I pay for Costco's $120 executive membership even though I only shop for 2. Here are some of my favorite things to get for easy meals.

Sun, 06/30/2024 - 07:09

Fridges filled with black boxes with images of ramen with chicken and vegetables on packaging — I pick up easy meal items from Costco's frozen and deli sections.
Dominic Bucca

I use my Costco executive membership to pick up easy meal options for my household of two.
The Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken makes its way into my cart on almost every Costco trip.
The Authentic Motor City Pizza Co. deep-dish double-pepperoni pizzas are a delicious, easy dinner.

Despite not having a large family to feed, I've been shopping at Costco for more than 20 years. I pay $120 annually for an executive membership, which comes with a 2% reward of up to $1,000 on qualified Costco purchases.

Like many of Costco's over 129 million members, I look for groceries that provide great value. My wife is a teacher, and I work from home, so we're not always able to make a meal from scratch on busy days. That's why having some easily prepared options is essential.

Here are some of my favorite easy meals to get at Costco.

Prices may vary by location.

The Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken always goes in my cart.

Several rotisserie chickens in clear plastic containers with a $4.99 sign above the chicken — I can make multiple meals with the Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken.
Dominic Bucca

Whole odes have been written to Costco's rotisserie chicken, and for good reason. At $5 per chicken, I almost always bring one home after a Costco trip.

I use the breast meat for Caesar salads and shred the leftovers to make a big batch of chicken salad for the week's lunches.

I also like to reheat the thighs, wings, and drumsticks in the oven to crisp up the skin for a quick indoor barbecue.

The Kirkland Signature yakisoba chicken stir-fry kit is as good as a restaurant meal.

Clear plastic box of yakisoba noodles, pieces of chicken, broccoli, and peppers in a refrigerated area — The Kirkland Signature yakisoba chicken stir-fry kit comes with delicious vegetables and meat.
Dominic Bucca

I like to skip ordering out and pick up a Kirkland Signature stir-fry kit, which I think is just as good as my local takeout restaurant.

The kit includes noodles, chicken, mixed vegetables, and a soy sauce that tastes similar to Chinese-dumpling sauce. Preparing this meal takes about five minutes, and I generally get at least three servings out of it.

This meal costs $6 per pound, which comes out to about $20 total.

If I want a quick, Italian-inspired meal, I grab a Kirkland Signature lasagna.

Refrigerators filled with boxes of beef and Italian-sausage-and-beef lasagna. The boxes have images of lasagna and black and purple labels on them — I usually get either the Kirkland Signature beef or Italian-sausage-and-beef lasagna.
Dominic Bucca

Lasagna is serious business in my Italian family, so I was initially skeptical about trying the Kirkland Signature frozen lasagna. However, I'm so glad I finally did.

It might not be as good as my grandmother's recipe, but it also doesn't take all day to make. I find the combination of sausage and beef more flavorful, as the two meats create a spicy sauce. But the all-beef version is also very good, especially for those who don't eat pork.

The Italian-sausage-and-beef lasagna was $16.80, and the beef version was $18 at my store.

I can't always find great Detroit-style pizza, but the Authentic Motor City Pizza Co. deep-dish double-pepperoni version is pretty good.

Several boxes with blue labels and images of pepperoni pizzas on them in a freezer section of section — I love the crust and flavors of the Authentic Motor City Pizza Co. deep-dish double-pepperoni pizza.
Dominic Bucca

True, delicious Detroit deep-dish pizza is loaded with pepperoni and baked on a crust that's somewhere between Chicago and Sicilian-style pizza. Unfortunately, I find this quality isn't easy to come by outside Detroit.

Thankfully, the Authentic Motor City Pizza Co. frozen versions are pretty close to their fresh counterparts and take less than 30 minutes in the oven. Each two-pack of pizza is $13 at my store.

The Kirkland Signature Caesar-salad kit with dressing, croutons, and lemons makes an easy side or main dish.

A clear plastic container with lettuce, Parmesan cheese, packets of a white dressing, and packages of croutons — I usually add chicken or shrimp to the Kirkland Signature Caesar-salad kit.
Dominic Bucca

This kit includes everything needed for Caesar salad: romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese, and creamy Caesar dressing. I pick up one of these with my rotisserie chicken to make an easy Caesar salad for two in a few minutes.

Each salad is $4.50 per pound, which comes out to about $8 to $9 per container.

The Ajinomoto Tokyo-style shoyu ramen with chicken always satisfies my cravings for noodles.

Though Costco's deli has excellent noodle-centric options, I like keeping some easy meals in my freezer. These restaurant-quality ramen bowls are loaded with noodles, chicken, scallions, and mixed vegetables in a flavorful soy-based sauce.

Each box of ramen was $18 at my location.

If I want seafood, I go for the Kirkland Signature shrimp cocktail.

Clear plastic containers of bright-pink shrimp with lemon wedges in them in a refrigerated section — The Kirkland Signature shrimp cocktail with sauce and lemons can be eaten as is or used in pasta dishes.
Dominic Bucca

Sometimes, I like to top the Kirkland Signature Caesar-salad kit with shrimp for an extra delicious (and fast) meal. A 1-½ pound container of shrimp may seem like a lot for two people, but it never goes to waste.

I find the shrimp stays perfectly fresh for at least three days in the refrigerator. Shrimp cocktail is a fun treat to have on hand for snacking, but I also like to use the leftovers for a scampi.

Each container of shrimp costs $9 per pound, which is about $14 to $15 total.

If you're looking for a comfort meal, check out the Kirkland Signature beef pot roast with gravy.

Several collapsing white cardboard boxes filled with black boxes with images of blue bowls with beef pot roasts on them — I typically eat the rich Kirkland Signature beef pot roast with gravy alongside a salad.
Dominic Bucca

The Kirkland Signature beef pot roast is a great comfort-food option. The rich, delicious sauce tastes very similar to a homemade version, and the flavor of the USDA-choice beef shines through.

The package doesn't contain vegetables, so I enjoy the meal with a fresh salad and a hunk of crusty bread. My Costco sells each container of pot roast for $7 per pound, which is about $21 total.

Sometimes, the Kirkland Signature chicken street-taco kit is the perfect dinner.

A clear plastic tray with a black base filled with pieces of chicken, lime wedges, containers labeled — The Kirkland Signature chicken street-taco kit is a super easy meal.
Dominic Bucca

The only time I don't bring home a rotisserie chicken is when I choose the Kirkland Signature street-taco kit instead. This taco kit, which contains spiced chicken, shredded cabbage, cheese, tortillas, salsa, and cilantro-lime crema, is as delicious as it is easy to prepare.

If you need extra sauce, several brands of cilantro-lime crema are available at many Costco locations. This kit costs $5 per pound, which comes out to about $14 to $15 per container.

I feel like the Kirkland Signature cheese pizzas give me a lot of bang for my buck.

Several white boxes with orange lettering spelling out — The Kirkland Signature cheese pizzas come in a pack of four, and they're pretty filling.
Dominic Bucca

With four pies in a package, the Kirkland Signature frozen pizzas are an exceptional value. I like to add toppings about halfway through reheating these in the oven, but they're also delicious plain.

Each four-count box of pizza is $11.

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I pay for Costco's $120 executive membership even though I only shop for 2. Her…