aldi zesty italian meatless meatballs

Earth Grown Vegan Classic Meatless Meatballs

This is a guest post by Claire.

Aldis Earth Grown product line offers an array of meat substitutes meant to entice and satisfy the ex-omnivore. Many of the products, including the Earth Grown Meatless Meatballs, are also certified vegan.

Neither vegan nor vegetarian, I love meatballs and figured that since they are traditionally heavily seasoned with spices, breadcrumbs, and other embellishments, a meatless substitute would be pretty forgiving to most palettes.

The Earth Grown meatless meatballs are an everyday Regular Buy, and they currently cost $4.29 on Instacart. (They may cost less in stores.)

The meatballs come frozen in a 16-ounce bag. One serving contains a generous six meatballs with five servings total in the bag. There are 180 calories and 14 grams of protein per serving. Theyre also cholesterol-free with 10 grams of fat (including 1 gram of saturated fat), 9 grams of carbs, 560 milligrams of sodium, and 1 gram of sugar.

Nutrition information. (Click to enlarge.)

The ingredients consist of water, textured soy protein, canola oil, soy flour, breadcrumbs, bleached wheat flour, soybean oil, turmeric, and paprika extractives, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, wheat gluten, methylcellulose, and caramel coloring. Methylcellulose is commonly used as a thickening agent in recipes.

Ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

The meatballs can be cooked by microwave, conventional oven, and stove top.

Preparation instructions. (Click to enlarge.)

For the microwave, simply place meatballs in a microwave-safe container and heat for about one minute.

For the oven method, preheat your oven to 375F. Place the frozen meatless meatballs in the oven and heat for about 10 minutes.

I opted to make pasta and decided to heat the entire contents of the package on the stove top by simply pouring the bag into some sauce and simmering vegetables. True to the packages directive, it only took about 10 minutes for them to warm and soften. If I were to cook these again, I would opt for the oven method in the hopes that it would crisp the outside.

In a saucepan. (Click to enlarge.)

As mentioned, I would have liked the meatballs to be crisper, however, I believe how I prepared them would have had the same effect on many other pre-packed and frozen meatballs. The overall texture is fine.

I greatly enjoyed the meatless meatballs as far as taste is concerned. They dont taste exactly like traditional beef/pork meatballs, but I think theyre seasoned very well and would go well in pasta, on a hoagie, or seasoned in a sweet chili sauce over rice. For those after the traditional spaghetti and meatballs meal, Earth Grown also offers Zesty Italian Meatless Meatballs.

The Verdict:

Earth Growns Vegan Meatless Meatballs are a safe and easy bet for a quick and yummy meal at any point of the week. Theyre a fairly low-calorie option with a good amount of protein and no terrifying ingredients. I will be sure to purchase again!

Claire Tadokoro works in publishing in New York City. Her writing can be found at www.clairetadokoro.com. Shes on Twitter and Instagram @ClaireTadokoro.

About Rachael

Rachael is the Co-founder of Aldi Reviewer. When she isn't busy shopping at Aldi, she enjoys cooking, gardening, writing gothic romance, and collecting more houseplants than she probably should. You can learn more about her at

rachaelsjohnston.com

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Aldi Italian Meatballs

When my family gathers for holidays and other celebrations, we often serve easy crowd-pleasing meals that dont take a lot of effort to prepare. That means a lot of taco / nacho bars, grilled burgers and hot dogs, baked spiral hams, or pasta buffets.

My brother and sister-in law hosted us not long ago and put together a fantastic pasta bar that included several different types of noodles, grilled chicken strips, and slow cookers filled with alfredo sauce, marinara sauce, and meat sauce. They served breadsticks and salad on the side to complete the meal. In addition, they baked a tray full of meatballs for people who wanted spaghetti and meatballs.

When I serve spaghetti and meatballs, I usually buy bags of frozen meatballs, which Aldi sells. Theyre certainly convenient. After eating freshly baked meatballs at my familys house, though, when I saw some pork meatballs in the fresh meat aisle at Aldi, I decided to try them.

Italian Meatballs at Aldi cost $4.09 for a 16-ounce package at the time of publication. The package contains 12 meatballs, which comes out to about 34 cents per meatball.

These are a Regular Buy, so you should be able to find them any time of year at Aldi.

These meatballs are labelled as mild and were previously handled frozen. They should be kept refrigerated, or they can be refrozen if you dont intend to eat them soon after purchasing. I stored mine in the freezer for a couple of weeks before cooking them, and I thawed them in the refrigerator for about eight hours before baking them.

Ingredients are pork, water, Parmesan cheese, potassium lactate, salt, dried vinegar, spices, natural flavor, dehydrated parsley, extractives of paprika, BHA (a preservative), propyl gallate (another preservative), and citric acid.

These are not the healthiest because theyre loaded with fat, sodium, and several preservatives. If the preservatives are a concern, you might want to make your own meatballs from scratch. It also would be helpful if Aldi stated exactly what spices go into these meatballs.

If youre looking out for allergens, these contain milk.

One package contains four 3-meatball servings. One serving has 270 calories, 22 grams of total fat (28% DV), 7 grams of saturated fat (37% DV), 75 mg of cholesterol (25% DV), 700 mg of sodium (30% DV), 1 gram of total carbohydrates (0% DV), no added sugars, and 19 grams of protein.

Nutrition information, ingredients, and cooking directions. (Click to enlarge.)

The package has directions for cooking the meatballs in the oven and suggests using a food thermometer. It recommends cooking the meatballs from a thawed state. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet pan, leaving a little space around each meatball. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Turn the meatballs occasionally during cooking to help brown both sides and keep meatballs from sticking to the pan. Cook longer if necessary to fully cook and brown, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached using a food thermometer.

Meatballs after baking.

These were done in my oven after about 25 minutes, and they do stick to the pan a little if you dont turn them much, but its not too bad if you have a spatula to loosen them with.

I served these with cooked spaghetti noodles and Raos marinara sauce from Aldi, with some homemade garlic toast and a salad on the side.

Spaghetti and meatballs!

The meatballs are not spicy at all. They have a good pork sausage flavor. While they contain Parmesan cheese, I dont think they have much of a cheesy flavor. My family liked these and didnt feel like they were all that different from the frozen meatballs I usually buy. I think they have a firmer texture than frozen cooked meatballs, especially on the outside, which gets browned in the oven and takes a little pressure with a fork to cut into.

Im not sure Ill buy these often because theyre not that healthy. In terms of flavor, though, these made for a good dinner served with spaghetti noodles and marina sauce. These would also be good in meatball sub sandwiches.

The Verdict:

Aldi Italian Meatballs are sold in the fresh meat aisle. These feature pork with mild seasonings and even some Parmesan cheese, although we couldnt really taste the cheese. We liked these served with spaghetti noodles and marinara sauce. Theyre not very healthy, but they taste good.

Aldi's Vegan Italian Meatballs Are Turning Heads

Vegans and vegetarians were also excited to find a great-tasting meat substitute to add to their repertoire. "I've tried them all and these are my favorite ones," one user commented on r/Aldi.

These frozen meatballs are already fully cooked and simply need to be heated before serving, which means they can be plated and ready to be enjoyed in just a few minutes. They are a versatile ingredient and can be added to a number of dishes, including pasta, sandwiches, and even salads. "We're endeavoring to reduce our meat consumption and these are super tasty! They're a little soft, but we crumbled them into a red sauce and they made for a great bolognese," one commenter suggestedon the original Reddit thread.

As per Instacart, each meatless meatball is made up of soy protein and seasoned with a number of spices, including garlic, onion, mustard powder, basil, oregano, and parsley. In addition to flavor, they also pack 16 grams of protein, only 180 calories, and 1 gram of trans fat into a serving of six meatballs. So if you're trying to cut down on red meat consumption, eat a little healthier, or simply want to mix up your dinner menu, Aldi's meatless vegan meatballs are definitely worth the purchase.

Bremer Original or Italian Meatballs

Description

Pasta night just got easier with Bremer Original or Italian Meatballs. This family size pack of frozen meatballs is microwavable and ready to eat in just 40 seconds. So, on the nights you want to kick your feet up instead of cooking meatballs from scratch, you pop these meatballs in the microwave, toss them on your pasta, and enjoy. They're an effortless addition to any traditional dish. Here are some other great highlights:

• Frozen
• Full cooked
• About 64 meatballs per package
• No artificial colors or flavors
• Can also be prepared in a conventional oven or on a stove top
• Product Code: 40976

Aldi Earth Grown Vegan Products Roundup

Last Updated on January 8, 2021

Aldi offers a line of (mostly) vegan products under its Earth Grown house brand, with foods ranging from burgers to chickenless patties to cheese substitutes. Most of these items are Aldi Finds that are only in stores for a limited time, but some products have become Regular Buys or Seasonal Favorites. This is our running post detailing many of these items. Check back later for additional products and updates.

Earth Grown Vegan Mozzarella Style Sticks and Cheddar Style Sticks

Cost: $3.49 for a 6.49-oz. bag

Thoughts: These alternatives to traditional mozzarella sticks or cheese sticks feature a crispy seasoned breading that is spot on. The filling is noticeably different from traditional cheese stick filling, with a consistency like a sauce or dip that is almost runny. These are good if you eat a strict vegan diet or if you cant eat dairy, but our family didnt finish them, saying they prefer real cheese sticks.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Non Dairy Coconut-Based Pints

Cost: $2.99 for 1 pint (16 oz.)

Thoughts: This coconut-milk alternative to traditional ice cream comes in three flavors: raspberry cheesecake, chocolate peanut butter, and mint chocolate chip.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Meatless Meatballs

Cost: $4.29 via Instacart (and probably cheaper if purchased in store)

Thoughts: Key ingredients include textured soy protein, soy flour, and breadcrumbs. Our guest writer Claire said she likes these meatballs even though they dont taste exactly like traditional meatballs. She enjoyed them with pasta and sauce.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Non-Dairy Oat Milk Based Pints

Cost: $2.99 for 16 oz.

Thoughts: This is a newer product, and its different from the almond milk-based frozen dessert Aldi sold a while back (see below). This ice cream is made with oat milk. It comes in three flavors: chocolate, vanilla cookie chip, and cold brew.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Meat Free Chickenless Patties

Cost: $3.29 for a box of 4 patties

Thoughts: These are breaded soy protein patties, and while they dont taste exactly like regular chicken patties, they are a decent substitute if you want a meatless option. They are a little more bland and less salty than real chicken patties, but my family happily ate them. Theyre good topped with ketchup, mustard, and pickle chips or with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a dollop of Ranch dressing.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Southwest Style Black Bean Chipotle Burgers

Thoughts:These were reviewed by our guest writer Katelyn. The main ingredient in these burgers is brown rice, not black beans, but she said the overall product is excellent and quite tasty.They held together well during cooking and were great topped with ketchup and AldisBurmans Honey Mustard. Katelyns husband, who is an avid carnivore, described this burger as similar to a McDouble from McDonalds.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Veggie Burger

Thoughts: True to its name, this burger is packed with veggies. However, I thought it was bland. I tasted plenty of veggies but little seasoning. There are much better burgers in the Earth Grown vegan line.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Asian Veggie Burger

Thoughts:I liked the rice and water chestnuts in these burgers, and seasonings were spot on. The burgers had nice crisp edges and held together well. I recommend these if you want a vegan veggie burger with good flavor. These are now a Regular Buy at my local store.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Southwest Quinoa Crunch Veggie Burger

Thoughts: These are my favorite among all of Aldis Earth Grown vegan burgers Ive tried so far. These burgers are filling, bake up crispy, and have just the right blend of seasonings. The only downside is that they tend to fall apart as you eat them, so use both hands to hold your bun. I like these so much that Ive purchased them again several times when they have reappeared as Special Buys in Aldi stores.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Beefless Crumbles

Cost: $3.39 for 10 oz.

Thoughts: This is an attempt to imitate ground beef or ground turkey, and its not an all together bad attempt. The texture is pretty similar to ground beef. These crumbles do have a distinctly different smell that will immediately tip you off to the fact that they are not real meat. They dont taste bad served up in tacos, though, and theyre a decent option if youre vegan or vegetarian.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

Cost: $2.99 for 1 pint

Thoughts: This is a dairy-free ice cream substitute that uses almond milk instead of cows milk as the primary ingredient. It has a smooth, creamy texture that is nearly indistinguishable from traditional ice cream. It comes in vanilla, chocolate, and mocha fudge flavors. The vanilla and chocolate flavors I tried had a noticeable almond flavor (from the almond milk) and also had a mild coconut flavor (because coconut oil is another key ingredient). This is more processed than regular ice cream because it contains thickeners such as gellan gum and carob bean gum, but its worth a try if you want the taste and texture of ice cream without the dairy.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Vegan Vegetable Potstickers

Thoughts: These have good flavor and even my picky kids ate them. They have a different texture compared to Aldis non-vegan Fusia Asian-inspired food line; probably because the Earth Grown potstickers are gluten free. These take a little longer to cook than the packaging advertises, and, contrary to the directions, I had to take the lid off the skillet to get the potstickers to finish cooking. Otherwise a great product.

Full review: here

Earth Grown Veggie Breakfast Links and Veggie Breakfast Patties

Thoughts: These are vegetarian substitutes for traditional breakfast sausage, and while they are marketed under the Earth Grown line, they are not true vegan products because they contain egg. My family thought these were good imitations of meat in terms of texture. Both taste decent, but we preferred the taste of the patties over the links, which we thought were on the blander side.

Full review: here

Whats your favorite Earth Grown vegan product? Let us know in the comments.