I have made no secret of how much I love Costco — and I love every inch of it, including the freezer section. So much so that I bought a new freezer recently (from Costco), because the little freezer compartment in my fridge just wasn’t able to keep up.
What’s in that freezer, you ask? It’s a wonderland.
Here are five Costco frozen foods I always keep on hand.
1. Annie’s Organic Cinnamon Rolls, 17.5 oz, 3-count ($17.54 online; $14.99 in-store)
A few years ago, I developed both a milk and tree nut allergy basically at the same time, leaving only a few treats that were safe for me to eat. If something had so much been prepared in the same building as milk, I was doomed. Although some cinnamon rolls still spell doom, Annie’s Organic are not, and that’s why I became hopelessly addicted to them.
Not only do they come in cans of five, so I don’t have to stuff myself with cinnamon rolls or waste a half tube, they’re also just…magnificent. Technically, these are refrigerator items, but you’ll find them in the freezer section, so I think they’re fair to include.
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2. Dr. Praeger’s Sweet Potato Burger, 42 oz ($11.66 online, $9.97 in-store)
I’m a huge fan of Dr. Praeger and his burgers. His Super Greens veggie burger is my favorite, but my second favorite is this one — the sweet potato burger. It’s crispy and does great in the air fryer, which makes it a perfect fast meal for someone who is chronically forgetting to eat lunch. Perfect in a bun or a pita, there’s very little these guys can’t do.
They’re vegan and gluten free, and are appropriate for all kinds of special diets, and won’t break the bank when you buy them in bulk.
3. Ore-Ida Golden Tater Tots, 8 lbs ($11.75 online without coupon; $10.49 in store)
I eat potatoes for breakfast every day, but I long ago figured out that I am not the kind of person who can get up, cook food, and be human before I’ve had my tea. That’s why I started buying tater tots by the bigger-than-my-cat-sized bag. I toss a handful in the air fryer, pour water over my poor tea bags, toss some toast in the toaster, grab a handful of blueberries, and before I know it, there’s a whole breakfast there.
Since I often forget to eat lunch (see item No. 2), making sure I eat a solid breakfast is a kindness I can pay myself that saves me a bundle when I choose Costco.
4. Bibigo Vegetable Spring Rolls, 48 oz ($11.18 online without coupon; $9.99 in-store)
Having severe food allergies means no longer being able to just pop into my favorite restaurant and order a billion crispy spring rolls, so when I found the Bibigo vegetable spring rolls at Costco, I was downright elated. Tossing them into the air fryer (there’s a theme here) further cemented my love for them and their place in my freezer.
Not only do they come out crispy and fully done in the center (eggrolls sometimes don’t), they’re an inexpensive treat to have on the side of things like vegetable curry or with sweet chili tofu and brown rice.
5. Ajinomoto Yakisoba with Vegetables, All Natural, 9 oz, 6-count ($16.95 online; $14.49 in-store)
I am not generally accustomed to eating random meals from the freezer, so when I saw these, I was a little bit horrified, but also intrigued. One of my goals with Costco was to make my life easier by giving myself more frozen food options so I’d not forget lunch as often. And, you know, who doesn’t like noodles? So I brought them home.
I’m happy to report that these weird noodle bags are one of my favorite things right now — they’re easy to make and easy to eat and easy to love. Sure, it’s microwave food with a bunch of sodium, but eating is better than not eating. Add another handful or two of frozen vegetables and you’ve really got something.
Costco is the saving place for frozen foods
As a vegetarian with multiple food allergies, I was surprised to find so many pre-made food options that applied to me at Costco, and there are so many more for the rest of the world inside those tidy freezer displays. Costco goes out of its way to both source great items and to package them in such a way that there’s no chance the local supermarkets can compete.
You save money simply by walking into Costco most of the time, but you can save even more with cash back credit cards that return 2% to 3% of your spending to you. Check out our list here before your next Costco run.
