Have you been looking for easy Costco meal ideas? These are the best Costco finds that you NEED in your fridge or pantry for dinner tonight!
Easy Costco Meal Ideas
If you don’t have a Costco membership, this is your sign to get one!
My boyfriend and I bought our Costco membership on Groupon a couple of years ago to see what the hype was about. We’ve been addicted ever since our first shopping trip! You might be thinking, I thought Costco was only for big families? Well, I’m here to tell you that Costco has benefits for single people and small families too!
We have quickly fallen in love with their prepared meals as well as the many other items we can buy in bulk to make our favorite meals! Below is a list of our favorite Costco meal ideas that you need to try!
These are the BEST 13 Costco meal ideas that are quick and so simple!
Costco Prepared Meals
The best part about Costco is easily their ready-to-eat meals! They offer both freshly prepared meals and meals that have been sous vide and are packaged in airtight plastic so that they last longer. We buy both!
We especially love the air-tight packaged meals for weeks when we are traveling and won’t have time to grocery shop before our first meal back at home. These are great alternatives to keep on hand as opposed to frozen food and pasta! Check out our favorites below!
1. Kevin’s Natural Foods
We LOVE a good Kevin’s meal in our home! If you don’t know Kevin’s Natural Foods, they offer only Paleo and Keto-certified food. Their food is also non-GMO, gluten-free, and soy free. Our favorites are Thai-Style Coconut Chicken and General Tso’s Cauliflower. Both are ready in just 5 minutes!
Be warned that I find them to be a hair spicy (I am not good at spicy ha) but overall still very tasty. We serve almost all of the Costco Kevin’s meals over rice! These will easily become your go-to healthy Costco meals!
Pro-Tip – Kevin’s offers seasonal meals throughout the year so be sure to stock up on your favorites when you see them!
2. Irish Beef Stew
The Irish Beef Stew from Ruprecht is a tasty and filling meal that the whole family will love! The beef is actually tender and the carrots and potatoes are so flavorful.
You can sous vide and re-heat in a pot of boiling water for about 15 minutes or pour the contents into a frying pan and let cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until warm!
3. Shukhi’s Chicken Tikka Masala
I’ll be honest, Indian isn’t typically my favorite cuisine. However, I did try Shuki’s Chicken Tikka Masala to appease my boyfriend. It’s slightly spicy for me (I’m a wimp when it comes to spice) but I actually do enjoy this meal! It’s already pre-cooked, making it an easy Costco meal for dinner! All you do is throw it in a frying pan for a few minutes to heat up and serve with white rice!
Pro-Tip – For as much White Rice as we eat in this house, we prefer to not buy rice at Costco because it comes in HUGE bags. Instead, we opt for our favorite Whole Foods Long Grain White Rice. 10/10 recommend!
4. Stuffed Bell Peppers
Stuffed Bell Peppers are one of our favorite meals, especially when we can just pick them up ready to cook at Costco! Costco sells a pack of 6 stuffed peppers. You just throw them in the oven for an hour and you have yourself a delicious healthy meal without any prep work required!
5. Chicken Taco Platter
I don’t think there is an easier prepared meal at Costco than the Chicken Taco platter! You can serve these tacos as soon as you get home! The chicken is already cooked (although you can warm it up if you wish) and the limes are pre-cut. Each kit also comes with a delicious cilantro lime crema and a salsa to top your tacos. You even get the shredded cheese and lettuce mix! You’ll get 12 tortillas, the perfect amount to feed a family of 4 for dinner or to enjoy as an app at your party!
Pro-Tip – If you’re throwing a party, you can use a Taco Carousel to pre-set up the tacos to make the display nicer. This way your guests can just come up and grab them!
6. $5 Rotisserie Chicken
If you shop at Costco, I’m sure you aren’t shocked to see the infamous Rotisserie Chicken on this list! For those of you who don’t know, you can get a $5 rotisserie chicken that is fully cooked, ready to eat, and totally juicy, unlike other grocery store chickens. You can grab a side of mashed potatoes or veggies in the prepared food section to make the perfect meal. The leftovers(if you haven’t totally devoured it) are perfect for sandwiches, salads, and soups!
F3 Cooking Must-Haves
Easy Costco Meal Ideas
These easy Costco meal ideas require some actual prep, but I promise they are so simple and so tasty! You are going to enjoy making them- even if you hate cooking!
1. Pesto Tortellini & Veggies
We made this delicious Pesto Tortellini and Veggies during the 30 Days of Pinterest Dinners Challenge and quickly added this recipe to our dinner rotation! This easy Costco dinner requires minimal ingredients and is ready to eat in under 15 minutes! We buy the Kirkland Tortellini and use one pack for dinner- you may need both for a larger family. We typically pick up the cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and pesto from Whole Foods, but you can find all of these ingredients at Costco too!
Pro-Tip – We LOVE the Costco -sized Minced Garlic and always keep a jar in our fridge for all of the cooking we like to do!
2. Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
If you’re looking for a pasta alternative, Spaghetti Squash Bolognese is a great recipe for you to try! We usually grab a spaghetti squash at Trader Joe’s because I find it’s the best bang for your buck, but you’ll be able to find the broccoli, carrots, and pepper at Costco. We also make this recipe with ground turkey which we buy in a 4 pack at Costco! It’s great for freezing and then we just take a pack out as needed!
Forgot to defrost the ground turkey? To quickly defrost meat without using a microwave, submerge the meat completely in a bowl of water for about two hours
Toss all of the ingredients in a frying pan with your favorite pasta sauce (Rao’s Marinara Sauce from Costco is delicious) and add in all of your favorite veggies. Once the spaghetti squash is done, fork out the squash, mix together, and serve!
Looking for a big enough frying pan to fit everything? Check out Ozeri 12″ Stone Earth frying pan! It’s non-stick, non-toxic, easy to clean, and the pan we used the most when cooking!
3. Mediterranean Crunch Chopped Salad Kit
This meal is as easy as they come. Although you won’t find it in the prepared meal section at Costco, you can always find a variety of tasty salad kits in the Fruit and Vegetable room at Costco! This healthy Costco meal is so simple and perfect for those days you are looking for a lighter dinner or lunch. Just pour the salad kit into a bowl and toss!
Pro-Tip – You can always add in a protein for something a little hardier. Costco offers individual chicken packets that make the perfect addition to your salad. Keep scrolling to find them below!
4. Spinach & Mozzarella Ravioli
The Fresh Spinach & Mozzarella Ravioli is sold in a two-pack and cooks within minutes! We don’t get crazy here, just pop the ravioli in to boil, warm up your favorite pasta sauce (we prefer Rao’s) and mix them together. Top with parm if you please and you’ve got yourself a dinner ready in under 15 minutes!
We love this pasta strainer when we cook large amounts of pasta! The best part is that it rests on the rim of your sink!
Costco Frozen Meals
The freezer section is usually 4 aisles filled with more food than you can possibly fit in your freezer at home! I have to contain myself every time I am shopping because I just want to buy everything. These are some of the most delicious frozen meals you will find anywhere!
1. Mini Chicken Tacos
My boyfriend and I always joke that we are not taco people – give us a big ole burrito or bowl any day of the week. HOWEVER, we LOVE the Mini Chicken Tacos that Costco sells! We always have a bag in our freezer and love to have them for lunch on the weekend or break them out when we have people over and get hungry for apps. And they only take 12 minutes to cook in the oven!
Pro Tip – Not a Costco product, but we LOVE to dip the tacos in the Cilantro Lime Dressing from Trader Joe’s (you can find it in the refrigerated section by the salad kits). They are truly a match made in heaven!
2. Milton’s Cauliflower Crust Pizza
We have gone through the wringer to find the perfect cauliflower crust pizza. We used to love Caulipower, but Milton’s is definitely the winner in the Cauliflower Crust Pizza category. Costco sells these pizzas in a two-pack! The Roasted Vegetable pizza is the best!
3. Frozen Vegetable Mix
Now I know a vegetable mix doesn’t constitute as a full meal, but hear me out! One of the easiest dinners you can make is stir-fry, especially if the vegetables are already cut and frozen! All you need to do is heat up the frozen veggies in a wok and add your favorite stir-fry sauce! We serve it over white rice and boom, dinner is served in about 20 minutes! It cooks fast and is a very low-maintenance meal!
You can also boil packets of Ramen Noodles if you prefer noodles in your stir-fry. Costco sells a 48-pack of Ramen Noodles! I typically take three packets, throw out the chicken broth powder and just put the noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes. Strain the noodles and toss them in with your stir-fry once the veggies are cooked and add your favorite stir-fry sauce!
Pro-Tip – We always cook stir fry in our wok so that the veggies cook through evenly with a combo of frying and steaming!
Noteworthy Costco Finds
1. Rao’s Pasta Sauce
We had mostly been eating Trader Joe’s pasta sauce or whatever local grocery store brand sauce we could find and decided to try Rao’s pasta sauce on a whim. IT HAS CHANGED OUR LIVES! If you haven’t eaten fresh pasta sauce before, you need to RUN to Costco now to pick up a two-pack of the Rao’s Marinara sauce! I am not kidding when I say this sauce really kicks up our lazy pasta nights.
Pro-Tip – ALWAYS buy two of these when they are on sale! Such a Steal!
2. Fire Roasted Vegetable Melange
Let’s face it, sometimes you have great meal intentions and then realize you only have chicken or salmon and no veggies. We always keep Costco’s Fire Roasted Vegetable Melange in our freezer so we can quickly pop some veggies in the oven to have as a side dish!
3. Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Bites
My boyfriend goes through meatless phases and I absolutely respect that. However, sometimes I need some extra protein after a hard workout. I love that you can keep these fully-cooked Chicken Breast Bites in the fridge and use them as you need!
You get 10 single-portioned size packages that are perfect to add to your salad, wrap, stir-fry, pasta, pizza, and more!
4. Cauliflower Sandwich Thins
If you are a health nut like my boyfriend, you are going to love the Outer Aisle Cauliflower Sandwich Thins! They are slightly smaller than a regular slice of bread and taste absolutely amazing when slightly toasted! It’s the perfect bread substitute for all of my gluten-free friends!
5. Mini Red Velvet Cakes
Alright so Red Velvet Cake doesn’t exactly scream healthy Costco dinner, BUT they are too good not to get an honorable mention! They come in packs of six, however, two people can definitely share one! These are perfect for parties or to have at home for a sweet dessert. The best part is that you can freeze the rest of them for later so you don’t feel the need to consume them all within a few days of purchase!
This post was all about the 13 easiest Costco Meal Ideas that you can fit into your busy schedule and cook for dinner this week!
Costco has so much more to offer than food sold in bulk. You’ll find so many great dinner options sure to please the entire family. We are always looking for easy Costco meal ideas so be sure to leave your favorites in the comments below for us to try!
