With a busy schedule and a hungry family, I’d be a mess if it weren’t for Costco’s extensive frozen options.
I’ve been an executive member for 11 years, and I feed my family of four — my husband, my son, my mother-in-law, and myself — almost exclusively with Costco products.
We’re diehard loyalists, thanks to the value, the store’s wide selection, and our general trust in the products Costco stocks. We consider the store’s freezers our cheat code to fast, balanced, and easy breakfasts, snacks, and dinner appetizers.
These are the staples we always have in the house and swear by.
Our days start with waffles.
By far the most cherished meal of the day in our family is breakfast. In fact, I’ve somehow turned it into a DIY multi-course meal.
While I’m making a fruit smoothie — more on that soon — I toss Eggo’s homestyle waffles in the toaster. They’re a crowd-pleaser for kids and adults alike, and at Costco, I can buy a pack of 60 for about $11.
Frozen berries make smoothies an easy staple.
I love making smoothies with frozen fruit — and thankfully, Costco has tons of options.
I’m obsessed with Kirkland Signature’s frozen organic blueberries. A bag costs $9.59, which works out to about $3.20 a pound. Blueberries have always felt like a luxury to me, so the fact that I can get them at such a great price will never not be exciting.
The frozen blueberries pair perfectly with Kirkland Signature’s frozen organic strawberries. At my local store, these are even cheaper than the blueberries at $11.99 for a 4-pound bag, which works out to $3 a pound.
Fresh strawberries can fluctuate dramatically in price and availability in my area, so it’s so reassuring to have consistent, delicious frozen options year-round.
I swear by frozen mangoes, too.
This is our final frozen fruit fixation.
Our local Costco has been stocking organic frozen mangoes from Nature’s Touch lately. I love that they’re peeled and pitted, which takes so much of the work off my plate.
At $10.39 per bag, the mangoes work out to about $2.07 a pound. They’re by far our cheapest frozen fruit in the freezer, and the most delightfully tropical.
We spice up the mornings with Annie’s cinnamon rolls, usually as a weekend treat.
We discovered Annie’s frozen cinnamon rolls when our two-year-old tried a free sample at our local store. His face lit up far too adorably for me to say no.
Now, whenever we feel like enjoying a fancier breakfast, I’ll pull out a tube. Each tube comes with five reasonably-sized rolls, plus just the right amount of icing.
Our Costco sells packs of three tubes for $14.89, meaning each roll is under $1. Another free-sample success story!
Frozen appetizers like vegetable spring rolls are the fastest way to make our at-home dinners feel fancy.
I swear we eat meals other than breakfast. Bibigo’s vegetable spring rolls are one of our favorite additions to any dinner. A box of 50 (yes, 50!) is $9.49 at my local store.
Appetizers have always felt like an indulgence in my family, so there’s nothing better than pulling out a dozen spring rolls to snack on as we make dinner. Don’t skip the sweet soy-ginger dipping sauce, either.
We also love Sukhi’s Irresistible Indian Cuisine samosas.
Samosas are delicious, but a food item I won’t even try to make on my own. Luckily, I discovered Sukhi’s Irresistible Indian Cuisine samosas at Costco. A box of 16 costs $15.99 at my nearest store.
These are a true crowd pleaser, especially when vegetarian family members are in town.
The potato-and-peas flavor, combined with the provided cilantro chutney, is truly divine.
Nothing’s better than a Kirkland Signature ice-cream bar.
Now I must wax poetic about my all-time favorite Costco freezer staple.
With creamy vanilla ice cream, milk chocolate, and a sprinkle of crushed almonds, Kirkland Signature’s ice-cream bars are the perfect dessert, especially in the middle of California’s perpetual summer heat wave.
I genuinely prefer these ice-cream bars over name-brand competitors. They’re so coveted in our house that we have to take “Kirkland bar” shifts where each parent hides in the garage and enjoys their ice cream — or else we end up with an over-sugared, sticky toddler.
These usually cost $10.59 for 18 bars at my Costco, but they go on sale regularly. We always stock up.
Curious to know what other shoppers put in their carts? Check out our other Costco diaries here.
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