TheCostco freezer aislecan be a time-saving mecca or an overwhelming experience with its mega-sized meals.
They remain highly recommended in my book.
Here’s what I thought of the freezer meals from least exciting to most delicious.
Photos: Instacart/Costco. Design: Eat This, Not That!
I will note that there wasn’t a single meal that was terrible.
Most of the ranking comes down to personal taste preference and what works best for a particular family.
This version goes in the oven for about 30 minutes with a 10-minute rest.
Samantha Lande/Eat This Not That
It was super simple to heat up.
The box costs $16.99 for a 46-ounce tray in the warehouse.
Each noodle was coated with cheese like a good mac and cheese should be.
Samantha Lande/Eat This Not That
After a few bites, even I had to stop eating it.
The dish was too indulgent and rich.
Chicken nuggets are always a great kid dinner to have on hand.
Samantha Lande/Eat This Not That
The 4-pound bag is $13.99.
The taste:Overall, the chicken nuggets were good but not great.
The coating was soggy.
Samantha Lande/Eat This Not That
For that reason, I may go for the Just Bare variety.
That didn’t stop my kids from making them later in the week.
For that reason, this pick-up is a winner.
Samantha Lande/Eat This Not That
Good chunks of chicken and a variety of colorful vegetables peeked out from under the browned rice.
It included a variety of frozen vegetables and white meat chicken that didn’t look gross or taste rubbery.
I think it’s an excellent pick for a super simple pre-sports meal.
Samantha Lande/Eat This Not That
Otherwise, I’d keep it as a quick, easy side dish.
The box runs $11.69 in the warehouse.
The taste:We air-fried these two-bite empanadas, and they were what you’d expect.
Samantha Lande/Eat This Not That
The flavor was good, exactly what you’d expectnacho-style beef.
It’s also the perfect meal for a babysitter to make.
Healthier would be nice, but hey, you’ve got the option to’t have everything.
You get two trays for $16.69 in the warehouse.
The look:The exterior package made it look like a perfect lasagna.
The visuals once cooked weren’t exactly the same.
The top was a mound of cheese and sauce with sausage poking through.
After two bites, I needed to gulp down water, likely due to all the meat.
A salad would provide some balance.
This dish bakes for an hour-plus, so it’s ideal to bake as you wrap up the day.
I recommend buying it the day you plan to make it and stashing the other tray in the freezer.
We regularly use Rao’s marinara, but whenever I suggest eggplant, it’s shunned.
The eggplant Parmesan comes in two trays.
The serving size for each says five people, but my family disagrees.
We served ours with a side of bucatini.
A pack of two trays costs $16.99 at the warehouse.
The look:Not pretty!
It’s like a puddle of cheese and sauce with two giant mounds (the eggplant) in it.
The taste:Certainly better than it looked!The delicious sauce was exactly what you’d expect.
The eggplant was good, breaded, and not overly crispy, but not soggy.
I felt like I was eating real food.
My kids don’t usually eat a dish if they know shrimp is involved.
(Shh… don’t tell them what’s in their Trader Joe’s gyoza!)
But, I figured out of all the choices, they might try the coconut shrimp.
It’s $14.99 in the warehouse for a 2-pound box.
Put these on a nice platter and they are ready for any guests coming over.
The taste:I didn’t have high expectations, but these coconut shrimp were my favorite.
They weren’t fishy-tasting.
I could do without the dipping sauce, but that’s more of a personal thing.
Both of my kids tried the shrimp and liked iteven knowing that they were eating shrimp!
They were easy to bake in the oven, too.
Aside from dinner, they’d also make an excellent appetizer for a party.
I’d buy these coconut shrimp again.
