The affordable foodie gift guide can be found in the second half of this post.
Let’s start with a little disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I just, like, really like Aldi during the holidays. Of course, they’re owned by the same company, but Aldi feels like Trader Joe’s more European brother. They keep more German classics on the shelves, like traditional gingerbread and stöllen, and it’s just the coziest take on the holiday.
Also? Everything’s, like $3.49, which really hits the spot when I’ve already bought eighteen Crockpot lunch warmers for all my kids’ teachers, my sports friends, and for every gift exchange I have to go to (You think I’m exaggerating; you’re wrong).
So I put together this frankly precious holiday grazing board from Aldi, solving all of your holiday potluck problems in one fell Christmas-tree-shaped platter. Oh, and that platter? Also from Aldi, I freaking love it there (But I still always forget my quarter.).
Are grazing boards overwhelming for you, though? Yeah, same. Or they used to be, anyway, until I settled on a simple method that makes assembling beautiful boards super straightforward.
Start with your cheeses, spreads, and dips. Scatter the largest items first, leaving space between them and the edge of your surface.
Fill in charcuterie and crackers around the cheeses and dips. Pair up the crackers with any cheeses you had in mind for them, and lay a row of the crackers alongside their partners. Next, fold and drape the charcuterie to border other cheese/dip edges.
A couple simple methods of charcuterie display: 1) Fold a round piece of salami or pepperoni in half, then in half again. Repeat, repeat, repeat, and then lay them, round edges up, as a border. 2) Drape slices of prosicutto down, sort of like a ribbon, laying over itself a little here and there. Organic and simple. 3) Make salami roses by folding one salami or pepperoni slice in half and placing it on the rim of a small soufflé cup or champagne glass. Make sure half of the salami is inside the glass, and repeat the process, laying each new piece just a little over from the last piece. Turn it over and wa-la—salami rose.
Fill in the remaining empty zones with fruit, chocolates, and cookies. This is the fun part! The hardest part is over—deciding where the big boys should go. Now, you just fill in the leftover space with all the little things, Iike nuts, chocolates, berries, sliced pears or apples, etc.
Here’s what’s on my Aldi holiday grazing board.
By the way, you can click each link to add the product straight to your Instacart cart, so that in a sea of things to do, you have one less thing to do.
White tree platter. SO CUTE? And also the perfect size for a grazing board that doesn’t take over the entire kitchen ($7.99 — seriously).
Cranberry jalapeño dip. I die. So good ($3.09).
Stollen bites. A baby version of the classic German Christmas bread, these little bites are dusted in powdered sugar to look like tiny snowballs. So cute (and delish) ($5.49).
Cranberry cinnamon goat cheese. Tart, sweet, spiced—heaven ($3.85).
White stilton with cranberry. Pure luxury, for $4. Much milder than traditional stilton, with a gorgeous sweet-tart touch ($4.19).
Cranberry sea salt crisps. Aldi’s take on the classic Raincoast Crisps, at a Aldi prices. Love the cranberry here for bringing out the flavor in the dip and cheese, too ($4.75).
Charcuterie deli selection with prosciutto. Everything you need in one little package—just enough pepper salami, hot capocollo, and prosciutto for a board ($6.05).
Snowflake hot cocoa bombs. A must for any holiday grazing board I make, and always first to go when my kids spot them. How cute are these, too? Offer hot milk or water for a mini hot cocoa bar, complete with… ($3ish)
Vanilla bean marshmallows. For snacking or topping those hot cocoas ($5.49).
Fudge coated peppermint cremes. Let’s be honest: my favorite thing on the whole board. Mint Oreo-type cookies dipped in chocolate, sprinkled with crunchy candy cane? Foolproof addition ($4.29).
Tête de moine cheese rosettes. Delicious and so fun for a cheese board ($6.05).
Chocolate macarons. For a cheesy (chocolatey) little touch of cute and festive on the board. Unlike traditional macarons, these are two chocolate pieces filled with a sort of buttercream filling, and they’re shelf-stable ($5.49).
Frosted cinnamon star cookies. I love that these are tiny, so I can scatter them all over the place, giving the board a more elevated touch. Oh, and they’re soft! I completely assumed they’d be hard as a rock and was pleasantly surprised ($4.95).
Candy cane covered almonds. Another small thing that makes for perfect scattering and snacking, and these chocolatey, mint almonds are surprisingly delicious ($4.95).
Pomegranate. Always a classic for a winter board ($1.89).
Pear. Freshly sliced and arranged with a few slices together ($3.49 for a giant bag of about 5).
(Affordable) Foodie Gift Guide
Here’s my thing about influencers. I’m perusing these gift guides and Black Friday picks and all that, but everything is like… $300? I mean, I love y’all, but I’m not spending $300 on you for Christmas. And you don’t want me to, either, do you? That’d be sort of weird, since you just bought me that Labubu doing a yoga pose, and you got a deal on it during a late-night Whatnot app binge. Never heard of that app? Good for you; keep it that way.
So… let’s not be weird.
This is my affordable foodie gift guide, with something for absolutely every home chef in your life, from the crossing guard (She needs a chicken shredded for sure.) to your grillmaster hubby (GrillBot for him!). All of these are tested and loved by me, so you can rest easy that it’s all really good, really useful stuff.
Veggie chopper. This one’s all about smarter, not harder. At a gift-exchange price point, it’s a perfect choice for any home chefs. Pico de gallo? Done in a flash. Mirepoix? Already chopped. I love it so much, and it’s so dang satisfying to crack that lid closed. Poof, prep is finished. ($20.89 on sale, about $25-30 regularly)
Sous vide precision cooker. Do you love perfectly cooked everything? Are you a fan of never once again overcooking or undercooking a steak, turning a couple $20 steaks into hockey pucks? Then you, my friend, need a sous vide precision cooker. This compact device maintains the temperature of a water bath to perfectly cook just about anything from center to edge, and it makes prepping ahead a breeze. You might want to throw in an affordable vacuum sealer, too, to make prepping your ingredients for sous vide cooking a breeze. ($129.99)
Yiayia olive oil. This olive oil is so countertop-worthy. Spiked with a spicy touch, it’s perfect for drizzling over veggies or elevating a simple salad dressing. ($25.99)
OurPlace Wonder Oven. A 6-in-1 countertop cooker that almost looks like decor on its own! I hate lugging my air fryer out from the bottom shelf in my pantry, so this multi-cooker quickly earned a permanent spot on my countertop. Air fry, toast, roast, bake, reheat, and broil—all in one. It’s made by OurPlace, so I know it’s made well with a solid brand backing its function long-term. Perfect for giving kids a little kitchen independence, too. ($155 on sale, $185 regularly)
OurPlace Splendor Blender. Did I mention I hate lugging out giant appliances? My high-speed Vitamix counts! I swapped my big boy for this more aesthetic blender with a tiny footprint for everyday use. Unless I’m making a high-volume dish or recipe or need the serious power of the Vitamix, I’m using the Splendor Blender now, and she lives on my countertop. ($119 on sale, $135 regularly)
Electric salt & pepper grinders. Freshly cracked black pepper and salt without any muscle required. A must for any regular home cook. ($59.90 for both)
Grapefruit candle. You know how your house smells when you roast broccoli or salmon, then leave… and come back? Yeaaaah. This grapefruit candle is my FAVE for burning after a very fragrant dinner to freshen the place back up. It’s intensely scented so it does a great job of wrestling balance from the broccoli. ($24)
Always Pan by OurPlace. This pan makes me want to write sonnets! I had such trouble finding a workhorse skillet after I gave up our nonstick-coated pans, but this is the holy grail. I much prefer it to the ceramic Always Pan, and I’m even wild about the metal spatula that comes with it. ($121.50 on sale, $135 regularly)
Chicken shredder. Oh, I thought I was so clever using a hand mixer to shred chicken, splattering cooking juice on me and everything around me. Enter… the chicken shredder, which makes light work of shredding chicken perfectly in mere seconds. I straight up gasped the first time I tried it, and I firmly believe that anyone who cooks often needs it—especially those regularly relegated to slow cooker recipes. ($16.14)
GrillBot. I got this for my dad a couple Father’s Days ago, and he loves it. He’s typically so difficult to buy for and will not beat around the bush if he hates what you got him, so this was a big deal in our family. He says it works great and helps loads. Highly recommend for any grill-lover. ($98.99 on sale, $150ish regularly)
That Sounds So Good cookbook. This gorgeous book by Carla Lalli Music is the perfect inspiration for real-life, everyday recipes that just get dinner on the table… but beautifully and deliciously. So many cookbooks designed for everyday life default to quick & easy, whilst sacrificing zhuzh. This one hits all the right notes. Cool enough to live on your counter, too. ($19.30)
Japanese chefs knife. We all know a really great knife is the chef’s most beloved tool, but it can be hard to find top quality at a remotely affordable price. Quince, however, does a fantastic job at offering high-quality products at affordable prices, and this Japanese chef’s knife is a great example. I love the length and shape of the blade, and it’s my go-to for everyday cooking in my kitchen. ($69.90)
Ceramic saucepan. We’re all done with nonstick coatings, right? But things are still… sticky. This ceramic saucepan is a must for me, since it’s naturally nonstick and cute, too. Also just a great, versatile size. ($59.90)
What I’m getting for Christmas.
Shortly into the new year, I’m having major abdominal surgery to fix my diastasis recti finally. I’m a little bit overwhelmed and terrified by the recovery, and it’s taken me almost five years to work up the nerve to schedule the surgery. I know I won’t regret it (Eventually, anyway), but I’m not used to slowing down or being dependent on anyone.
Quick request—if you’ve ever had abdominal muscle repair or any similar surgery, please reach out to me! I want to hear from you and get all your tips and advice!
So for Christmas this year? I’m paying off my balance and stocking my house with everything I’ll need for recovery. Santa’s bringing me a shower chair this year, as long as I stay on the nice list, that is.
Here’s what’s on my list:
Electric lift-up recliner
Shower chair, literally
Button-down pajamas
A little laptop table for said recliner
Compression wear
Red light belt for scar and swelling
Exciting, non? What I really want for Christmas from you, though, is all your book and TV recs. I’m going to need SO much to do, and I’m a little worried!
Til next time—XOXO,
Cheryl