I spent $50 at Aldi to host a barbecue for 4 people. My budget got us plenty of meat and sides, plus a case of beer.

I'm new to the Wisconsin area, and I'm learning that brats are a way of life here. I didn't throw them in the deep fryer like more experienced Wisconsinites would, but they were a delicious addition to the grill.

I decided to spice things up with a five-pack of cheddar-infused bratwurst from Aldi.

For the lactose-intolerant person in attendance, I also supplied a five-pack of plain bratwurst, which satisfied our cravings just as well.

I ate mine on a bun with mustard and ketchup that we already had in our fridge.

Brats are great, but I wanted this to be a real cookout, so I splurged on some Jemm deluxe beef patties.

The burgers are square, which makes them perfect for melting cheese, and they're thin enough to cook in under 10 minutes.

A box of 16 cost me less than $12, and we barely made a dent in them that day. With leftovers available for me to cook later on, I was happy with my choice to get the pricier burgers.

I got romaine hearts for a crispy addition to our burgers.

Some prefer iceberg lettuce as a topping, but I love romaine. Aldi has bags that are easy to wash and tear up for salads, burgers, or sandwiches.

I went out on a limb and chose pepper jack as our only cheese option.

We weren't a big group, so I wasn't worried. It ended up being popular and melted perfectly onto our square burger patties.

I'm not a bun snob, so I reached straight for the bottom shelf at Aldi.

My only complaint is how small the L'oven Fresh hamburger buns were. Our large, square burger patties hardly fit, but they did the job anyway.

I took the same budget-friendly approach with my hot-dog buns.

At less than $1 for eight buns, I have no complaints about the brat holders. They got the job done, and I had plenty left over.

My decision to get the more expensive burgers made me nervous about staying within budget, so I had to think on my feet condiment-wise.

I figured we couldn't be too picky as a small group so I grabbed what I would want on my own burger: honey barbecue sauce.

Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

I love jalapeño chips, and Clancy's makes good ones.

We put a major dent in the bag, and it went well with the dip I bought.

I picked up some barbecue-flavored kettle chips as an alternative to the spicy bag.

The sweet flavor went with every dish, and they ended up being the favorite of the group. As a spice lover, I was happy to be left with more of the jalapeño bag.

I'm not a huge dip guy, but I wanted to see what Aldi had in stock.

The Buffalo-chicken dip was a hearty choice and went great with the chips. We finished the container by the end of the night.

Instead of doing a lot of cooking and prep work, I grabbed premade sides from Aldi's deli section.

The macaroni salad had a nice blend of textures and was easy to set out on our buffet-style serving table.

I took the same approach with the store's premade coleslaw, but it didn't work out as well.

I wasn't impressed by the side. It had an OK mix of sweetness and vinegary tartness, but I found it too creamy and runny to enjoy properly.

If I host another cookout, I'd try something different or get two of the macaroni salads.

I was over the moon when I found New Glarus at Aldi.

The brand produces several beers that (unfortunately for those in other parts of the country) can pretty much only be purchased in Wisconsin.

Spotted Cow is the best of the best. The farmhouse ale embodies summer in Wisconsin, and I think it tied the whole cookout together.

At the end of my cookout, everyone was satisfied, and we ended up with plenty of leftovers. In fact, if I were to host another one, I'd buy fewer burgers and only one pack of brats.

For $50, I was impressed by the variety of cookout essentials Aldi could provide.

The only thing I wouldn't purchase again is the coleslaw. But the burgers, Buffalo-chicken dip, macaroni salad, and beer may just become Aldi staples for me.

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