Food Review: Brookdale Luncheon Meat from Aldi Foods

Do you like Spam? With prices pushing $3 a can it's time to find an alternative. Most grocery stores have their own brand of this now and some are not bad as far as taste goes, but the prices are still getting high. This luncheon meat runs just at $1.69 a can.

If you are looking for one that has a good taste and low price try Brookdale Luncheon Meat from Aldi Foods. When I first saw this I was afraid to try it myself after having tried some of the store brands and being disappointed. We like to fry Spam so I took a can home to try. I was pleasantly surprised. It tastes exactly like Spam. I can tell no difference at all. It looks and tastes just like the brand name stuff. I know..alot of people say they hate Spam. It's just chopped ham like the sandwich meat slices except this is a big chunk. It does taste different than the sandwich slices as it has a kind of smokey flavor I guess you could say. Not like heavily smoked meat or anything, but a real light hint of something that is just plain good.

Nutrition wise no it's not the healthiest thing in the world, but if you only eat this once in a while it's not going to hurt you. A 12 ounce can has the following..

Serving - 2 oz

Calories - 170

Calories from fat - 140

Sat fat - 6 grams

Cholesterol - 40 mg

Sodium - 790 mg

Carbs - 0

Protein - 7 grams

If you have never tried Spam you need to try this. Grill or fry and make burgers. I cut it up into small pieces and fry it, then add it to mac and cheese. You can make a casserole using the luncheon meat, grated cheese, pasta of your choice and can vegetables. Cut it into small strips and use in salads like you would other meats.Like old time recipes did you can finely chop the meat, add mayo, salt, pepper and pickles to make a sandwich spread. It makes good addition to party platters too. Slice, put into a pan in a single layer and brush with a sweet BBQ sauce then heat. Use it for kabobs on the grill, make grilled cheese and luncheon meat sandwiches, roll luncheon meat slices in fine cracker crumbs and fry.

There are just so many things you can do with this luncheon meat. For the money it is a good value that actually tastes good. As I said before, if you have never tried a luncheon meat like this you should try it. I would recommend this to anyone if they are looking for a versatile product that will help save you money.