The One Frozen Meatball Brand That's Better Left In The Freezer Aisle

On pasta night, spaghetti and meatballs is a classic dish and easy go-to. If you're going the frozen route with meatballs to save some time, it's important to know that not all brands stack up in terms of taste and texture. Daily Meal taste-tested nine different frozen meatball brands to determine which is the best, and which is better off left in the freezer aisle. And, while the Italian-style frozen meatballs from Trader Joe's came out as clear winners, there's one pick that you probably don't want to add to your shopping cart: Bremer Original Meatballs from Aldi.

Unfortunately, we found these particular frozen meatballs were lacking in terms of taste (read: bland) and had an unpleasant, greasy texture. They're definitely not an ideal choice for serving up as a standalone appetizer. The good news is that you can still salvage these frozen meatballs, you'll just need to get creative and use them in recipes that add a punch of flavor and don't allow the texture to throw off the meal. Aside from pairing them with a very vibrant and flavorful pasta sauce, such as pesto or spicy marinara, there are other ways to use up your bag of Bremer Original Meatballs.

If you've got a bag of Bremer Original Meatballs on your hands, one option is to serve them like Swedish-style meatballs (although Swedish meatballs are said to have originated in Turkey). Swedish meatballs are typically served in a rich, creamy gravy, which can give a bland bag of Bremer meatballs a needed boost of flavor. Additionally they're often served with lingonberry jam — a slightly tart and sweet topping that can work to balance out some of those heavy flavors. With these layered, complementary flavors, maybe you won't even notice the bland meatballs hiding underneath.

Since these meatballs were found to be greasy, another choice would be to use them in a soup. A French onion soup, simple white bean soup, or Italian wedding soup would work well as the greasy texture is lost in the broth, and the meatballs will soak up some flavor. Additionally you could use them to make a meatball hero sandwich, allowing the bun to soak up the grease, and adding a punch of flavor with pesto, marinara sauce, and melted mozzarella. At the end of the day, while these meatballs came in at the bottom of our list, if you already have a bag of them, you don't need to throw them in the trash.