13 Costco Foods And Drinks Perfect For Game Day

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Whether you're the kind of person who loves to tailgate or you prefer an at-home hang, you need some food and drinks to keep you munching throughout game day. Especially when you're planning on celebrating with other people, you have to make sure you have as many snacks on hand as you need to keep everyone satisfied. This is why Costco is such a great place to shop for game day food and drinks. Not only are there a ton of frozen and prepared appetizers, along with a large selection of snacks to choose from, but the prices are also excellent when you buy in bulk, meaning you can feed more people for less.

But what, exactly, should you pick up from Costco to guarantee the best game day experience possible? I absolutely love the snacking experiences that game days provide, so I'm pulling together some of my Costco favorites that can make for the tastiest spread possible. Whether you're looking for hot finger foods that can function as a whole meal, or you just want to put out a few snacks and drinks and call it a day, this list has you covered.

Kirkland Signature's Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks also landed on our list of Kirkland Signature freezer staples you should always have on hand, so it's no wonder they're making another appearance on this list. After all, game days are when you serve food that's simple, easy to snack on, and maybe even a little indulgent to boot. These chicken chunks provide just that and more. You're getting actual chicken breast here, so every bite feels substantial, all while offering the perfect amount of crispiness from that light breading.

These make an exceptionally easy game day snack because they're already fully cooked, so you just have to heat them up right before people arrive. Additionally, they have a relatively neutral flavor, which means your guests can dress them up with any kind of sauces or dips you have on hand. Because these are chunks, not full tenders, you're also getting a size that's really convenient for mindless snacking while you're waiting to see who scores next. It's definitely a step up from the expensive bags of frozen chicken nuggets you see at other grocery stores.

I love having a taco or nacho bar at game day festivities, but building a bar with a bunch of customizable toppings can be a pretty laborious process, which you might not have time for if you're making a bunch of other dishes at the same time. This is why it's nice to have a frozen Mexican-American food that's a bit easier to throw together than something that comes with an assortment of toppings. That's where El Monterey Mexican Grill Chicken and Cheese Taquitos come into play. These taquitos are the perfect size. They're large enough to feel filling, with enough chicken and cheese to feel substantial, but small enough that you don't feel full after eating one or two.

I love the combination of chicken and cheese because it's one that's so easy to love. Most people who eat meat like the taste of chicken, and the chicken in these taquitos is nicely seasoned. And who doesn't like cheese? Although I think these taquitos can make an excellent game day snack, they can definitely be improved with the addition of an assortment of dips and sauces your guests can use to spice them up a bit.

I may be the world's greatest sparkling water fan. I think it's way more refreshing than still water, and there's nothing like cracking a cold one open when you're feeling particularly thirsty. This is why I love having sparkling water on hand, but especially when I have people coming over. It's a nice alternative to soda, and it provides a nice fizzy beverage for those who may not be drinking alcohol (as well as a mixer for those who are). If you're looking to get a solid bang for your buck, then Kirkland Signature's Sparkling Water Variety Pack is the way to go.

This variety comes with three flavors. There's grapefruit (which, in my opinion, is just okay), along with lemon and lime, both of which are delicious and not too strongly flavored. Sure, it may not be the most exciting item you're picking up from Costco for game day, but it's one that will undoubtedly delight your guests when you offer them a can.

Are dumplings the first food you think of when imagining the perfect game day spread? Maybe not, but hear me out — Bibigo Pork and Vegetable Mandu make for an excellent app on game day. First of all, they're easy to prepare from frozen, taking less than 10 minutes to pan fry. Once you cook them, they take on a lovely crispness on the bottom of each dumpling, making for an excellent crunch. Combine that with the juicy pork filling, and you have a two-bite snack that instantly elevates your game day spread. 

This brand is also quite generous with the meat, so you can rest assured that you're getting a decent amount of pork in every bite. Plus, these dumplings include veggies, giving each bite a fresh finish. Just don't forget to include a dipping sauce alongside the dumplings for maximum flavor. Once you start making dumplings for game day, you'll never want to go back to a dumpling-less game day hang again.

Is it really a game day spread if chicken wings aren't involved? That's why it's essential to pick up some Kirkland Signature Chicken Wings from Costco the next time you're prepping to have people over for the big game. First of all, these wings are frozen, so you can grab them whenever you're at Costco, store them in the freezer, then cook them on game day. Since you can cook them directly from frozen, you don't have to worry about spending hours thawing them.

Although you can certainly buy chicken wings that come seasoned or sauced (generally with Buffalo), I like that these frozen wings function as a blank canvas. If you want to go the classic Buffalo chicken wings route, you absolutely can, but you can also switch it up and experiment with different flavors to keep your wing routine tasting fresh. Lemon pepper is a classic you can try if you want to tone down the spice, while baked Cajun wings are an excellent option when you're craving some serious flavor.

Obviously you need plenty of substantial hot foods to put out on game day, but that doesn't mean you should skip the snacky stuff entirely. One of the best parts of watching any game is the mindless munching on whatever's in front of you, which is why chips and dips tend to be such popular choices. However, I think crunchy pretzels can fill that same void, no dip needed ... at least when you're working with the Dot's Homestyle Seasoned Pretzel Twists Variety Pack. These seasoned pretzels pack way more flavor than your average salted pretzel brand, with a buttery consistency that makes each little piece taste unexpectedly luxurious.

You can find different flavors of these pretzels at Costco, but I think the variety pack with original, honey mustard, and parmesan garlic flavors (I like original most, but they're absolutely all delicious) is the best option. Honestly, once you start eating Dot's Homestyle Pretzels, you won't want to go back to even the best pretzel brands out there.

Another game day staple is mozzarella sticks. They're great when you get them at your local sports bar, but making the best frozen mozzarella sticks at home is even easier (and cheaper). Luckily, Costco has you covered with Petite Cuisine Mozzarella Sticks, which come in a 5-pound package to ensure you have enough of these cheesy apps to feed everyone. The cheese inside has that stretchy, creamy quality you look for in good mozzarella, and it creates the comfort food cheese pulls you crave. Plus, I really love the flavorful seasoning on the exterior. A lot of frozen mozz sticks are missing that extra crunch and seasoning, but you don't have that problem with this product.

That doesn't mean they're without flaws, though: they actually don't come with any marinara sauce. If you ask me, mozzarella sticks shouldn't be consumed without marinara, so remember to pick some up before you serve these sticks on game day. You can always buy some, or you can make your own — include some red wine if you want to recreate Ina Garten's best marinara sauce.

If you plan on drinking alcohol while watching the game, beer is an obvious choice. It's cold and refreshing; it might even count as the official beverage of game days. When you're trying to ensure that everyone at your game day festivities has enough to drink, though, you probably don't want to be spending too much cash on expensive specialty beers. This is why shopping at Costco for your brew is a great idea, since you can often find competitive prices for alcohol.

At my house, Kirkland Signature's Helles-Style Lager is the go-to affordable beer for sports events and beyond. This Kirkland Signature classic isn't the most complex, unusual beer you've ever tasted, but it is a refreshing, easy-drinking lager that pairs well with a wide variety of foods (including mostly everything on this list). Plus, the alcohol content is relatively low, so you can drink a few of these without feeling bad the next day.

If you're throwing a game day get-together, chances are you're serving chips and dip. While I love a good salsa situation, queso is also a beloved option. If you have enough time and energy, making your own queso from scratch is absolutely the way to go. You get a much fresher, bolder flavor, and you can probably create a better texture than what you find in store-bought varieties. But let's be honest: Most of us are so busy, a detail as small as queso is likely to be overlooked. This is when jarred queso, such as the Tostitos Queso Variety Pack, comes in handy.

In this budget-friendly queso pack, you get large jars of both Tostitos' salsa con queso and queso blanco. I admit that when I ranked Tostitos dips, these weren't my favorite, but they're both pretty solid for jarred queso. I think they can do a lot of heavy lifting on game day. Not only can you just open the jars, heat them up, and set them out for guests to dig into without having to do a ton of extra prep work, you can also stir them into other dishes that could use an element of creamy cheesiness.

If you already have chips on hand, why stop with queso? More dips are never a bad thing, which is why it's also a good idea to pick up some Kirkland Signature Chunky Guacamole while you're at Costco. This is another case in which the freshly made version is better than the store-bought stuff, and if you have time to make your own guac from scratch, you should, but this guacamole comes in clutch when you don't have a lot of time to spend prepping food. I didn't have a lot of faith it would be good before trying it, but once I did, I realized just how good prepared guac could be. It's packed with flavor and just the right amount of acidity, and it has enough chunkiness to keep things interesting on the palate.

The only problem you might encounter with this product is that it comes in single-serving size containers, so you have to empty out several packs into a bowl if you want to offer your guests a larger serving size. The good news is, if you have any leftovers, you don't have to worry about them going bad by the next day.

Sure, we've already talked about setting out some Dot's Pretzels for your next game day bread. But what about those times when you want to take your pretzel game to a whole new level? That's exactly when you should get your hands on some SuperPretzel Soft Pretzels from Costco. This product recreates that special outing soft pretzel experience right in the comfort of your own kitchen. For a frozen snack, these pretzels are pretty solid. You can get them salty (which is of the utmost importance for a pretzel, in my opinion), and they have a fluffy texture that makes you feel like you're eating something just a bit decadent.

That being said, I wouldn't serve these pretzels on their own — they're bound to get a little boring by the third bite. Rather, they're better when paired with some beer cheese or even a simple side of Dijon mustard. If you have a bit of extra time, you can even whip up an easy honey mustard pretzel dip, which offers both that signature acidity you generally find in mustard along with a subtle sweetness that adds complexity to each bite.

For those who don't particularly like bone-in wings (or those who just want an easier chicken option), there's Tyson Buffalo Style Boneless Chicken Bites. They're already fully cooked, so you just have to shake them into your air fryer and let them get crispy. Although they're described as "bites," they're essentially boneless Buffalo wings.

These chicken bites are a solid option because they're relatively small, which gives your guests a bite-sized snack that's easy to grab as they walk past the food table or pile onto a plate. Since they already come seasoned, you don't have to worry about picking out a store-bought Buffalo sauce or making one from scratch, either. Plus, it's a less-messy option than traditional wings, which might be a bonus if you're serving a lot of people at the same time (or just don't want to spend the whole game replenishing the napkin stack). These chicken bites tap into those classic game day flavors, too, so I feel like it's a must-have easy app.

You've already stocked up on plenty of sparkling water and beer to sip on during the big game, but what about when your team wins? A standard can of beer might not offer quite the celebratory gravitas you're looking for. That's why you should pick up a bottle of Kirkland Signature Prosecco DOCG. This bottle is quite affordable for sparkling wine, so you can shake it up and pop it without feeling bad that you're losing some of the bubbly inside. Once you take a sip, you realize it's a nice, light, refreshing option. Citrus-forward flavors play up the acidity, which helps this relatively basic wine from feeling too flat.

If you're not a beer drinker, you can also pop open a bottle of this stuff while you're watching the game. Since you don't pay much for this prosecco, you might grab a few bottles if you're having a whole crew over. Who said that game day isn't a good opportunity to drink wine, anyway?

I selected these Costco products based on my own experiences with them. I thought about what I usually enjoy eating at game day events (or what I've seen other people serve) and matched those items up to some of my favorite Costco offerings. I tried to choose items that serve a practical purpose, taste good, and/or tap into those classic game day flavors.