Updated
2024-10-25T15:42:02Z
- My family tried and classed 12 stiff meals from Costco to spot which ones were nan tastiest.
- The Kirkland Signature breaded panko shrimp was OK, but I wasn't fond of its $19 value tag.
- Red's turkey-sausage meal burritos were delicious, and I scheme connected having them successful my lunches.
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Like a ample information of shoppers who bargain stiff food, a unit assemblage that's seen significant maturation complete nan past year, I prioritize cheap, convenient meals for my family. Costco is typically my go-to store, arsenic I tin prevention money by buying items successful bulk.
The freezer conception astatine Costco ever offers a wide assortment of frozen meals, but buying thing successful bulk-sized portions tin beryllium risky if you person nary thought what to expect from nan food.
My family of four tried 12 different stiff meals from Costco and classed them from worst to best.
Editor's Note: The items successful this sensation trial were purchased betwixt April and October 2024. Prices and readiness whitethorn alteration by location.
The Kirkland Signature breaded panko shrimp was nan astir costly point I purchased.
The 2-½ lb container of Kirkland Signature panko shrimp, which costs $19, was nan astir costly repast I purchased. According to its packaging, each container comes pinch 40 to 50 shrimp that tin beryllium prepared successful nan oven.
Once it was prepared, I recovered this repast a small disappointing.
The somewhat peppery seasoning connected nan shrimp was tasty, but I thought location was excessively overmuch breading, making nan shellfish consciousness for illustration an afterthought.
Next time, I'll make my ain type pinch stiff uncooked shrimp, which is besides speedy and easy to prepare.
The Sandwich Bros. chicken-melt pouch sandwiches looked enticing.
The Sandwich Bros. chicken-melt sandwiches, which I'd wanted to effort for a while, looked tremendous and delicious connected nan box. But erstwhile I opened nan package, they were smaller than I'd expected.
A battalion of 15 individually wrapped sandwiches costs $12.70, which seemed reasonable to me.
They were OK, but I thought nan pita breadstuff was a small rubbery.
The pita sewage a small rubbery successful nan microwave, but nary different cooking methods were listed connected nan box. I tried heating nan sandwiches successful nan oven and air-fryer, but some methods fundamentally baked nan pita into a cracker.
Taste-wise, nan chickenhearted had a mildly peppery seasoning. The strongest spirit was nan American cheese, which ne'er came retired arsenic beautifully melted arsenic it looked connected nan packaging. The sandwiches tasted champion erstwhile I added a condiment for illustration spicy mayo aliases basking sauce.
My 3-year-old loved these sandwiches, which seemed due for personification whose favourite foods are bread, cheese, and chicken nuggets.
The Kirkland Signature thin-crust pepperoni pizza required tons of freezer space, but I was excited to effort it.
I picked up a four-pack of nan Kirkland Signature thin-crust pepperoni pizza for $13.70, which came retired to conscionable complete $3.40 per pie.
I thought nan value was reasonable, but I'd for illustration to walk a small much money connected Target's azygous Red Baron pie, which doesn't require astir arsenic overmuch freezer space.
Each Kirkland Signature pizza was individually wrapped successful plastic. However, during transport, astir of nan pepperoni shifted to 1 broadside of nan pizza, truthful I manually redistributed nan slices earlier baking it for astir 12 minutes.
The vanished pizza looked precisely really I expected. The food melted, nan edges of nan crust browned, and nan pepperoni glimmered pinch grease.
Unfortunately, nan pepperoni pizza didn't rustle maine away.
In my opinion, this pizza was benignant of bland — nan thin, cracker-like crust had a bully texture but small flavor, nan condiment was somewhat saccharine but ray connected seasoning, and nan pepperoni didn't person overmuch spice.
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, either. I would astir apt service 1 arsenic a convenient appetizer if I needed to navigator a much elaborate repast for guests, particularly if kids were around.
But since this pizza wasn't amended aliases cheaper than different stiff pies I've had, I don't expect to bargain it again.
The Ajinomoto Tokyo-style shoyu ramen pinch chickenhearted looked promising.
The Ajinomoto frozen ramen featured large chunks of chicken, noodles, dehydrated carrots, corn, reddish peppers, and greenish onions.
This battalion came pinch six individual bowls, which required a decent magnitude of freezer space.
The ramen was tasty and would make for a awesome speedy lunch.
I added h2o and microwaved nan ramen for 4 minutes per nan instructions. The noodles were tender, nan chickenhearted was a spot spongy and sweet, and nan salty soy-based broth was tasty without being overpowering.
They were a awesome size for a mini but satisfying lunch, though acold little portable than different forms of ramen. And astatine $18 for six bowls, they didn't look for illustration a very bully value.
I tried a sample of nan Bibigo mini chicken-and-cilantro wontons astatine Costco.
On nan time I went shopping, Costco offered samples of these dumplings, truthful I knew what to expect earlier I brought them home.
They seemed plain, but I was impressed by nan price. The 3-pound container was connected waste for $7.50, though it usually costs $10.
The wontons were tasty and came retired nan champion erstwhile steamed successful nan microwave.
When I opened nan bag, I noticed immoderate of nan wontons fused successful nan freezer and didn't easy travel isolated without ripping. Though it didn't impact nan flavor, this mightiness make maine little apt to usage them arsenic an appetizer while hosting.
I tried pan-frying them, but they took connected a batch of nan lipid flavor. They were amended erstwhile I steamed them successful nan microwave, arsenic this cooking method allowed nan filling's subtle sweetness and cilantro spirit to radiance through.
The Kirkland Signature Italian-sausage-and-beef lasagna required a agelong clip successful nan oven.
The Kirkland Signature lasagna requires 65 minutes successful nan oven, truthful it's a small little convenient than galore different stiff meals from Costco. That is, unless you consequence nan 24-minute microwave action suggested connected nan packaging.
But different than nan baking time, nan lasagna requires very small work. Each two-pack of lasagna was $16.70.
The lasagna was bully but a small much seasoned than I'd prefer.
The vanished repast looked appealing, covered pinch brown, bubbly mozzarella cheese. The lasagna was amazingly spicy, pinch a black-pepper taste.
The condiment was subtly saccharine but much seasoned than I'd like. The noodles came retired perfectly tender, and nan meaty sausage had a bully fennel flavor.
Each lasagna was capable to provender my family, pinch plentifulness near for nan adjacent day's lunch.
Red's turkey-sausage egg'wich looked for illustration a awesome low-carb meal option.
Red's turkey-sausage egg'wich caught my attraction arsenic a quick, protein-forward, low-carb meal action astatine nan cleanable clip — I'm trying to eat lighter meals up of 3 family weddings.
The mentation was accelerated and simple. I microwaved nan egg'wich for 50 seconds connected each side, and I had a piping-hot turkey-sausage sandwich pinch eggs patties for bread.
This eight-pack of egg'wiches costs $15, which didn't look particularly cost-efficient arsenic acold arsenic Costco stiff meals go.
The Crazy Cuizine Mandarin-orange chickenhearted reminded maine of a akin Trader Joe's meal.
This was akin to a stiff orange-chicken meal I often bargain astatine Trader Joe's. Both nan Crazy Cuizine and Trader Joe's versions incorporate stiff chickenhearted nuggets and pouches of sweet, brown, tangy sauce.
The repast came together flawlessly successful nan aerial fryer.
Without nan sauce, nan nutrient pieces' crispy, salty, outer breading reminded maine of chickenhearted nuggets.
The repast seemed tailor-made for preparation successful an aerial fryer and was fresh successful astir 20 minutes. The chickenhearted pieces came retired ace crispy and were moreover tastier than immoderate Chinese takeout meals I've had.
I'd bargain this $16.50 container again, particularly since nan chickenhearted was capable for 4 meals for my family erstwhile I served it pinch achromatic atom and vegetables.
The Kirkland Signature tempura shrimp seemed for illustration a awesome repast for a engaged weeknight.
I picked up this 30-count container of nan Kirkland Signature tempura shrimp connected a week erstwhile I needed an easy meal to make.
I thought I knew what to expect from nan $18 box, arsenic I'd antecedently bought this point for a vacation party. But I didn't effort many, and though I retrieve my kids eating them, I wasn't judge if they'd still for illustration this repast — that was complete a twelvemonth ago, and children tin beryllium fickle.
The container contained a resealable container of stiff shrimp and pouches of a soy-based dipping sauce.
To my pleasant surprise, my full family liked nan tempura shrimp.
The shrimp were highly easy to hole — I simply heated them successful nan aerial fryer astatine 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
The shrimp were ray connected spirit yet hearty, truthful each portion felt substantial. When I tried them pinch nan soy dipping sauce, they soaked up nan sweet-salty taste.
All 4 of america liked this repast — which is simply a rarity. My 7-year-old deemed them "shrimp sticks" and delighted successful nan measurement nan tails acted for illustration small handles.
The Authentic Motor City Pizza Co. deep-dish double-pepperoni pizza came pinch plentifulness of mozzarella and meat.
I was eager to effort this staple of nan Costco stiff section. The package came pinch 2 six-serving pizzas and was connected waste for $10, though it usually costs $13.
It whitethorn beryllium a deep-dish pizza, but nan crust was bully and airy. Each pastry had plentifulness of molten mozzarella and some sliced and diced pepperoni.
The pepperoni sewage shaken up successful nan package, but that allowed maine to rearrange nan pieces to time off a meat-free conception for my 6-year-old, who doesn't for illustration it.
I tried baking nan pizza 2 different ways and was beautiful satisfied pinch nan results.
The instructions called for baking nan pizza straight connected nan oven rack successful nan tray it comes in. I tried this method, but I thought nan buttery crust had much texture erstwhile I group nan tray connected apical of a preheated cast-iron pizza pan.
The Kirkland Signature garlic-butter shrimp looked for illustration a convenient meal option.
A container of Kirkland Signature garlic-butter shrimp costs $16, which seemed for illustration a bully value for seafood that wasn't breaded.
The container contained 2 1-pound bags of shrimp, which I recovered convenient — a lb of shrimp is usually conscionable capable for a family dinner.
The repast couldn't person been easier to prepare. I opened nan container and dropped nan shrimp into a skillet complete mean heat. As nan repast cooked, nan buttery crust connected nan pieces of shrimp melted into a sauce.
With predominant stirring, nan shrimp was fresh to eat successful astir 10 minutes.
Simply put, nan shrimp was delicious.
The shrimp was amazingly tender, considering it was cooked consecutive from nan freezer. The buttery, rich | condiment besides burst pinch ail and Parmesan flavors.
I served nan shrimp complete achromatic rice, which was a cleanable mean for soaking up nan excess sauce. I sometimes make a akin shrimp repast from scratch, but it ne'er goes complete arsenic good arsenic this 1 did.
My only rumor pinch nan repast was that my kids wanted much shrimp than their accustomed share. I'll bargain this again, but I'll navigator some bags for early dinners.
I tried preparing Red's turkey-sausage meal burritos a fewer different ways.
I experimented a batch pinch preparing Red's turkey-sausage meal burritos. The tortillas tended to burst unfastened erstwhile I cooked nan burritos successful nan aerial fryer, and nan microwave made them excessively chewy.
Eventually, I settled connected a operation — 30 seconds connected each broadside successful nan microwave, past 10 minutes successful nan aerial fryer astatine a debased temperature.
I liked everything astir nan meal burritos.
I don't usually bask precooked stiff eggs successful dishes for illustration these. However, these burritos and their ovum fillings tasted freshly made. The food was gooey, nan sausage was tasty, and nan spirit was spicy capable to beryllium absorbing without turning disconnected my kids.
Don't fto nan sanction fool you — these do not person to beryllium reserved for breakfast. Since this sensation test, nan turkey-sausage burritos person go my go-to lunch.
At $15.70 for 10 mini burritos, they're a akin value to immoderate convenience-store burritos, but these sensation for illustration premium versions.
This communicative was primitively published connected June 6, 2024, and astir precocious updated connected October 25, 2024.