April 30, 2022
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If you’re anything like me, you love hosting friends for charcuterie night. There’s something so fun and refreshing about gathering around one board of yummy snacks and chatting the night away or watching your favorite Netflix series together. Food truly brings people together- but it can sometimes be tricky with different dietary restrictions
One of the most common ones is gluten; many of my friends and family avoid gluten and wheat products. Aldi carries a variety of inexpensive gluten-free goodies, so I headed to my local Aldi to search for GF carbs fit for my next charcuterie night. I tested out four different products from Aldi’s gluten free line and I’m excited to show you how I used them for my boards!
These are all from Aldi’s liveGfree line and are regular buys, which means you can buy them year round.
The first product I tried was Aldi’s liveGfree Sweet Chili Brown Rice Crisps.
The chips are a rectangular shape and are loaded with healthy ingredients such as brown rice, sesame, flax, chia, and quinoa and dusted with a substantial amount of sweet chili, garlic, and onion spices. While they are great for dipping, they are also amazing plain, because the flavors are bold and yummy. One thing I love about these crisps is that they are lighter and more nutritionally sound than other similar snacks, say potato chips, but still fulfill that crunchy snack craving.
For Charcuterie: These crisps don’t necessarily need a dip to pair with them because they are so flavorful, but they do taste amazing with guacamole. These were yummy on a savory board, and would also be great on a Mexican food themed charcuterie board (black bean dip, cheddar cheese, mini tortilla rounds, salsa, assorted veggies, etc.)
The second product I tried was a variation of the first: liveGfree Black Sesame Brown Rice Crisps
I was curious if these would have a strong sesame taste or taste super “healthy,” so I was excited to find out. My conclusion was that they have a neutral flavor with a bit of nuttiness and are definitely a heartier chip. Honestly, I couldn’t taste the sesame flavor that much, but I thought they had just the right amount of salt and a nice crunch. I like that they are versatile and can be eaten with a variety of dips.
For Charcuterie:
What I love about these crisps is that they are hearty, but not too flavorful that they’ll clash with the flavor of a dip. For this reason they are an amazing ingredient to throw on any charcuterie board.
I tried them with salsa and plain hummus but my favorite by far was dipping them in Aldi’s restaurant style Southwest guacamole.
The third product I tried was the liveGfree Spinach Wraps.
I am sometimes hesitant to try GF wraps because they tend to be crumbly and hard to work with, but I decided to give these a go. Cue surprise; these wraps held up very well compared to others I’ve tried. Granted, they weren’t the same as regular, gluten-full tortilla wraps, but still impressive. They have a slight spinach flavor, but it isn’t overpowering. They cost $4.59 for 10.5 oz, which comes out to almost $0.77 per wrap, which is a bit steep compared to Aldi’s regular (not gluten free) tortillas, but a bit cheaper than other gluten free spinach wraps, like the brand Mission, which cost $1.08 per wrap.
For Charcuterie: For a hearty addition to a savory board, I spread plain hummus on a tortilla, and sprinkled it with diced kalamata olives, cucumbers, and red pepper. Then I rolled it up, sliced it every inch or so, and had hummus and veggie roll ups on my hands. I noticed that the tortillas were even less crumbly when warmed up slightly. If the rolls have trouble staying together, you can put a toothpick through two of them so they stay assembled.
The last gluten free carb from Aldi that I tried was the liveGfree plain wraps.
My gluten-free friends swear by these wraps because of their delicious taste and texture. While they could easily be used for burritos or lunch wraps, I set out to see how I could use them for charcuterie. I had the most fun with these because they are very versatile.
For Charcuterie: My vision for these wraps was to be the star of a sweet charcuterie board. I cut a few wraps into strips, tossed them in melted butter, and then tossed them in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. I put them in my air fryer at 350 degrees for 6 minutes, but you could bake them in the oven as well. What resulted was nothing short of a masterpiece. They tasted like warm churros- but simpler, healthier, and gluten-free at that! All that to say they are totally versatile and can be made sweet or savory, however you like them.
Close ups for the drool factor:
I also think these would be super yummy tossed in butter and everything bagel seasoning for a savory snack. They are absolutely delicious when still warm- they might not even make it to your charcuterie board!
Overall, I think Aldi has some great gluten-free carb options for charcuterie boards. One of my favorite parts is that they are super affordable and also delicious. Thanks for following along on my journey to find products that both gluten-free and gluten-loving snackers can both enjoy!
