Aldi Thanksgiving Meal Challenge: A Delicious $30 Feast

Creating a full Thanksgiving meal doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. In this tutorial, I’ve taken on the challenge of making a complete holiday spread from Aldi with no set budget, focusing on fresh, flavorful dishes that break away from the usual turkey-and-stuffing routine.

3. Cranberry-glazed ham

I started off with cooking the cranberry ham. I placed the ham in a baking dish, topped it with fresh cranberries and a sprinkle of brown sugar, then covered it with foil and baked it at 400°F for about 30 minutes. As the cranberries cooked, they burst and released their juices, creating a naturally sweet glaze to drizzle over the ham.

4. No-bake chocolate cheesecake

Next came dessert prep so it could chill while the rest of the meal cooked. I mixed crushed Oreo crumbs were with melted butter and pressed this into a pie plate to form the crust. 

I made the cheesecake filling by whisking together milk and the store-bought mix until smooth, then I poured this into the crust and refrigerated it for at least an hour to set. Though it seemed simple, this dessert turned out to be the least successful dish of the day.

5. Baked truffle mac and cheese

For the starch, I cooked the truffle and porcini mushroom pasta mix according to the package directions. Once thickened, I transferred the mixture to a baking dish and topped it generously with Swiss and gruyère cheese. I finished it off with a sprinkle of black pepper before baking it in the oven alongside the ham. The result was a creamy, aromatic twist on classic mac and cheese.

6. Bacon-wrapped asparagus

The vegetable dish featured fresh asparagus trimmed and drizzled with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. I wrapped each stalk with a slice of bacon, cut in half to stretch further, and placed it on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Once the ham and macaroni were done, I baked the asparagus for about 20 minutes until the bacon was crispy and the asparagus tender.

7. The finished meal

When everything came together, the plate looked beautifully balanced: cranberry-glazed ham, baked truffle mac and cheese, buttery dinner rolls, and bacon-wrapped asparagus. The cranberry reduction from the ham added a glossy finish and a burst of flavor. I was especially proud of how well the savory and sweet elements complemented each other.