Favorite Costco food?

Since the portions are so large, I like to be sure I like what I'm buying. And the taste tests certainly are helpful, but of course they don't have those for everything.

So, what are your favorite foods that you can either 1) only get at Costco or 2) will only buy at Costco because of the value.

Some of mine are:

Chicken and mozzarella Ravioli
Cranberry Juice, Kirkland brand
Frozen Dim Sum (not the potstickers, the other ones; Yum Yum brand? not sure)
Artichoke Jalapeno dip
Brownie Bites (don't know the brand)

What are yours?

Foxy romaine lettuce hearts
Kirkland meat balls
Dr. Stein's bagel energy bars
Kirkland cranberry macadamia nut cereal
Smoked pork-chops (I don't recall the brand and I repackage them as soon as I get home)
Labrea Bakery ciabatta sandwich rolls
their in-house stuffed salmon (yum)
Naked Juice orange juice

I buy just about everything but most fresh produce at Costco, although I go through romaine fast enough to buy it there. Mr. Freezer is my friend.

Also, the celery hearts when I'm in Buffalo-wing mode

All the fresh produce is good, and a great value (if you can eat it all! sometimes even if you can't)

I've never tried the stuffed salmon, just the plain salmon (it's the only place I buy it) And I'll have to consider the meatballs!

Huge boxes of Eggo waffles (yeah, I know, but I do put real maple on them)
Quarts of real maple syrup (although I buy Grade B at the food co op for baking)
Huge pieces of fresh fish (best source in town) for cutting and freezing

Other things come and go as availability and the fancy strikes me.

I also love their chocolate chip cookies, but won't buy them unless I have people to share them with. My arse is big enough already. And no, freezing doesn't work.

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With those three ingredients, I can pretty much make anything.

I love the 1% half gallons of organic milk, too. Since I like FF or 1%, and DH likes whole, but I drink more milk, the half gallons are perfect. And they last for a while, too.

......... I'll take some Osso Buco, please. :)

(standing back, arms folded, waiting for the alchemy to begin)

Ever, ever, ever.

And apparently I'm stupid tonight, because the recipes I've got for osso buco don't have much in the way of tomatoes.

I use the three as kind of a cheater's pizza margherita (on pita, the demi-baguettes, or a piece of bread dough...)

Cheese, medium cheddar, sometimes sharp too
Butter, house brand
Coffee, organic Peruvian
Canned salmon, house brand
Chicken stock, organic
Spaghetti sauce, organic
Boylan's Soda (it's a nice treat when available)

I tried the Canadian bacon once - what a water-filled disappointment. Comparatively, it's a bargain to keep buying the Boar's Head at our market.

Ever. And for me, that's a loooooong time.

and I took your advice and bought a six-pack.

Though I'll be honest with you; as much as I like salmon, I don't know what to make with canned salmon other than salmon patties.

I tried it in pasta and it didn't go over too well

maybe we can sweet talk H2S into sharing some canned salmon recipes :shrug:

maybe I'll start a new thread and see what shakes down huh?

I completely forgot about my salmon frittata. I thought it was mighty tasty, though I think my husband was unimpressed. The recipe came up when I googled "canned salmon recipes" and visited this site: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/canned/recipes/recipes.html

QUICK ALASKA SALMON CHOWDER

20 Minute Meal

1 can (14.75 oz.) or 2 cans (7.5 oz. each) traditional pack Alaska salmon OR 2 cans or pouches (6 to 7.1 oz. each) skinless, boneless salmon
1 Tablespoon butter OR margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon flour
3 cups skim milk
2 cups (8 oz.) frozen hash brown potatoes with peppers and onions (O'Brien style)
1 can (8 oz.) drained or 1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper or pepper blend seasoning
2 Tablespoons sherry, if desired
1/4 cup bacon bits, divided

Drain salmon, reserving liquid; discard skin and bones (if any). Break salmon into chunks, set aside. Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 5 minutes. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add milk and salmon liquid, bring to a boil. Stir in potatoes, corn, seasonings, and 2 tablespoons bacon bits. Return to simmer, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in salmon and sherry, if desired; heat through. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with remaining bacon bits.

Spicy Variations: Add Mexican, Cajun, OR Southwest seasoning to taste.

Makes 6 cups, about 4 servings.

it was missing "something"

I added some fresh lemon juice and deleted the sherry, used 1 can of evaporated milk as part of the 3 cups called for and added about 1/4 tsp of Old Bay and it still didn't have any Zing!

edible, but not wunnerful ya know?

edit to add, it may need a couple blops of Tabasco or a hint of fish sauce

Romano
Parmesan
Cheddar

totally awesome

Love their beef.
Aussie bites cookies.
Greta's sesame marinade.
Various brands of chicken burritos

Is their inventory pretty stable? I ask because I currently shop at BJs and everytime I find something that I really love, they seem to stop carrying it. It gets very frustrating. I'm thinking about switching to Costco when my membership expires. I hate it when I make a new discovery there and then I can never get it again.

all warehouse stores it does vary

in fact it varies from store to store. here in PHX i go to three different stores and they all don't have the same things :shrug:

Tillamook medium cheddar
two loaves frozen bread, La Madeline brand
jug-o-syrup, maple
chicken stock
2 lbs Schlotzky's mesquite smoked turkey
Wrigley's Doublemint gum

Was it a two-pound loaf?

I always like to compare costs with other parts of the country. Here, a 2-pound loaf of Tillamook medium cheddar is more often than not on sale for $3.99. I was astounded at cheese prices in New England a few summers ago.

I think TJ is mighty cheap for many items, and the selection is good. Would Costco be even better?

But if you can use the larger, I think Costco is more economical

From the snack bar: the $1.50 Polish sausage/drink special, or the chicken caesar salad, frozen yogurt and berry freeze. And the boys like the pizza.

Once I get inside, these are house favorites:
Dried Mangoes
Anything from the bakery (in our house, they have a half-life of 2 days, regardless of what's brought in)
Organic Salad Mix
Costco's Greek Salad
Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches
Grape Tomatoes
Chicken Sausages
I recently bought the teriyaki pineapple meatballs, and they were literally inhaled here first time served for dinner.

Definitely Chicken Ceasar salad; I take it home, cut the chicken up smaller, and use my own dressing (Marie's Ceasar), awesome.

And they had dried kiwis a few weeks ago, those were like candy!

Grape tomatoes currently on hand

Must try the meatballs!

They are very moist and delicious and make a very quick meal. They just need to be heated in the microwave.

Newman's Own Grape Juice. It's the best I've ever had.

The Four Pound Jar of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. We LOVE those in this house. I'm going to Costco next week to get some for Easter.

If you have arthritis problems, there is a product in the supplements section called Joint Juice. It's liquid glucosamine in a small soda can. It's very good, only has 30 calories, and helps with the arthritis.

Sometimes they have boxes of individual packets of organic sliced apples. Very convenient and a healthy snack.

in our house.

Our Costco offered sample tastes of Joint Juice this weekend. Thanks for the tip - I'll get some for my husband.

Let's see, I like the smoked salmon alot, and the goat cheese is a great deal (they have it at trader joes, too).
I like the tillamook cheeses, esp the sliced ones are convenient. They have silk soy milk, but only vanilla, so I don't usually get that. They have a good deal on olive oil, and that stores fairly well. trader joes has grapeseed oil though.
I like the roasted chickens, but tend not to get other meats unless somebody wants to split them, since the quantities are way big. Condensed milk is another good deal. Uh, and I like their heavy duty letter/storage boxes, 6 for 5 bucks. And I like their mini dv tapes. They used to have some great wire storage boxes that you could fasten together and stack, but haven't seen those lately. I think that costco and trader joes often do stop carrying items, though usually not the most-bought ones.
I prefer to buy fruit and veg from an outdoor market because I think costco puts alot of preservatives on theirs.

I would buy this Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. It's yummy.

and got Romaine lettuce, Spring Lettuce Mix, Milk, Cream, and frozen Petite Whole Green Beans! Yummy! Today, I am bringing my friend there to shop, as she doesn't have a Costco card, and she is going to get some particularly adorable children's clothing!

I love Costco!

my Costco has selections of wild caught, flash frozen, individually vacuum sealed mahi mahi, tilapia, and tuna steaks. Delicious and conveniently packaged
Peach mango salsa
Vermont cheddar cheese
Irish cheddar cheese
Whole wheat tomato, basil, mozzarella ravioli
Spinach nuggets
Kirkland coffee (both regular & decaf) - just bought some & it's now marked "fair trade"

I do about 90% of my grocery shopping there now - I love Costco!