10 Best Costco Items To Pick Up For Lunch Under $15

Costco provides tons of fresh ingredients for whipping up a homemade lunch, but when you need a fast, affordable midday meal with minimal prep, it can be harder to decide what to purchase. Should you go for Costco prepared foods for a single person, or is it more cost-effective to buy bigger packages? How do you combine multiple grocery items without going over budget? We've taken out the work for you by putting together a list of complete Costco lunches that all cost under $15.

While you could visit a restaurant or even grab a tasty Costco food court item to get lunch for less than $15, we think the ideas on this list, which feature products sold in the warehouse section, stretch your dollar further. Costco's foods come in extra-large packages that can feed multiple people or one person for at least a couple of days. That's a smarter deal than a single dish that will only feed you once.

To put together this collection, we weighed value, reviews, and Costco customer feedback to find lunches that are as delicious as they are affordable. There's an idea here for every palate, whether you're craving a refreshing salad, hearty soup or sandwich, or perhaps an Italian, Mexican, or Asian meal. None of these lunches requires you to make anything from scratch, either, so you can put food on the table ASAP and then get on with the rest of your day — that's a win for your schedule, wallet, and taste buds.

A Caesar salad from any lunch spot will rarely do you wrong, but Costco's is particularly tasty and affordable. Shoppers say the ready-to-eat Kirkland Signature Caesar Salad is crisp, fresh, flavorful, and doesn't skimp on the creamy dressing, garlic and cheese croutons, parmesan cheese, and fresh lemon wedges. The price depends on the weight of each individual package, usually coming out to around $6.50 to just under $8 for nearly 2 pounds of salad.

For a filling, portable lunch, few dishes beat a burrito, and Costco sells a cheap and convenient version in its frozen aisle: Lilly B's Organic Bean, Rice & Cheese Burritos. For $11.99, you get eight burritos stuffed with pinto beans, brown rice, and cheddar, packing in 11 grams of protein per serving. Customers say these are tasty on their own, but adding a condiment like sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, or guacamole makes them even better.

If your wallet is hurting from frequent Panera Bread visits, pick up the Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup in Costco's premade foods aisle instead, priced at just $9.99 for two 24-ounce tubs. Then, grab two Kirkland Signature Baguettes, one of the best breads from Costco's bakery, for $4.99. Serve up the soup with the toasted baguette, and you've recreated a Panera meal for $14.98 (and that covers multiple servings instead of just one).

Famously priced at just $4.99, a plump and juicy Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken is a Costco buy that's perfect for meal prep. To make it a complete lunch, serve it with the Taylor Farms Sweet Kale Chopped Salad, a hearty mix of greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, pepitas, dried cranberries, and creamy poppyseed dressing. You get two pounds for around $8, so this protein- and veggie-packed meal that's full of flavor totals about $13.

For a light yet satisfying Italian lunch, Costco sells Stonemill Kitchens Mushroom Risotto for just $8.59 per 30-ounce pack. Combining a base of rice, cream, chicken broth, and parmesan with button, shiitake, and portobello mushrooms, this dish has a rich, savory flavor that's great on its own, though you can bulk it up with whatever leftover proteins you have in the fridge. Plus, this risotto is ready after three minutes in the microwave.

The most popular Costco prepared meals are never a bad buy, but it's worth sifting through the cold case to find gems like the Kirkland Signature Chicken Sandwiches. For around $13.60, you get two hefty sandwiches piled with chicken, cheddar, and provolone cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, and a zesty Dijon mayonnaise. Shoppers say the sauce really completes these delicious sandwiches, and you get to spread it on yourself so that the bread doesn't come soggy.

Another hidden gem from the freezer section at Costco, the Rana Shrimp Ravioli With Lobster Sauce provides tender shrimp and ricotta-filled pasta pillows in a creamy sauce made with real lobster. All you have to do is boil the ravioli for four minutes before tossing it with the heated sauce, and lunch is served. With such luxurious ingredients, you won't believe this pasta meal costs $12.99 per 32-ounce bag at most warehouses.

Ordering Asian takeout for lunch every day is certainly easy, but the cost can add up quickly. Instead, buy a 3-pound bag of Bibigo Chicken and Cilantro Mini Wontons for just $9.99 at Costco. These frozen Korean dumplings stuffed with chicken, cabbage, bean noodles, and cilantro cook up in minutes and garner rave reviews from shoppers. Pan-fry them to crispy perfection and serve with sauce, or boil them in soup with veggies for extra satiation.

Costco's food court pizza is a go-to post-shopping lunch, yet picking up a pack of Kirkland Signature Cheese Pizza is a more cost-effective way to feed a crowd. Priced at $10.99 for a box, these four full-size pizzas bake up crispy and oozy after just 13 to 16 minutes in the oven, and make a perfect canvas for your family's favorite toppings. Sounds a lot thriftier and more fun than ordering delivery, in our opinion.

Another fantastic Kirkland Signature deli meal, Costco's Grain & Celery Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette usually costs about $13 for a pack of 2-½ pounds. This salad is loaded with chickpeas, quinoa, bulgur, dried cranberries, almonds, celery, kale, cabbage, and carrots, creating a party of textures and flavors. Delivering 8 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber in a lunch-sized, 7-ounce serving, it's one of the most nutritious Costco finds to fuel your day.