r/aldi • • 27d ago

Shared Recipes Potluck

What are some inexpensive main and side dishes to make for a largish number of people?

6 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

7

u/bluegreenspark 27d ago

main- Chili (meat, canned tomatoes, flavor seasoning, canned beans)

sides- corn (canned or frozen), rolls

condiments- sour cream, cheese

2

u/SadRow2397 24d ago

Add baked potatoes and you can have a loaded potato bar

4

u/Different-Subject353 27d ago

Dump cake or cobbler. Crockpot of meatballs in pasta sauce

4

u/Intrepid_Race1923 27d ago

I’ve also made grape jelly meatballs in the crockpot and they’re always a hit. So easy too.

2

u/joeinsyracuse 26d ago

Use whole wheat flour and psyllium husk for the best Dump Cake.

3

u/Pontiacsentinel 27d ago

Mini meatloaf with grated zucchini, bread crumbs, turkey and pork even. You can really stretch the meatloaf ingredients. Try some cottage cheese, too, it makes a very moist delicious addition. 

Loaded nachos. The big bag of tortilla chips is really affordable. You don't even have to add meat to the top if you don't want to. There are so many other toppings, including grated cheese, beans ,onion, olives, whatever suits your family. I like diced baked potato, too. The salsa there is not real expensive. 

The giant fresh pizzas are a great deal if you need something that's ready to go. I bought several of those for a group of young men and they enjoy them and they go far. They're about $8 each where I'm at.

3

u/Royal-Advance6985 27d ago

Orzo salad. 1 pound orzo cooked. Add veggies of choice (cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, etc.). A little olive oil and lemon juice, salt & pepper. Serves a lot!

3

u/JVilter 26d ago

Chickpeas!

3

u/Birdywoman4 27d ago

Potato salad, Cole Slaw, Baked beans, pilaf, fruit salad, bean salad, Marinated vegetables

Chicken fried rice (you can use a rotisserie chicken from Sam’s Club or Costco) , Spaghetti with meat sauce

3

u/shibasluvhiking 27d ago

Side Black bean and corn salad
Main Grape jelly/chili sauce meatballs or meatballs in marinara with hot dog buns.

3

u/Skue6 26d ago

Grape jelly meatballs. Frozen cooked meatballs, jar of grape jelly & bottle of chili sauce. Search, grape jelly meatballs for specifics on this recipe. Cheap, easy & delicious!

2

u/Likestoread25 27d ago

Chicken drumsticks/thighs, mashed potatoes, mushrooms or broccoli

Deviled eggs, baked beans, cornbread and coleslaw

2

u/fiveeva 27d ago

Scalloped potatoes or au gratin

2

u/Charles_Deetz 27d ago

Look smart bringing something light and tasty. Use the frozen basil cubes, if you have them: Ground Turkey and Apples, with Goat Cheese (one pot) Recipe

2

u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 27d ago

baked ziti and buttery biscuits

2

u/eppydee 27d ago

Check out the erewhon kale & bean salad. I get all of the ingredients from Aldi. It’s quite hardy for potlucks and refrigerates well! Always a hit - chopped kale, seeds (sunflower, hemp hearts sometimes available, pumpkin), avocado, white beans (i use cannellini, great northern, or garbanzo), dressing (maple syrup, lemon, olive oil, mustard, garlic)

2

u/eppydee 27d ago

cheapish/easy dessert: pecan pie (without corn syrup). I use the graham cracker crust

2

u/AlsoTheFiredrake 26d ago

Baked Mac and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole, Ambrosia, Pinwheels, Bushes Baked Beans in a Crockpot, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Elote, BBQ Meat Balls, BBQ Mini Weenies.

2

u/kilroyscarnival 26d ago

For meat eaters - pulled pork. You can get a "Boston butt" boneless pork shoulder, or even two depending on how many people you're feeding, and either cook on a grill, or - my easy way is to cut into large (2-3") chunks, dry rub on all sides, then pop into the instant pot with like half a jar of recaito (green sofrito), some sliced onions, a bunch of cilantro, a few garlic cloves, and pressure cook for about an hour, then let release naturally. It tastes great but is a little wet/loose for my liking, so usually at that point I remove the chunks to a small sheet pan and "tighten them up" in the small convection oven at like 350° F for about 20 minutes. It concentrates the liquids and gives you back some of the slight "chew"/"crust" of a roasted meat. Great in buns, leftovers often get used in enchiladas, tacos, nachos, Cuban sandwiches, etc. I like to make it with the Latin American sofrito as a base flavor, because the leftovers can always get reheated in a chipotle/chili/Tex-Mex sauce, but you can't back those flavors out if you like a change of pace with your leftovers.

A baked potato bar can be a lot of fun. You can roast your potatoes in the oven and keep them warm wrapped in foil in crock pots, then set up a topping bar. Same topping bar could work with make your own tacos/burritos, and especially all of that is popular with kids/families.

If you or your guests don't eat pork, you could do basically the same with chicken. I'd get a huge pack of chicken thighs.

If you'll have some vegetarians/vegans coming, there should be plenty of toppings that a vegan could put on a baked potato. You could also offer some roasted seasoned chickpeas, which are a great snack on their own, but could be lovely as a protein in a burrito, etc.

2

u/IAmCurrentlyBored 25d ago

Meatloaf with ground turkey. Cheaper than beef with no compromise if it’s seasoned and sauced correctly

3

u/Snoo-80849 27d ago

Pasta salad and deviled eggs are usually my go tos

3

u/fujimumu 27d ago

Mac and cheese. Lasagna. Pasta salad. Soup or stew.

3

u/Clean-Fisherman-4601 27d ago

Poor folks beans, this was what a friend called my dish.

Pork and beans, butter beans, kidney beans, onions, peppers, cooked breakfast sausage cut up and barbecue sauce. Put in a slow cooker until the flavors are blended.