#Ad I was compensated for my post, but all opinions and photographs are my own.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite American traditions. Ever since we came to the U.S. many years ago, we quickly adopted this tradition as our own because of how beautiful and meaningful it is to simply give thanks and count our blessings. And most importantly, teach our kids to do the same.

Every year we enjoy a special meal together where each member of the family says which thing or things, they feel grateful for. It’s been so incredible to discover all the different and unexpected things my children are thankful for, especially after this very difficult year we have all experienced where this activity helps us put everything in perspective.

For this year, I’ve partnered up with ALDI to create a delicious Thanksgiving spread for my family and I have to say that I loved the shopping experience at this grocery store as a one-stop-shop. The first thing I learned about ALDI is that they offer the best quality foods at the lowest possible prices, and with a family of five this is always greatly appreciated.

At ALDI I found products like strawberries at $2.55 compared to $4.55 at other stores, and organic eggs at $2.79 compared to $5.99 at other places among many other savings. One of the most important things to me when I purchase fruit and vegetables for my family is to bring home fresh and good quality products and the great thing about ALDI is that their fresh produce arrives to the store daily from local growers.

They also have many private brands like Specially Selected that offer their delicious French Green Beans, and Simply Nature’s heavy cream and extra virgin olive oil among many more.

The menu I plan to create this year consists of Peach Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops as the entrée, accompanied by Wild Rice, French Green Beans with Almonds, Cranberry Agua Fresca, and to finish this fabulous meal on a high note, a Pumpkin Tres Leches.

Here’s the step-by-step preparation:

Peach Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

Marinate the pork chops with peach marmalade, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. The longer you leave them marinating, the more flavorful they will be. If you leave them overnight, don’t forget to keep them in the fridge. For the sauce, in a medium saucepan reduce the balsamic vinegar, the marmalade, half a cup of chicken broth, salt and pepper. Grill the pork chops for 3 minutes on each side at high heat and then put them in the oven until they are well done. When the pork chops are fully cooked, place them in a nice dish, pour the sauce on top and décor with grilled peach slices and basil.

Wild Rice

I purchased two boxes of long grain wild rice and followed the instructions on the box. When I’m cooking a large meal like this one, I make my life easier with certain dishes and it always does the trick.

French Green Beans with Almonds

Bring water to a boil and add the almonds for approximately three to five minutes, that way they become super easy to peel. Place the green beans on a pan with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and a little bit of butter, and put them in the oven less than 10 minutes because you want them crispy, not saggy. Once they are ready, plate them, add more salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle the almonds on top.

Cranberry Agua Fresca

Blend fresh cranberries with chilled water, mint, and the sweetener of your choice. Strain the mix into a pitcher filled with ice. Garnish each glass with a cranberries and mint. This refreshing drink will give your table a beautiful red and green festive touch.

Pumpkin Tres Leches

Mix four eggs and ½ cup of sugar, keep mixing for about four minutes, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, ¾ of flour, and ½ a tablespoon of baking powder and keep mixing the ingredients slowly to avoid crumbs. Finally, add ¼ cup of oil and pumpkin puree. Spray non-stick cooking oil to a baking pan and add mixture. Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes. For the Tres Leches sauce, mix one evaporated milk can, one condensed milk can, and one cup of milk. Once the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and make holes all over the cake with a fork. Pour the milk sauce on top of the cake to moisture the bread. Keep adding the sauce until it looks moist. Keep the cake in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Take it out of the fridge and décor with whipping cream on top.

Enjoy!

I loved how all the ingredients worked out to create this very enjoyable meal with my family. I believe that the most important thing about creating these moments is to give your family the space to enjoy time together, laugh, and have meaningful conversations. In my house, I’ve always tried to eat at least one meal together every day, and ALDI has become a great partner to be able to do so.