Top 16+ food items to buy your first time at Costco

Kirkland Signature wild Argentine red shrimp

If you're a huge fan of shrimp, I'd like to introduce Kirkland Signature wild Argentine red shrimp. These are incredibly soft and tender and nothing like I've experienced before. I spent a lot of my life as a shrimp hater, so you can trust me on this. The texture is unparalleled, unlike the chewy and rubbery options that you might come across. These are visually captivating as well because they are a pinkish-red hue before (and after) they're cooked. No gray shrimp here. 

Keep these in your freezer when you want to have tasty protein that only takes minutes to cook. They are deveined with the tail removed, which means you don't have to do much in terms of preparation. You just have to plan ahead and thaw them in the fridge in a separate container the night before. The shrimp is incredibly versatile and can be the star in your next shrimp scampi or garlic shrimp. 

Tortilla Fresca uncooked flour tortillas

My family loves to have the Tortilla Fresca uncooked flour tortillas on hand. They taste like those amazing, unbeatable flour tortillas you get at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, but now you can have them at your house. Since they're made with wheat flour, filtered water, canola oil, salt, and sugar, they can mold over time. I have a smaller family, and we keep one pack in the fridge and freeze the second pack to avoid this issue. Yes, they thaw perfectly fine. 

The great thing about these is that they are not cooked. You can heat them on a pan or a comal, as I do, or bake them. They get those eye-catching little brown spots, so you know they're ready. The tortillas are highly versatile. You can bake them to create a crunchy chip for nachos or simply make wraps or burritos at home. I don't think these tortillas are super popular, so I want to bring attention to them if you're going to Costco for the first time.

Kirkland Signature Italian sausage and beef lasagna

I tried both the beef lasagna as well as the sausage and beef one, and the latter was much tastier — which is the one I'd recommend if it's your first time shopping at Costco. The sausage added texture, flavor, and mouthfeel that the plain beef version can't compete with. Together, the two meats create a hearty and delightful dinner. Of course, there's also cheese, pasta, and then a hefty amount of sauce to give it acidity to cut through the richness. 

The Kirkland Signature Italian sausage and beef lasagna comes with two huge trays of lasagna that can feed a few people, so if you have a larger family or want to make something to feed your guests, then you can bake both simultaneously. If it's your first time at Costco, this is a helpful item to keep in the freezer for those moments when you don't have any meat thawed or don't feel like whipping together a whole meal. My toddler really enjoyed this, too.

Kirkland Signature organic whole cashews unsalted, unroasted

Costco has a whole slew of nuts to choose from, but I have found that the Kirkland Signature organic unsalted, unroasted whole cashews are an especially unbeatable deal. You get 2.5 pounds of USDA organic product for a fraction of the price that you'd get elsewhere, like Target. If you're scoping Costco online ahead of time, just know that items are usually cheaper in the store because they are marked up for online delivery; this is something that newbies and seasoned Costco members can learn. 

The wholesaler has other cashews as well, but I would recommend the unsalted, unroasted kind because they're a little bit more versatile. You can make things like cashew milk or toast the nuts yourself if you want them to be crunchy. I like to chop these up to add to oatmeal, eat by themselves, or add to coconut curry dishes. I go through this package pretty quickly at my house. 

Kirkland Signature tempura shrimp with dipping sauce

If you find yourself hosting people pretty frequently, then it helps to have easy-to-serve appetizers on hand (and Costco is certainly the place to find some treasures). The Kirkland Signature tempura shrimp with dipping sauce is a spectacular item to keep in the freezer for those moments when you want to entertain people without doing a lot of extra work. The tempura batter is crunchy, while the shrimp remains tender. The soy dipping sauce is delightfully umami-forward, so everything comes together for a quick and simple dish. 

You can always serve it with other dishes, but my family and I like to devour it by itself. You get 30 large pieces of shrimp and several sauce packets for convenient dipping. Simply place them in a baking tray, bake according to the directions, and you're ready to roll. This is another one of those Costco items that I recommend for first-timers and regulars alike to stock up on for a quick bite.

Kirkland Signature Italian Parmigiano Reggiano

The Kirkland Signature Italian Parmigiano Reggiano is a delicious cheese that I encourage first-timers to purchase. It's rich, salty, and nutty, just like a delicious Parmesan should be. I prefer to purchase the block version, but Costco does have an already-shredded option that's a tad pricier by the pound. I like to be cost-efficient, but picking between the block and grated one ultimately depends on your personal needs, budget, and how much you use. You can't go wrong with either one. But with the block, you can grate, slice, or break it off into chunks, allowing more flexibility on what you'd like to utilize it for. This queso beats those little Parmesan cheese packets that you get from your local pizza joint by a long shot. I break the cheese into large chunks and place half in the freezer to grate as needed.

Kirkland Signature sharp cheddar cheese

It's safe to say there are many items that you can purchase at Costco, but the Kirkland Signature sharp cheddar cheese is ideal if you go through a lot of fromage in your household. Head to the cheese fridge and grab a block, but you could opt for the mozzarella if that's better suited to your family. You can leave it as-is and then grate it as you need, though I like to grate half the block immediately. 

This way, it's shredded and ready to go at a moment's notice; I also like to avoid getting the cheese grater dirty multiple times if I could do it all at once. Since I have a smaller household, sometimes I'm able to get through the entire 2-pound block, and other times I grate and then freeze it to be more cost-effective. I use frozen shredded cheese specifically in warm dishes, such as in grilled sandwiches, to top chili, or as part of mac and cheese.

Kirkland Signature marinated artichoke hearts

I discovered the Kirkland Signature artichoke hearts long into my Costco membership and wish I found it much sooner. You get two 33-ounce jars to use as you please, and it saves you some prep work since they come in marinated olive oil. I like to fry them up to place on pizzas or simply eat as a veggie side dish. They pack a lot of flavor, and you get a good amount of artichoke hearts per jar. 

It comes in quarters and halves to give you some variety in the sizes, but you can always cut or dice them into smaller pieces. The artichokes are a great value compared to places like Kroger. Unlike canned artichokes, I like that you can use what you need and then pop the lid back on and place it in the fridge. This is another product that doesn't get enough love, but it's worth a purchase as you make your first of many trips to Costco.