Fettuccine alfredo has, and probably always will be, one of my favorite foods. The heavy cream sauce, the thin noodles, the feeling that you can drop dead at any time from all the cholesterol…mmmmmm, just a match made in heaven!
Of course frozen entrees can never match the ‘real’ thing, and Bremer’s attempt at alfredo is certainly no different. The most notable surprise for me are the noodles, which go for a thicker, home-made style, rather than the thin fettuccine noodles that I’m used to. While these noodles are much thicker, and somehow make the meal feel heartier, they totally negate my preferred method of eating by spinning them around on the fork, which kind of depressed me a lot more than it should have.
The sauce is more or less what you would expect from a frozen meal, and my wife summed it up almost perfectly by referring to the taste as “garlic milk”, something it also resembled as it was super-thin, even after sitting for a while (but I’m going to chalk that up as a mistake during the cooking process and give the fine folks at Bremer the benefit of the doubt). There is definitely some garlic in there, and it has a slight hint of richness in it, but it almost seems as if heavy cream was substituted for skim milk…the usual ‘punch’ of a really good sauce is nowhere to be found. I also detected no parmesan.
I also take umbrage to the serving sizes, which (no offense to anyone) always seem to be aimed at dieting women. The bag boasts four servings, which for $5 isn’t bad at all. Except that as a growing young man, I only got two servings out of it. $2.50 per serving still isn’t bad, and is way cheaper than you will pay at a restaurant, but I just thought I should mention that you might not be getting as much as you think you are.
That’s not to say any of these quibbles are surprising–they’re more or less exactly what I was expecting as I picked it out of the frozen case at my local Aldi store. It’s not bad, nor is it anything to write home about; it’s fettuccine alfredo made safe for the majority, like every other mass-produced, heavily-processed food out there. If you’re looking to throw together a quick meal for a decent price, this could definitely be an option for you.
Overall: 5/10. I wasn’t a big fan of the “home-made” style thick noodles, which aren’t as conducive to twirling them around a fork like the thinner fettuccine noodles. The sauce is just typical pedestrian stuff, a thin blend of garlic and cream that, like many frozen foods, strives only to appeal to the masses. There’s nothing to write home about here, and nothing that stands out, but if you’re just looking for a quick meal to whip up, this could be for you.
I like Fettucine Alfredo, but I haven't tried it out of the grocer's freezer. I've had the TV dinner version years ago, I believe it was a national brand but I don't recall which one right now. It seemed very bland and I never bought it again. I've never made it from scratch, and probably wouldn't know how to make the sauce anyway. Outside of getting it at a restaurant, I've grown to like the Knorr (formerly Lipton) side dish. The only ingredients you need is milk, water, margarine (optional but recommended). The result: Thin noodles, thick sauce if you follow the directions to the letter, inexpensive (less than $1 at most retailers), and ridiculously simple to make after a long work day. I usually serve it as a side with chicken.
Once again, good detailed review of these two products. I'll definitely stand clear of the Bremer Fettucine Alfredo TV dinner.
I believe Aldi has (had?) the Knorr-style side dishes. In fact, I might have seen it there today as a special buy. I had one of them a long time ago and it was okay, but given the frequency they change recipes and ingredients, it probably tastes a whole lot better these days. Serving it with chicken sounds perfect, too!
One thing I love Knorr for…their bearnaise sauce. Put that stuff on top of a steak, and you've got an expensive steakhouse steak taste for under $10, and I think Knorr is the only brand that I've seen make that sauce. Incredible stuff.
Oh yeah, I think I recall seeing a house brand of the Knorr sides at Aldi. I may even have one in my pantry and not even know it LOL
Pretty much the only Knorr products I've tried are the side dishes, I'll have to give their sauces a try this summer when I barbecue. That bearnaise sauce may be better than the ordinary A-1 sauce I usually use
I don't know if I'd say it's "better", per se (I love me some A-1), but it's definitely different. I think it's a little too rich to eat all the time, but it's a great change of pace every once in a while.
Do you use actual A-1, or the Aldi brand? I'll have to review that one soon, because I think Aldi's is almost perfect.
Lastly, I still have not forgotten your Dorito's reviews! Actually ate them both and a review is pending. Been unbelievably busy lately, but that should subside next week, so that's definitely one of those reviews at the top of my queue.
Actual A-1, I usually stock up around Memorial Day or 4th of July when it goes on sale practically everywhere. I've had the Aldi brand as well, but don't think it really holds up to A-1 taste-wise. The last time I had it (5-10 years ago?), it seemed to have a salty after taste to it. Of course like all Aldi products they do seem to improve over time so I may have to try it again sometime.
As for the review of Aldi's Doritos, no rush. I've been just as busy the last couple weeks, the company I work for is moving to a new location this week, my fiancee recently found out she's pregnant, I fix cars for friends & family which seemed to tie up my weekends this month, and after all that throw in being a father-figure to my fiancee's 10 year old. So hopefully it'll start calming down for both of us next month.
I bought this & cooked it tonight. It didn't have even a little bit of Alfredo sauce or taste. It was very dry. Won't purchase it ever again.
They still sell this?! I haven't seen it in store in years, hence the reason I haven't been able to take a pic of it!
Yeah, I agree it was very underwhelming, and even if I found it, I wouldn't try it again either. Not even a passable frozen Alfredo product. Kinda sad to see even after all these years, it still sucks!
Followed directions to the letter & each time it came out dry. Even when I added more milk. Will never buy again.
Man, how come everyone else seems to have this at their Aldi?! I haven't seen it at ours in years!
At any rate, I agree it wasn't very good, and I probably wouldn't get it again even if they did sell it, haha. They definitely missed the mark on this one. I wish they'd bring back their single-serve Fit & Active Fettucine Alfredo…it wasn't great, either, but at least it wasn't dry!