Aldi goes hard for St. Patrick’s Day. Sure, they’ve got little cupcakes with green frosting and green sugar-dusted cookies. But they also stock the shelves with Irish whiskey cheddar, Irish cream whipped topping, and frozen Lepre-cones. We recently dumped out and tasted a full Aldi St. Paddy’s Day haul (watch the video, below), and one product stood out above the rest: Clancy’s Reuben Kettle Chips.
We’ve tried a slew of Clancy’s chips before (check out our ranking of the best Aldi’s chips for proof). And while the brand does a good job with basic flavors, they truly shine when it comes to replicating non-chip foods. For example, the Loaded Bacon & Cheddar chips absolutely delivered on an unbelievable baked-potato-in-a-chip experience. But Clancy’s latest, seasonal release has topped even those delectable chips. Let’s get into it.
Pros: It’s a full Reuben sandwich in a chip. You get the sourness of the sauerkraut, the creamy tang of the Russian dressing, the meatiness of the corned beef, and even a note of caraway from the rye bread. I do not know what sort of Wonka-level machine Aldi used to create this magic trick of a chip, but they really pulled it off. And they did so without totally flavor-blasting the chips. You can still totally dip these chips without overpowering a dip. Heck, you can even use them for some killer Irish nachos. Bonus: The chip itself is just plain good. It’s crunchy like a good kettle cooked chip should be—without being tooth-shatteringly crisp.
Cons: It should go without saying, but if you don’t like Reuben sandwiches, you won’t like these new Aldi chips. And if you don’t like chips that are a little bit sour—like, if you don’t like pickle chips—you might not like these either. Personally, though, I think these chips are the real pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that is Aldi during St. Patrick’s Day.
Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Justine Sterling
Griffin Parker
Joe Rumrill
Matt Crowley
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!