10 Best-Value Prepared Meals At Costco, According To Customers – Daily Meal

There are some unbelievable food bargains at Costco. Part of what has made the chain so wildly successful is its unwavering value proposition: building customer loyalty through high-quality products offered at prices that are unmatched at other grocery chains. And some of Costco’s best values come from the prepared meals section of the store, not only because of the impressive prices, but for the quality and value. Part of what makes the pre-made meals appealing is the lack of prep and cleanup, which is exceedingly useful for families or single people who don’t have time to cook everyday.

For some members, these pre-made meals help save them money by acting as a cheaper alternative to restaurant take-out. Many customers find these prepared meals are just as good, if not better, than their own homemade versions, without the time and hassle of purchasing individual ingredients and whipping it up themselves. From meal kits that can be assembled in minutes to one-pan dishes that simply need to be popped in the oven, these are the best value prepared meals from Costco, according to shoppers online. The prices listed in this article may vary slightly based on location.

The Kirkland Signature stuffed bell peppers can be found in Costco’s prepared foods section and come with six red, orange, and yellow peppers stuffed with a mixture of ground beef and rice in a tomato sauce, topped with cheese. Not only is it one of the healthiest prepared foods at Costco, but customers online praise this value meal for its affordability, convenience, and taste. Namely, the meal costs between $5 and $6 per pound, and typically weighs between 3 and 4 pounds, which breaks down to an estimated $3.20 per pepper.

Customers find these stuffed peppers to be an excellent value, especially compared to what you’d likely spend if you bought the ingredients independently and assembled them yourself. Plus, they freeze well, so if you want to save some to heat up at a later date, instead of cooking them all at once, you have the option. Fans of this protein-packed Costco prepared meal complement the seasoning in the beef and find it to be an excellent, filling, minimal-prep dinner option that has them coming back for more time and again.

Costco’s gyro kit is a simple Mediterranean build-your-own adventure that can be assembled and ready to eat in minutes. With six pitas, a combination of lamb and beef, veggie toppings, feta cheese, and tzatziki, it is a great meal kit to feed the family when everyone’s craving a take-out style sandwich on a busy weeknight. Like many of Costco’s prepared meals, it is priced by weight and typically costs between $7 and $8 per pound. While it can be enjoyed on its own without any prep, some customers online claim it’s worth doctoring it up. One shopper on Reddit wrote, “Absolutely, a solid meal kit at a fair price. Definitely spend the time to brown the meat and bread in a pan. Worth it.” Another responded in the Reddit thread: “Getting some browning on it unlocks the flavor train.”

Customers explain that the meat is well-seasoned without being too salty, the pitas are sturdy yet soft, the vegetables are fresh, and the feta is tangy. The combination of flavors is satisfying, filling, and delicious, with little to no prep or cleanup involved, so it’s an excellent alternative to eating out or a good option to have on hand when you’re short on time.

Costco’s ready-to-bake Shepherd’s pie is actually technically a cottage pie, since the meat is beef instead of lamb. Along with the beef, it contains a colorful mix of carrots, peas, corn, mushrooms, caramelized onions, burgundy wine, and Yukon Gold potatoes whipped with cream. Despite being improperly named, this mashed potato-topped casserole is a hit with Costco members. One Redditor wrote, “It bears repeating… the shepherd’s pie is friggin delicious! The potatoes are so buttery!” Some customers even claim the pie tastes homemade.  The 5-pound pie comes ready to bake, so all you have to do is pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes before it’s fully prepared. It’s an easy dish to serve a crowd, feed a family, or use for meal prep throughout the week.

Another Costco shopper on Reddit noted that the real value is in how much beef Costco packs into the pie. They wrote, “There was so much meat in it — I couldn’t buy the beef alone for this price.” The pie typically costs roughly $23, or about $4 per pound, and the combination of silky potatoes, flavorful filling, and tasty bottom crust makes it a fall favorite for plenty of Costco customers.

The lasagna from Kirkland Signature, Costco’s private label, is another popular convenient value meal that some say is a Costco prepared food that’s even better than some homemade versions. It features three layers of pasta, a tomato-based sauce packed with beef and Italian sausage, ricotta cheese, and a layer of mozzarella melted on top. The combination is so tasty and beautifully assembled that if you plated it, your guests would not be able to tell it wasn’t homemade.

One food reviewer compliments the generous helping of beef and the defined layers of pasta and cheese. As far as prepared meals go, the Kirkland product is the “best frozen lasagna out there,” according to a Redditor on r/Costco. In true Costco fashion, you get two lasagnas that weigh a whopping 3 pounds each. Each lasagna contains six servings, and the two-pack costs about $20, so it’s no wonder this Kirkland product has become a freezer staple for many Costco shoppers.

Costco’s prepared chili is one of the Kirkland Signature seasonal items that shoppers wait for all year long. It comes around just in time for the fall and winter season, and this 4-pound container of beef chili is one of the most popular prepared meals Costco offers. Between $3.50 and $4.50 per pound, the chili comes with a combination of pinto and kidney beans, which some customers claim give it a uniquely tasty flavor and texture. It also contains a generous helping of beef, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese on top. It’s praised for being well-seasoned and boasting a nostalgic, comforting flavor for those who enjoyed homemade chili growing up.

Whether or not beans do in fact belong in chili is another discussion, but for the price, it’s well worth picking up one or two containers for the cold months. In fact, in an infamous Reddit post, a Redditor shared that they passed the Costco chili off as their own recipe and won third place in their work chili cook-off. Since cooking your own chili can be a laborious task, Costco’s seasonal product is widely regarded as a worthy alternative for a good value. You might want to add some Fritos on top for a crunch or lay it on a hot dog for a quick and easy chili dog.

Costco’s chicken street taco kit is one of the best and simplest premade meals to feed a family or bring to a party. The easy-to-prepare kit comes with enough fixings to make 12 tacos for around $15 to $18. The kit comes with 12 tortillas (made from a blend of corn and flour), grilled seasoned chicken, shredded cheese, shredded vegetables, tomato salsa, and cilantro lime crema. The cream itself is so popular that some customers buy it by the bottle. The tortillas “feel like flour tortillas, but they look like corn tortillas,” according to a TikTok food reviewer, and the corn-flour combination holds up well and doesn’t crumble while eating the tacos. In fact, despite coming from the refrigerated section, the tortillas taste impressively fresh.

The chicken earns praise for being extremely tender and seasoned well. Another food reviewer on YouTube compliments the chicken for remaining tender and juicy even after the tacos have been reheated. They also appreciate the durability of the tortillas. This meal kit could comfortably feed a family or be an excellent prepared meal to have on hand for quick throw-together lunches for yourself throughout the week.

Costco’s chicken alfredo comes in a large pan and is ready to pop in the oven for an hour before being ready to serve. The meal comfortably feeds about four people, which shakes out to around $5 per meal, so it’s an affordable way to feed the family. While pasta dishes are typically fairly inexpensive to make yourself, part of the value for customers is the elimination of prep and cleanup work. And in addition to being a great value, customers rave about just how delicious this indulgent cheesy meal is. In fact, one fan claimed that the alfredo rivals their Italian nonna’s own recipe. The sauce is garlicky and creamy, with enough to evenly coat the noodles in each bite. And part of what makes it such a value is the generous amount of chicken included in the dish, which makes it far superior to Sam’s Club’s version, per one reviewer.

Plus, the pasta is a perfect al dente firmness, and does not fall victim to the sogginess that often occurs with prepared pasta meals in creamy sauces. The sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and parsley on top gives it a more sophisticated look and flavor, and if you want to get a crispy golden top layer, remove the foil cover during the last 10 minutes in the oven. A food reviewer who tasted and compared all of Costco’s prepared meals placed the chicken alfredo in second place, just behind the popular stuffed peppers.

Premade meat loaf and mashed potatoes might not sound like the most appealing meal, but this premade dinner has pleasantly surprised lots of Costco members, and it has become one of the most popular offerings for a quick, value dish. In fact, one meatloaf fan on Reddit claimed it’s “on the Mt. Rushmore of Costco pre-mades” for its taste and price. The meatloaf features a flavorful sauce that is a cross between ketchup and barbecue, which provides a subtle layer of sweetness that perfectly compliments the seasoned ground beef. The under layer of the meatloaf gets slightly burnt, which adds a crispy texture that customers seem to love.

The mashed potatoes are a standout as well, and part of what makes this premade meal rank so highly among customers. The dish uses Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, which are known for their fluffy and buttery flavor profile. One food reviewer on Facebook even called the creamy potatoes “heavenly.” Since perfecting your own silky mashed potatoes at home can be extremely laborious, the meal earns value points for coming prepared and requiring little to no prep work.

Costco’s mac and cheese might not look like much before it’s cooked, but this one-pan meal is a natural crowd pleaser among cheese fanatics and picky eaters alike. Some fans of the dish even claim this Costco food tastes homemade, having tested it out by serving it at birthday parties, barbecues, and even Thanksgiving dinner, where guests polished it off with ease. At about $4 to $5 per pound, this cheesy dish can feed between four and ten people, depending on whether you’re serving it as a side dish or a main.

After cooking it in the oven for 40 to 60 minutes, the cheese melts into the corkscrew noodles, making every bite an indulgent cheesy, sharp delight. The noodles remain soft without getting soggy or mushy, and the grooved edges and large corkscrew shape of the noodles makes the cheese stick in and around each one. The large swirly noodles are also a welcome change from typical store-bought macaroni and cheese, which usually uses smaller elbow noodles. If you’re looking for an easy, kid-friendly dinner or need to bring something to the potluck in a pinch, this simple prepared dish might be just what you’re looking for.

One of the most underrated Costco prepared foods you should be buying is this fresh superfood salad, which is an ideal bulk purchase for those who are prepping healthy meals for the week. It features tons of nutritious ingredients, including chickpeas and quinoa, bulgar wheat, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, celery, onion, kale, and a cabbage and carrot blend with an apple cider vinaigrette to pour on top. You can serve it on its own as a side salad or bulk it up with some protein to make a well-rounded meal.

One Redditor recommends adding another Costco fan-favorite value item to complete the meal: “This salad tastes absolutely fabulous! … Paired with their rotisserie chicken, it’s addictive. Costco knocked this one out of the park!” Customers appreciate the contrast of crunchy texture from the fresh veggies with the chewy grains as well as the slightly sweet notes from the vinaigrette and dried cranberries. Since the meal includes some ingredients that tend to run on the pricier side, such as the almonds and cranberries, the meal boasts a great value at between $5 and $6 per pound.