For dinner, we pick up essentials for pasta and pizza nights, plus frozen vegetables.
I prepare meals using Costco's 10-pound ground-beef tube, which is available by request.
I've been a Costco executive member for about 17 years now, and I rely on the warehouse chain when buying groceries for my family of four.
Our executive membership is a huge help for saving money. Although it costs more than a standard Costco membership, we get an annual 2% back on eligible purchases. For us, it pays for itself and then some every year.
Here are Costco meal staples I buy for prepping dinner for myself, my husband, and our two teens.
Prices may vary by location.
We stock up on Kirkland Signature boneless, skinless chicken thighs.We like chicken thighs better than breasts.
Maria Bellos Fisher
My family prefers thighs to breasts as they're more flavorful, easier to cook, and often cheaper.
So, we stock up on Kirkland Signature boneless, skinless thighs and freeze whatever we don't use right away.
We often grill them, slather them in mayonnaise to make family-favorite Parmesan-crusted chicken, toss them into soups, or chop them up for stir-fries.
Costco's best-kept-secret is its 10-pound beef tube, which is available by request.Ask the butcher for the 10-pound ground beef tube.
Maria Bellos Fisher
At Costco, we head to the meat counter and ask the butcher if we can buy the 10-pound tube of ground beef.
We prefer this over the smaller package trays on display in the meat section, mostly because of the price. On a recent trip, the tube cost $4.39 a pound — 10 cents cheaper a pound than the other packages of ground beef available.
When I pack this for freezing, I squeeze portions straight from the tube into my vacuum-sealing bags, which is much easier than picking chunks out of the foam trays.
Caesar-salad kits can be an easy dinner base. We liked to add meat to our Earthbound Farms organic Caesar-salad kits.
Maria Bellos Fisher
We usually pick up a 24-ounce Earthbound Farms organic Caesar-salad kit for $9.
It pairs nicely with grilled chicken or steak and a baguette for a light but pleasing dinner that requires little effort. On a good day, our kids prep the salad and my husband grills the meat we add to it.
I buy and freeze Kirkland Signature shredded mozzarella. Kirkland Signature shredded mozzarella is convenient and dry enough for pizza.
Maria Bellos Fisher
On movie nights, I make homemade pizza. I already prepare my own dough and sauce, so I want my cheese pre-shredded.
I like using Kirkland Signature shredded mozzarella because it's dry enough not to bog down a pizza. I pick up the 5-pound twin pack and break the bags into pizza-night-sized portions that I freeze until I'm ready to use.
Kirkland Signature spinach-and-cheese ravioli is good on its own or in "lasagna."Spinach-and-cheese ravioli is great in a lasagna.
Maria Bellos Fisher
Kirkland Signature spinach-and-cheese ravioli are handy when I want to toss together ravioli pomodoro in a flash.
These are also good for ravioli "lasagna," where these replace typical noodles as a shortcut to save time and use fewer ingredients.
I like getting packs of Garofalo pasta at Costco. Pasta is the perfect comfort dinner.
Maria Bellos Fisher
I love Garofalo tricolor organic pasta and can sometimes get six 1-pound packages for $10 at Costco.
The colors and shapes are fun, and the pasta is delicious. I use the noodles to make all sorts of dinners, from cacio e pepe to pasta Bolognese.
Trident fish sticks are so easy to prepare. I like pairing fish sticks with fries.
Maria Bellos Fisher
I can get 60 Trident fish sticks for $15 at Costco, and they're super convenient when I don't feel like cooking a full meal.
I pop these babies in the oven, then pair them with frozen fries, peas, and tartar sauce for fish and chips with little-to-no effort.
Kirkland Signature raw, tail-on shrimp is a staple. Kirkland Signature shrimp is great for shrimp cocktail.
Maria Bellos Fisher
We usually pick up a 2-pound bag of Kirkland Signature raw, tail-on shrimp for about $12.
I like to pair the shrimp with fries and roasted vegetables for a low-effort meal. The kids usually mix up cocktail sauce to go with the shrimp, too.
Frozen vegetable mixes are so versatile. I use Kirkland Signature frozen veggies in soups.
Maria Bellos Fisher
The Kirkland Signature Normandy vegetable mix is hard to beat at $11 for 5 ½ pounds of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. If freezer space is low, I break up the large bag into smaller packages.
Fortunately, frozen vegetables can be used in so many ways.
I put them in soups and pasta primavera. I've also leaned into treating veggies like meat, so I toss them in olive oil and spice rubs and roast them as a side.
We use Lotus Foods organic millet-and-brown-rice ramen noodles often. We use Lotus Foods organic millet-and-brown-rice ramen noodles in soups.
We tried them after learning about my daughter's gluten allergy, and I like that the noodles have a texture our whole family enjoys.
We make a lot of soup dishes in the winter and these noodles never disappoint, whether we're using them in khao soi or ramen.
They're a great deal at Costco, too. We pay $9 for 30 ounces of noodles, which works out to 30 cents an ounce. At our local grocery store, these can cost $7 for a 10-ounce package — or 70 cents an ounce.
Kirkland Signature organic quinoa is tasty in a lot of dishes. We use Kirkland Signature organic quinoa instead of rice in a lot of our meals.
Maria Bellos Fisher
My husband has fallen in love with quinoa, which works for me because I hate rice. This grain serves as a nice base for a lot of our meals that typically use the former.
I buy the 4-½- pound bag of Kirkland Signature organic quinoa for $9. It lasts us a while and we've learned this is way cheaper than buying quinoa at our local grocery store.