The Costco Prepared Foods Worth Buying For A Busy Week

Like many of us, I'm not only very busy during the week, but I can be pretty lazy when it comes to preparing meals. When short on time (and without something I can make quickly), I end up with a bowl of cereal or skipping the meal altogether. So, I'm a huge fan of shortcuts — or using pre-made meals or ingredients that help me avoid the stress of hunting through cupboards for easy lunch and dinner ideas. Costco has the best deli items and prepared foods at affordable prices. I can buy bulk snacks, heat-and-serve meals, and prepared foods that make meal planning a lot more flexible.

Of course, this means sometimes having to spend a Sunday afternoon making a dish I can use throughout the week, like a cranberry and pecan chicken salad made with store-bought rotisserie chicken. Still, that's far more feasible than trying to handle that chore on a Wednesday night after work. Many of the Costco items I purchase regularly can be incorporated into multiple meals throughout the week, whether by whipping up large batches at once or finding creative ways to repurpose dinner leftovers for breakfast and lunch.

For instance, the big-box store's iconic rotisserie chicken has earned a cult following for a reason — it's under $6 at most warehouses and can be used for around three days' worth of meals. When visiting my local Costco to stock up for the next few weeks of meal planning, these are the five prepared foods that I always grab in preparation for the busy days and nights ahead.

If you search online for fast, easy meal ideas using Costco's rotisserie chicken, you'll find thousands of suggestions. The internet is full of recipes from prestigious publications like NYT Cooking to countless recommendations from home chefs on social media platforms like Reddit. Each chicken is around three pounds, which yields about 12 4-ounce portions of meat. That's certainly enough to stretch into a week's worth of meals.

When taking one home for dinner, I usually reheat some in the oven with a little chicken broth or coat it in barbecue sauce to keep it from drying out. Then, I serve it with either crusty French bread or a baked potato, as well as a side of steamed veggies or a pre-made salad kit. After dinner, the leftovers can be prepared as future lunches or dinners throughout the week.

The fastest way to turn rotisserie chicken into a meal is to dice it and spread it on top of green salads. I also like to shred some chicken for tacos, pasta, or soup. When preparing shredded chicken tacos, I simply add a can of green chiles, some Tajin, salt, and pepper. All it takes is a few ounces in a small flour tortilla along with pre-shredded cabbage, red onion, and some five-minute crema sauce. Adding chicken to canned soup or bagged salad is another great way to give it more flavor and amp up the protein content so it's healthier and more filling. Topping boxed mac and cheese with chunks of chicken and fresh broccoli is another winner.

Purchase a Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken at Costco for around $5 or $6.

Tortelloni is a very versatile pre-made food as you can serve it hot or cold for lunches and dinners. The Kirkland Signature Five Cheese Tortelloni is the perfect shortcut to impressive home dinners. Sold in packs of two, each container offers 24 ounces of pasta. In just two minutes, you can heat this meal up in boiling water, but it's just as good when used cold. I often just toss a handful on top of a chef salad for a little extra flavor and some added protein — one cup of the pasta offers 13 grams. I also frequently elevate a batch of pasta salad with tortellini from Costco.

When using the meal for dinner, I toss it in Rao's jarred marinara, garnish it with shaved parmesan and fresh basil, and serve it with veggies steamed in a basket over the pasta pot. If I have time, I'll make fresh garlic bread; if not, I just heat up a Kirkland Signature Roasted Garlic Butter Baguette. The second package can be popped in the freezer for later or repurposed into lunches and dinners throughout the week. Adding it to canned soup and green salads is another great trick, and it also makes the perfect pasta for a Caprese pasta salad or tortellini Greek salad.

Nab Kirkland Signature Five Cheese Tortelloni at Costco for around $13 or $14.

I almost always feel too busy for breakfast but despise the crash that comes around 10 a.m. Waiting until noon to eat feels impossible at that point, so I try to find ways to make a weekday morning meal more convenient. Egg bites are fast, nutrient-dense, portable, and delicious. There are also a lot of ways to use them beyond just nuking them in the microwave and eating them as-is.

The Kirkland Signature Uncured Bacon and Gouda Egg Bites are the best store-bought egg bites, with huge flavor from hot sauce and bacon chunks. They are fully cooked and can be heated in the toaster oven in around 15 minutes or in the microwave in just under two minutes. However, the best way to cook these Kirkland egg bites isn't on the box: If you have time, sear them in a covered cast iron pan on the lowest setting for around 10 minutes.

These bites make a quick breakfast along with yogurt and granola. I even have them for lunch, placing two between a whole wheat English muffin or slices of toasted bread dressed with avocado, salsa, and hot sauce. If I'm having salad for lunch, I chop two into pieces and use them in place of hardboiled eggs. Two egg bites offer around 11 grams of protein and perfectly complement a simple garden salad or add protein to a Caesar salad.

Purchase Kirkland Signature Uncured Bacon and Gouda Egg Bites at Costco for around $10 to $13.

I was surprised to find out that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that adults eat at least 8 ounces of fish each week. I'm not a huge fan of seafood, and generally only like white fish. Yet, at some point, I decided to give salmon a try — and was shocked by how much I loved it. It's also one of the healthiest fish to eat, as it is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and other crucial nutrients.

Still, even though it's safe to eat salmon a few times per week, I found it hard to incorporate this fish into meal plans. So, I was delighted when I found this prepared salmon for a decent price. One package contains around two pounds of salmon milano prepared with basil pesto butter. It's all ready to bake in the oven or pan-sear and serve. I can get at least three meals out of one package if dining with someone else, or six-to-eight servings if I'm meal prepping for myself. That makes the per-serving cost around $5 to $12.

Naturally, I'm not alone in loving this deal — this convenient Costco fish entrée is worth every penny, according to Reddit. When making it for dinner, I serve it over wild rice alongside some asparagus that I steam in a basket while it cooks. Then, I use the leftovers in a morning omelet or add them to a salad with hardboiled egg, green onions, dried cranberries, and walnuts or pine nuts for lunch.

Buy Kirkland Signature Salmon Milano with Basil Pesto Butter at Costco for around $35 or $11 to $16 per pound.

Rarely do I have time to make even the easiest pulled pork recipe from scratch, but I absolutely love eating it. After trying several different store-bought options, Costco's has been my favorite thus far. A two-pound package offers around eight servings — or more if you are using it for something like salads or tacos. I love adding it to a Greek salad or making BBQ pork sliders with Hawaiian rolls, barbecue sauce, and coleslaw.

There are even ways to incorporate it into breakfast. Adding some to your scrambled eggs with cheese and green chiles can result in a quick pulled pork breakfast burrito. For dinner, it makes a great topping for frozen pizza. I often use it for tacos, tostadas, or just on its own with some fresh bread or rolls and grilled vegetables. When using this pork for tacos, tostadas, or burritos, I mix the meat with pico de gallo, black beans, cilantro, sour cream, and lime juice.

However, my favorite meal to make with this pulled pork is a mashed potato bowl. You can turn mashed potatoes into the main course with this KFC-inspired method that combines homemade or packaged mashed potatoes with pulled pork, gravy, canned corn, and other add-ins. The result is a hearty, filling, and comforting meal that comes together very quickly.

Purchase Kirkland Signature Smoked Pulled Pork at Costco for around $14 to $16.