keeps andouille sausage on hand so she can make a quick jambalaya with a box of Zatarain’s. Lindsay keeps bean thread noodles in her pantry for quick no-cook summer dishes. Several staffers keep a block of tofu in their freezer; it defrosts easily, and freezing tofu can actually give it a chewier, “meatier” texture.

Think about the dishes that you most love to cook, or the ones that you know you can throw together at a moment’s notice. Is there a one thing element there? Making sure you always have that in your kitchen can be the difference between a stressful and peaceful weeknight meal. My one thing is a jar of pesto!

The post 10 Secrets of People Who Always Have Dinner on the Table in 30 Minutes appeared first on Taste of Home.

As a finance writer for over 20 years, I’ve helped uncover the cheapest places to buy groceries, reveal the mysteries of dynamic pricing, and shared how to grocery shop on a budget. But few experiences are more empowering than walking out of my local supermarket knowing that dinner for my whole family cost less than 10 bucks.

This week, I challenged myself to make one of our family favorites—egg rolls in a bowl with rice—for just $10. I wanted to prove that, even with inflation, it’s possible to shop smart and put a satisfying family dinner on the table for less than the cost of a single takeout order.

This Week’s $10 Dinner: Egg Rolls in a Bowl

The veggie-packed meal I chose is based on this 25-minute egg roll in a bowl recipe from Taste of Home contributor Sue Mitchell. It’s a lighter take on classic egg rolls, which works well for our family since I’m trying to eat healthier. (My husband and kids enjoy the rice, but I skip it—stretching the meal even further.) And as a busy mom of three who works full time, I appreciate any recipe with fast preparation and cooking times.

To keep the meal budget-friendly, I simplified the ingredient list and purchased store-brand products. Instead of ground chicken, I used ground beef that was on sale. I also picked up store-brand rice, and all the produce I selected was part of the store’s weekly sales. Finally, I didn’t buy any extra ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil and minced garlic because I had those staple items at home in my refrigerator.

How We Shopped for the Meal

Here’s a look at what I picked up to feed five people for just $9.30:

• 1 pound of 73% lean ground beef ($5.79/lb.)—$5.91
• One organic green cabbage ($2.96/lb.)—$1.75 (after store discount)
• One 12-ounce bag white rice—$0.89 (after store discount)
• One small yellow onion ($0.99/lb.)—$0.75

Total: $9.30

If you’re counting, my total grocery bill for the meal was actually under $10. I was able to stay within my target budget for a few reasons. First, my state doesn’t charge sales tax on most unprepared food items. Second, I already had some basic ingredients at home like soy sauce, sesame oil and a jar of minced garlic, which helped me save even more money. These kinds of staples go a long way toward building budget-friendly meals without sacrificing flavor.

Shopping Tips That Made Our $10 Meal Work

If you want to try shopping for your own budget-friendly meal, here are a few of my favorite tips:

• Check sales first: I checked weekly circulars to find the best prices on expensive items like ground beef before heading to the store. Grocery shopping apps like Flipp make it easy to search for local grocery sales right from my smartphone.
• Opt for store brands: Every item I bought was from the store brand, and no one in my family could taste the difference.
• Use what you have: I always build meals around the ingredients in my pantry. This habit is a huge money-saver week after week.

Final Thoughts

Pulling off a $10 dinner in 2025 isn’t always easy. But with a little planning and creativity, it is possible. If you want to try making low-cost meals of your own (without skimping on flavor), try simple tricks like shopping store sales, buying store brands, and shopping your pantry first to work with ingredients you already have at home.

Egg roll in a bowl checks all of those boxes for me. It’s a budget-friendly and flavorful meal. This family-favorite recipe makes enough food to fill everyone up, and even offers seconds or leftovers for the next day.

The post $10 Dinner: How to Make ‘Egg Rolls in a Bowl’ for $9.30 appeared first on Taste of Home.

7. Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s offers plenty of treats that people are obsessed with, so we had high hopes for the cookies. Priced at $4.99 per dozen, we thought the chocolate chunk cookies would make our list of TJ’s faves. However, that’s not the case. Of all the cookies, these lacked serious flavor. The first thing every tester mentioned was how bland they were compared to the other cookies. The taste of the chocolate was meh, and there also wasn’t enough of it. That said, Trader Joe’s chocolate chip cookies made up points for having a soft and chewy texture with perfectly crisp edges.

Bottom Line: Skip the chocolate chip cookies at Trader Joe’s the next time you’re shopping. Instead, save room in your shopping cart for our favorite frozen food items from Trader Joe’s.

6. Fresh Thyme

Fresh Thyme had two bakery chocolate chip cookies available. While the thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies looked very similar to Tate’s Bake Shop, we went with the more classic offering since it was most like the other cookies in the test group. At $4.99, these cookies were priced in the middle of the pack. However, their taste and texture scored the lowest of the bunch. Our batch lacked any softness or chewiness, and the edges were rather crumbly due to the overall dryness of the cookie. Finally, the chocolate, while plentiful, was dry and crumbly and didn’t offer a lot of cocoa flavor.

Bottom Line: If you really crave chocolate chip cookies, this one will do, but know that there are far better chocolate chip cookies available at other retailers. This might even be a case to skip the bakery section and opt for store-bought chocolate chip cookies instead!

5. Aldi

Aldi is a national grocery retailer with a loyal customer following who appreciates the brand’s commitment to low prices and value-driven offerings. The cookies are not baked fresh in-house, but at $3.89 per dozen, Aldi’s ‘Bake Shop’ chocolate chunk cookies were among the least expensive that we sampled. Overall, Aldi had the chewiest cookie offering and used a sweeter milk chocolate chip that our testers enjoyed. The flavor of the cookie dough had mixed reviews, though, with several testers noting a “mystery” flavor that they couldn’t quite place for better or worse.

Bottom Line: Aldi’s Bake Shop chocolate chunk cookies are not the best chocolate chip cookie we’ve ever had, but they’re not the worst either.

4. Walmart

Walmart has several chocolate chip cookie offerings in its bakery section. We tested the basic ‘Freshness Guaranteed’ chocolate chip cookies, priced at $3.47 per dozen, since they were most similar to the other brands tested. Our first impression of these cookies was that they were very sugar-forward. Both the chocolate and the dough tasted more like white sugar than cocoa or cookie. In fact, all testers noted a sugary graininess present, almost like the butter and sugar were not creamed the right way. That graininess outshone the soft, chewy texture of the cookie.

Bottom Line: If you like your chocolate chip cookies extra sweet, then head to your local Walmart for a cookie treat.

3. Kroger

The in-store bakery cookies from Kroger consistently tested near the top among our taste testers. Kroger’s cookies have a sweeter cookie base with a hint of salt that makes them well-balanced. Texturally, this brand had nice crisp edges and soft middle, but lacked any of that oh-so-desirable chewy factor that we were seeking. As for chocolate, the overall flavor of the chocolate chips was among the best we sampled. However, we wanted more of them. Most of the cookies in our package only had a few minuscule chocolate chips each, which left the chocolate chip-to-cookie ratio feeling lackluster.

Bottom Line: At $3.49 per dozen, Kroger’s in-store chocolate chip cookies are a crowd-pleaser, and they’re the most affordable choice. Here are more ways to save at Kroger.

2. Target

Tied for the top spot is Target’s ‘Favorite Day’ chocolate chip cookies. Sold in a 16-pack, which averages to a price of $5.60 per dozen, these were also some of the most expensive cookies tested. The cookies tasted super fresh even though Target doesn’t bake them onsite. Target cookies had the best texture of any cookie we bit into: soft, with a subtle chew and perfectly crisp edges. The dough was also the best of the bunch with notes of butter and vanilla.

Bottom Line: If you don’t have time to make homemade chocolate chip cookies, these might just be the next best thing. FYI: Target’s Favorite Day cookie dough ice cream is also one of our top-ranked brands.

1. Costco

Not only does Costco have one of the best grocery store cakes, but its chocolate chip cookies also consistently topped our testers’ lists. The smell of these cookies brought us back to grandma’s house with their strong vanilla aroma. The overall flavor was also very vanilla forward with notes present in both the cookie itself and the chocolate.

Speaking of chocolate, of all the cookies tested, the chocolate chips in Costco’s cookies really stood out as the best. The chips were smooth, creamy and full of rich cocoa flavor. And there were a ton of them in each cookie. At $5.89 per dozen (sold in packs of 24 cookies), they may be pricey, but we feel their quality makes it worth the price tag.

Bottom Line: If you need enough cookies to serve a crowd and don’t have time to bake your own, Costco chocolate chunk cookies are the answer. Between the cakes and cookies, I’d say that makes a Costco membership worth it!

The post The Best Grocery Store Chocolate Chip Cookies, According to a Professional Baker appeared first on Taste of Home.

Now that I’m an adult, I prefer the deeper, more complex flavor of the Extra Toasty variety. As a kid, I loved the Parmesan Garlic option. It’s a flavor that I think has either been discontinued or somehow morphed into the White Cheddar version. Cheez It, please, bring back the Parmesan Garlic!

So imagine my absolute delight when I found out that Cheez-It partnered with Palermo’s to make Cheez-It Pizza! I gasped when I found out, because it’s a combination that makes so much sense that I wondered why it didn’t already exist. Naturally, I had to try these pizzas. But considering that I hold both frozen pizza and Cheez-Its in such high esteem, I was worried that my expectations might be a bit too high.

What is Cheez-It pizza?

There are three different versions of frozen Cheez-It pizza available: Italian Four Cheese, Original Pepperoni, and Cheddar Jack Supreme. Each version has a super-thin Cheez-It cracker crust that’s topped with sauce and cheese, and the pizzas are actually square instead of round. I wonder if it’s meant to evoke the shape of a classic Cheez-It.

How do you make the Cheez-It pizza?

The first thing I thought when I unwrapped the frozen pizzas was, oh my God, I can smell Cheez-Its! It was such a pleasant little start to the taste test. I preheated my oven to 450ºF as per the instructions, and kicked things off with the Original Pepperoni flavor.

Now, something that I add to each and every frozen pizza that I make is my signature blend of “pizza spices.” This is a non-negotiable in my house, and so in order to properly assess how these stood up to other frozen pizzas, I added the spices. It’s a very non-scientific combination of dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. Please feel free to use it on your next frozen pizza; once you try it, you’ll never go back!

The box for the Original Pepperoni says to cook it for 8 to 10 minutes. I didn’t want to overcook it but was wary of undercooking it and ending up with a less-than-crispy thin crust, so I baked the Cheez-It pizza for nine minutes. (Remember, the Extra Toasty Cheez-Its are my fave!) I placed the pizza directly on the center rack of my oven and set the timer. After it was done cooking, I let it cool off for about five minutes before I cut it into bite-sized squares.

How does the Cheez-It pizza taste?

One word: divine. Two words: absolutely perfect. Three words: Buy it now!

I sampled all three flavors of the pizza. In my opinion, the best one was the Italian Four Cheese. You could really taste that signature Cheez-It flavor coming through. But I’m really splitting hairs here, because the Original Pepperoni and the Cheddar Jack Supreme were wonderful too. I just found that the combined flavors of the other toppings overshadowed the cheesy crust.

The crust really does taste like Cheez-Its, and its texture is perfect! I had the most success when I cooked the pizzas for the lowest amount of time. There was no problem with the crust cooking through and staying crispy. When I cooked the Original Pepperoni for a little bit longer, I think it got slightly too dried out. Again, splitting hairs, because I ate the whole thing anyway.

Where can I buy Cheez-It pizza?

These wonderful inventions should be available in your local grocery store’s freezer aisle. Palermo’s, the company that partnered with Cheez-It to make these pizzas, also makes Screamin’ Sicilian pizzas. So if you can find those, you should probably be able to find the Cheez-It pizzas, too.

I don’t know if this is a limited edition item or if they’re here to stay. They should be here forever, and they should keep making more flavors! In the meantime, go out to the store and buy them now before I snatch them all up. Time to invest in a chest freezer!

The post I Tried the Cheez-It Pizza and I Can’t Stop Thinking About It appeared first on Taste of Home.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the trend is expanding, as Walmart just announced that it will soon welcome Wienerschnitzel—the popular California-based hot dog chain—inside some of its stores.

When is Walmart opening its Wienerschnitzel locations?

According to the chain, the Wienerschnitzel stores will open inside select Walmarts nationwide beginning this fall. The stores will offer the chain’s full menu, including its iconic chili cheese dog, the French fry-topped Junkyard Dog, sides like jalapeno poppers and cheese fries, and Tastee-Freez soft serve ice cream.

How many Walmarts will have Wienerschnitzel?

The new partnership between Walmart and Wienerschnitzel will begin with six locations across six states in the western U.S. These locations include stores in Puyallup, Washington; Alamogordo, New Mexico; Tempe, Arizona; Reno, Nevada; Colorado Springs, Colorado and Bakersfield, California. If successful, it’s likely the partnership will expand to additional locations.

Known as the world’s largest hot dog chain, Wienerschnitzel currently has 340 franchise locations across 13 states, including a heavy presence in Southern California and on the West Coast.

The new locations are part of the chain’s efforts to grow this footprint via “non-traditional avenues,” the company said in an announcement. It is also exploring opening new locations inside food courts, airports, military bases, convenience stores and theme parks. While we’re personally not sure we have the stomachs to eat a chili cheese dog before hopping on a roller coaster at a theme park, we wouldn’t be at all opposed to noshing on some of that carby, cheesy goodness once safely back on the ground.

Related:

• Super Fun Hot Dog Recipes
• The Griller’s Guide to America’s Best Regional Hot Dog Styles
• The Best Hot Dogs for Summer BBQs, According to Our Pro Grillers

The post Walmart Is Opening This Iconic Fast-Food Chain in Select Stores appeared first on Taste of Home.