As a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and a certified sommelier, I live and breathe food. I’ve eaten at Michelin-star restaurants all over the world, and I’m always looking for high-quality ingredients to use in my own cooking.
However, I still love finding inexpensive, amazing food from places most people wouldn’t expect — like Costco. The store, known for maintaining a loyal customer following, offers lots of high-quality ingredients at affordable prices.
Here are some of my favorite things to get at Costco.
I never pass up the Kirkland Signature imported basil pesto.
This Kirkland Signature imported basil pesto has a punchy sharpness from the Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheeses.
I grew up eating lots of pesto, so I know when a jar is good. When I was 2, my parents fed it to me by the spoonful in our family home in Italy’s Liguria region.
I spread the Bonne Maman four-fruits preserves on top of bread.
Smearing a crusty slice of French bread with good grass-fed butter and four-fruits preserves transports me back to a trip to Aix-en-Provence, France, with my husband.
This spread is made with only cherries, strawberries, red currents, raspberries, two types of sugar, lemon juice, and pectin, so the fruits’ flavors really shine. It also has a great balance of tart and sweet flavors.
I think the Krusteaz complete buttermilk-pancake mix makes one of the best breakfasts.
My grandfather was suspicious of some boxed or premade foods but thought the Krusteaz mix made some of the best pancakes he ever had.
In my opinion, this bagged mix from Costco is better than some homemade-pancake recipes.
The Pietro original shoyu dressing is an underrated favorite of mine.
The Pietro shoyu dressing, made with rice vinegar and tamari sauce (similar to soy sauce), is another must-buy at Costco for me.
According to the product’s website, this dressing originated when founder Kunihiko Murata whipped up a hybrid Japanese-Italian dressing for his patrons at the Angelo Pietro Pasta Restaurant.
If you see the shoyu dressing at Costco, I recommend grabbing a bottle or two.
The Sonoma Creamery tomato-basil pizza crisps are a great snack.
This snack is just as good as it sounds — munching on a triangle is like eating a crispy little pizza slice. The crisps, made with tomato-basil seasoning, mozzarella, and garlic, pair well with a glass of Lambrusco.
In fact, chilling on the couch with a gluten-free bag of these bad boys makes me feel like taking a trip to Sonoma Wine Country.
The Parthenon pitted kalamata olives are delicious in sauces or by themselves.
These hand-picked beauties, swimming in red-wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, are the real deal.
As a chef, I always have these naturally ripened olives on hand. I roast them with chicken thighs and figs or finely chop them into a tomato-heavy tuna-and-caper sauce over spaghetti.
I also love that these are already pitted.
Bachan’s original Japanese barbecue sauce is so good.
As a 15-year-old visiting Japan, I got hooked on barbecue sauce drizzled over pretty much everything.
In my opinion, this delicious Japanese barbecue sauce truly tastes authentic. This soy-based blessing in a squeezable plastic bottle puts teriyaki sauce to shame.
The Maya Kaimal tikka masala Indian simmer sauce is absolutely delicious.
Chicken tikka masala might not be an authentic Indian dish, but this sauce still tastes amazing.
This rich tomato sauce is made with milk, butter, and warm spices like ginger and cloves. I recommend serving it alongside charred chicken thighs and torn pieces of naan to sop up all the sauce.
I grab a two-pack of this delicious simmer sauce at Costco.
Using the Better Than Bouillon organic roasted-chicken base is one of my favorite cooking shortcuts.
You could simmer a chicken for three days until it’s reduced to a rich, fragrant paste — but why bother?
A tablespoon of this Better Than Bouillon paste makes an incredibly delicious gravy or sauce, and is a far cry from the flavor of those salty, foil-wrapped cubes.
With a 21-ounce jar from Costco, I feel like I’m getting great value.
The Kirkland Signature Gran Reserva Iberico cheese is delicious paired with salad or ham.
This Spanish cheese, which I’d say is more flavorful than the better-known Manchego, combines goat, sheep, and cow’s milk.
I pair the buttery and complex cheese with jamón serrano (a type of ham) or add it on top of pan con tomate (a Spanish tomato bread) to create my own tapas bar. It’s also great grated over mixed greens with a sherry vinaigrette.
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