When my husband and I became Costco members In 1991, I was shopping for my family of three. Now, at 80, I am a happy grandparent shopping for my family of two.
Over the years I’ve shopped at the retailer, I’ve seen some of the same people, a little older and a little gray (like me), still deep in the Costco experience. To me, this is no surprise – after all, Costco has built a loyal following of customers.
Although I’ve downsized from my old “Costco closet” (a utility closet I outfitted with numerous shelves and a wine rack), I still head to the warehouse every week for ingredients to make simple meals. Here are nine Things I always get at Costco.
Prices may vary by location.
The Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken is a must-buy.
Of course, the Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken is number 1 in my book.
Many shoppers — myself included — rarely leave the warehouse without leaving. Fragrant chicken in their basket. I divide the best parts (breast meat and thighs) onto a plate, add hickory-smoked baked beans and coleslaw, and dinner is served.
Leftover meat goes in the freezer for chicken stock.
I also love the Kirkland signature hand-pulled rotisserie-chicken breast meat.
Hand-pulled rotisserie-chicken breast meat purchased at Costco is one of my favorite poultry options.
Each no-frills pouch weighs about 3 pounds, so I like to repackage the chicken in three small Ziploc bags and freeze it.
I like to slather it with barbecue sauce for sliders, glaze it with Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade and sauce for a rice bowl, or steam it with noodles for a chunky one. Homemade soup.
Raw shrimp over a plump, juicy Kirkland signature farm-raised tail is always a winner.
This 2-pound bag of farm-raised raw shrimp is another great find.
We grill shrimp with lime and Mexican-inspired seasoning for fajitas, sauté them for scampi, or toss them with seasoned breadcrumbs and bake them in the oven for dippers.
Each bag gives us three meals for two people.
When I need a delicious flavor booster, I reach for Kirkland Signature Imported Basil Pesto.
This jarred pesto So good that I ended up making my own sauce. After I’ve used a bit of the jar, I spoon the rest of the sauce into an ice-cube tray and freeze it.
Each cube is the perfect size for a dollop of flavor in a soup or sauce.
There are so many ways to use this pesto – we add it to creamy spinach linguine, a summery pasta salad, or grilled shrimp and lemon juice with spicy red-pepper flakes.
Better than bouillon, organic roasted-chicken is the perfect base for soups and sauces.
This 21-ounce jar of Better Than Bouillon Organic Roasted-Chicken Base is great when I don’t have time to make my own stock.
Roasted-chicken base comes as a paste and can be mixed with hot water. I love adding it to soups, sauces and risottos.
The beef and vegetarian varieties of this brand are also good, but I always have a jar of chicken flavor in my fridge.
I love the quality of the Kirkland Signature Beef-Loin Tri-Tip Roasts.
There is abundant marbling for this USDA-prime tri-tip beef loin Tender, juicy flesh.
My technique for cooking tri-tips has remained the same for years: I carve a small oven roast for the next dinner, then cut the rest of the meat into steaks of various sizes for grilling.
We freeze these tender steaks to barbecue for a family-style dinner or use them for a meal when it’s just the two of us.
I use Kirkland Signature Master-Carve Applewood-Smoked Half Ham in many recipes.
When our son lived with us, we would cut this master-carve half ham for family dinner with potato salad.
Now, we use part of it for two small dinners and cut the rest into pieces, wrap them individually and freeze them to add to mac and cheese, quiche or scrambled eggs.
A bonus knobby-end piece of ham goes in the slow cooker with beans and other aromatics for a simple, hearty soup.
Kirkland’s signature albacore solid-white tuna always finds a place on our table.
I love Kirkland Signature Solid-White Tuna because it’s packed with nutrients. I use it in basil pasta with peas, crunchy Tuna cakeAnd a cheesy sandwich with capers.
If the recipe calls for tuna packed in oil, that’s no problem. I simply flake the tuna, add Kirkland Signature Olive Oil (I always keep it on hand) and minced garlic and marinate the fish for 15 minutes.
Each box comes with eight cans of tuna.
Three packs of Garofalo Organic Pasta serve as the base for a quick, elegant dinner.
You’d think it would take two people a year to polish off these three packs of pasta. not at my house
Different shapes – farfall, shells and rotini – mix up our meals, and are delicious when tossed with Rao’s homemade marinara sauce. This trendy sauce is spicy and not too acidic, with a consistency that clings to pasta without being overwhelming.
This meal is also a lifesaver for dinner-malfunction days (when I forget to defrost my frozen pesto cubes).
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