Aldi's Red Beans And Rice Mix Turns One Box Into A Full Meal For Under $10

Beans and rice have long been a budget pantry staple. It's quick, super-cheap, and versatile. While you can make red beans and rice from scratch, there's nothing wrong with using a boxed mix to speed up getting dinner on the table. If you're shopping at Aldi, you can take a simple box of store-brand beans and rice and create a full-out dinner for less than $10. There are a couple of different ways to create a protein- and fiber-packed dinner that will have you feeling satiated for hours. 

Aldi Earthly Grains New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice Mix (just a heads up — one of the biggest changes coming to Aldi is updated packaging) offers a flavorful meal base you can use in a variety of ways to create filling meals. It retails for $1.75 in Pennsylvania, but the price may vary slightly depending on your location. Each box makes about 3 ½ 1-cup prepared servings, so you can either use the box to create a full-family meal or enjoy plenty of leftovers the next day or two. While there are some dried beans in the mix, you might want to add a can (they're less than a dollar at Aldi) to make your meal heftier. Then, you can top the mix off with protein of your choice — and you've got tons of easy-on-the-wallet options at Aldi. Add ground chicken or turkey, or sausages like Italian, smoked, or flavored to create a balanced meal for less than $10.

Red beans and rice are a super-versatile base for lunches and dinners, and you have a lot of options when it comes to making the traditional side dish into a full meal. One fantastic way to use red beans and rice to bulk up a meal: burritos. Place a layer of red beans and rice on your tortilla, and then top it off with salsa, cheese, fajita veggies, and other toppings of your choice before you wrap it up. (Be careful you don't overstuff your burrito — maybe add a bit of extra red beans and rice on the side if you'd like to add to your meal without tearing your tortilla.) You can grab wraps at Aldi for around $2.

You can also use red beans and rice as a base for burrito bowls without the tortilla. This lets you enjoy a heavy-handed serving without worrying about your wrap exploding. If you're in the mood for something a little more veggie-heavy, try serving red beans and rice as a salad topper. Aldi offers chopped salad kits for less than $4. This makes a lunch or dinner salad a bit more filling — toss some protein (like taco beef or adobado chicken) on top to create a well-rounded meal. With a number of budget-friendly toppings you can choose, it's easy to create a solid burrito, bowl, or salad with red beans and rice without spending a ton of cash.