If You Buy One Thing at Aldi This Week, Let It Be This $4 Thanksgiving Staple
My cousin Kyle was diagnosed with celiac disease a number of years ago. Whenever the holidays roll around — especially Thanksgiving — it’s often a headache for her, as so many of the traditional offerings on our family table contain gluten. And probably the biggest sore spot for this holiday meal is stuffing.
Let’s face it: A good gluten-free stuffing mix is hard to find, and in some cases you might not spot any. That is, unless you stop by Aldi. The beloved grocer has come through, once again, with its Live Gfree Gluten-Free Stuffing Mix. It’s seriously easy and it’s seriously good — even to those of us who do eat gluten.
What’s So Great About Live Gfree Gluten-Free Turkey Flavored Stuffing Mix?
About two or three years ago, Aldi started selling gluten-free stuffing mix, which comes in two flavors: turkey or chicken. I immediately started buying it to make for family and friends, and everyone raved about it. That’s not surprising, as Aldi’s traditional stuffing is “the best.”
The stuff(ing) inside this light blue box is a game-changer. The gluten-free bread cubes contain a mix of rice, brown rice, tapioca, and potato flours. The turkey stuffing smells deliciously of sage, while the chicken stuffing offers a mild whiff of rosemary. For Thanksgiving, I prefer the turkey stuffing, as sage sings for this holiday, but the chicken is also quite good.
Whether you dress it up fancy or just cook it on the stove, it tastes as close to homemade stuffing as you can get in a store-bought mix. It has that crispy-yet-soft texture you want in a stuffing. When you eat it, you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.
Both Live Gfree Gluten-Free Stuffing Mixes come in 6-ounce boxes and sell for $3.49 per box. If you are making a Thanksgiving meal, you might want to buy two or three boxes, depending on the guest list. The box says it makes six servings of 1/2 cup each, but I think realistically it’s more like four servings.
What’s the Best Way to Use Live Gfree Gluten-Free Turkey Flavored Stuffing Mix?
While the box instructs you to heat water and butter to a boil before adding the mix, I like to riff on the recipe. Usually, I add the mix into a bowl along with an egg, one stick of melted butter, one or two diced celery stalks, half a diced yellow onion, a teaspoon of dried sage (or a tablespoon of fresh sage if I have it), one cup of chicken or turkey stock, and 1/4 cup of white wine.
I sometimes crumble in a slice or two of cooked bacon or 1/2 cup of crumbled, cooked breakfast sausage. I also will occasionally add a chopped apple and a tablespoon or two of raisins or dried cranberries, as some of my family members like their stuffing with fruit.
Whatever way I fix it, I then pour it into a butter-rubbed casserole dish, pour more melted butter on top, and bake it at 350°F for about 45 minutes, until the top is nice and crusted.
Because it’s basically dried breadcrumbs and spices, this stuffing is so much more than a holiday sidekick. I’ve ground it up in the food processor and used it as a crumb coating for fish and chicken, and in meatloaves and crab cakes.
Although Aldi only releases it around this time of year, I’ve sometimes found it months later, tucked away on a clearance shelf, long after the holidays are over. When I do, I stock up so that I can feed friends and family members all year long.
Buy: Live Gfree Gluten-Free Turkey Flavored Stuffing Mix, $3.49 for 6 ounces at Instacart
What Aldi groceries are you buying for the holidays? Tell us about it in the comments below.