Easy dinner ideas from Lidl

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you shop at Lidl, what are some of their best products that would make simple, easy to cook dinners for a college student?

I literally cannot imagine my parents ever doing this kind of post. Your college student has access to the internet and is an adult. They can make their own food choices.

Too bad your parents weren’t interested in helping you, though with your attitude it’s not hard to see why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a grocery store Op.. You treat it like any other grocery store shopping trip. Your college seriously can't buy tortillas and ground beef, or pasta + marinara, or a baguette + meatballs, or the like?

And there's a decent selection of ethnic food in the frozen section that usually changes weekly. Our local Lidl had Greek items not too long ago for example

OP here. Yeah, sure my 19 year old kid can buy some food and cook it up, and he's fine for breakfast and lunch foods. But we were looking for good foods to buy from his nearest grocery store.

Lidl is the grocery story he has easy access to, but it isn't one I ever shopped at before, so I was just wondering if anyone had some ideas of good products that are usually (reliably) carried by that store. Particularly items that would be the right portion for just one person who was just learning to cook for himself. I.E buying a large amount and then repackaging it into individual portions is just not likely to happen, at least not this summer.

So, we did go to Lidl today to scope it out. Items that seemed good (but it remains to be seen if they taste good) included:

- individual portions of salmon and Aldi's brand teriyaki marinade or lemon pepper marinade
- 10 oz frozen bay scallops and linguini
- frozen mixed vegetables for grilling -- PictSweet brand -- seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper
- bag of Taylor Farms Ginger Stir Fry Mixed vegetables (fresh -- easy to just saute what you need)
- frozen Italian style meatballs (remove just what you need for your meal)
- Next Wave brand -- frozen shrimp and sliced peppers, red beans and spices for tacos or fajitas. (Perfect for one person -- if they are any good)
- Frozen Thai yellow/red curries with vegetables
- frozen duchess potatoes -- just remove what you need
- frozen chunky chips -- thick cut french fries basically

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you shop at Lidl, what are some of their best products that would make simple, easy to cook dinners for a college student?

I literally cannot imagine my parents ever doing this kind of post. Your college student has access to the internet and is an adult. They can make their own food choices.

It's not a huge deal but this was kinda my first thought too. All the PPs defending this post seem to be missing the point. They are saying things like "Parents help kids out!" Or "It's traditional to teach kids how to cook" or whatever.

And yeah? But the OP itself is literally asking an Internet forum on behalf of the college student. Googling or crowdsourcing online is something I guarantee the 19 year old can do for himself.

Now, I can see that OP then took her son to Lidl to scope it out together (I'm assuming that's the "we?") And that's great. But the post itself, by itself-- which is what we were responding to initially-- was eyebrow-raising for me, too. And I'm far from a harda**.

It's one thing for a kid to ask your advice, and you give it. Or ask for ideas/recipes or brainstorming help, and you share that. Great! It's another thing to start doing the same research for them that they could easily do themselves.

It's the difference between asking a mom what she thinks he should wear to an August wedding in Colorado and the mom giving her thoughts, even a range of thoughts, that come from greater life experience... vs the mom coming online to a Colorado forum to ask what the weather is usually like in August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you shop at Lidl, what are some of their best products that would make simple, easy to cook dinners for a college student?

Lidl has good (german) chocolate, croissants, and sometimes tangerine juice. I know it's not dinner, but it is what I like at Lidl.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Just kidding y’all.

I’m actually a 27 year old single person and I live alone. They just built a Lidl near my house. Any good finds there that would be good for a single person to cook? I don’t have a lot of cooking experience but I can do the basics. I don’t like to fuss too much with food or deal with leftovers.

Does that help reframe the question? You don’t need to worry about the college student aspect now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Just kidding y’all.

I’m actually a 27 year old single person and I live alone. They just built a Lidl near my house. Any good finds there that would be good for a single person to cook? I don’t have a lot of cooking experience but I can do the basics. I don’t like to fuss too much with food or deal with leftovers.

Does that help reframe the question? You don’t need to worry about the college student aspect now.

Holy shit

Well all else aside, I stand by my suggestion of chicken sausage and peppers over pasta.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a grocery store Op.. You treat it like any other grocery store shopping trip. Your college seriously can't buy tortillas and ground beef, or pasta + marinara, or a baguette + meatballs, or the like?

And there's a decent selection of ethnic food in the frozen section that usually changes weekly. Our local Lidl had Greek items not too long ago for example

Is baguette and meatballs a thing?

^^for college kid, yep. ^^

Ok I need to know more about this concept. Is it like a meatball sandwich? Or more of a crostini? Or just meat with bread on the side? These are two of my favorite things and it never occurred to me to combine them.

[Anonymous]

Op here.

The frozen sea scallops were very good! 12 oz is a good size for a single hungry person.
The bronze cut linguini was also excellent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a grocery store Op.. You treat it like any other grocery store shopping trip. Your college seriously can't buy tortillas and ground beef, or pasta + marinara, or a baguette + meatballs, or the like?

And there's a decent selection of ethnic food in the frozen section that usually changes weekly. Our local Lidl had Greek items not too long ago for example

Is baguette and meatballs a thing?

^^for college kid, yep. ^^

Ok I need to know more about this concept. Is it like a meatball sandwich? Or more of a crostini? Or just meat with bread on the side? These are two of my favorite things and it never occurred to me to combine them.

Meatball grinder. Toast hoagie size roll. Heat up meatballs, microwave fien, place on toasted bun. Put on some marinara and sliced provolone or mozzarella and broil in toaster oven.

[Anonymous]

Bean rice bowls with a variety of toppings is super easy. You can season cans of precooked black beans or use chili beans. Add cheeses, salsa, rice, cilantro, sour cream mixed with lime juice and seasoning to make crema. Crumble up some tortilla chips, throw on some lettuce and tomatoes.

[Anonymous]

Buy flavored risotto packs, sauté some sausage in skillet. Throw in some broccoli and or peas, add sausage at end.

[Anonymous]

Buy the pasta in the refrigerated section, buy the Lidl gorgonzola wedge. While boiling pasta, make a cream sauce with splash half and half , dash nutmeg, some Gorgonzola, mix together in small sauce pan, thicken with grated Parmesan. Little goes a long way. Serve with side salad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a grocery store Op.. You treat it like any other grocery store shopping trip. Your college seriously can't buy tortillas and ground beef, or pasta + marinara, or a baguette + meatballs, or the like?

And there's a decent selection of ethnic food in the frozen section that usually changes weekly. Our local Lidl had Greek items not too long ago for example

Is baguette and meatballs a thing?

^^for college kid, yep. ^^

Ok I need to know more about this concept. Is it like a meatball sandwich? Or more of a crostini? Or just meat with bread on the side? These are two of my favorite things and it never occurred to me to combine them.

NP, but it's like a chewier meatball sub (unless the Lidi baguette is super soft and then it's a meatball sub).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here.

The frozen sea scallops were very good! 12 oz is a good size for a single hungry person.
The bronze cut linguini was also excellent.

So you had mentioned the salmon, however — do not buy the marinated raw salmon, only get the plain and add your own marinade/sauce. The marinated salmon has a weird texture after cooking, in my experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a grocery store Op.. You treat it like any other grocery store shopping trip. Your college seriously can't buy tortillas and ground beef, or pasta + marinara, or a baguette + meatballs, or the like?

And there's a decent selection of ethnic food in the frozen section that usually changes weekly. Our local Lidl had Greek items not too long ago for example

Is baguette and meatballs a thing?

^^for college kid, yep. ^^

Ok I need to know more about this concept. Is it like a meatball sandwich? Or more of a crostini? Or just meat with bread on the side? These are two of my favorite things and it never occurred to me to combine them.

Meatball grinder. Toast hoagie size roll. Heat up meatballs, microwave fien, place on toasted bun. Put on some marinara and sliced provolone or mozzarella and broil in toaster oven.

I was totally picturing a big meatball on a little slice of baguette but this makes more sense