Costco Wholesale has been a staple of my life since I can remember. My folks love to entertain and Costco’s forklift-trafficked aisles are primed to feed the 20-plus members of my extended family. That’s why it’s a perfect place to do Thanksgiving shopping. Giant packages, modest prices, reliable quality. These are the Costco Thanksgiving essentials I stock up on, including snacky appetizers, ingredients for the big meal, and shortcuts that make hosting a breeze.
Coming in at a whopping 21.16 ounces! This cheese is richer than brie you’ll find at most grocery stores, perfect for pecan brie brûlée or herb-baked brie. Isigny Ste Mère is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative and manufacturer based in Normandy, France, well-regarded for its craftsmanship. If you’re doing a cheese board, let the brie sit out for an hour-ish before serving. To go with, I love the Better with Buckwheat Maine Crisps in Savory Fig & Thyme and Firehook Sea Salt & Chive crackers (both also at Costco).
I pinch myself whenever I see the big jar. Castelvetrano olives are my favorite variety for a reason: They’re buttery, savory, and dang good in a dirty mezcal martini. Besides snacking on them while you cook, whip up green olive tapenade with toast points or a grain salad with olives. Add some of the Castelvetrano brine to your turkey brine for a flavorful boost that people will ask you about later.
If you don’t want to gamble at the store and have the freezer space, you can shop for an Organic Grand Champion Jaindl $13.00/pound frozen turkey exclusively online at Costco. Based in Orefield, Pennsylvania, the birds are fed an all-vegetarian, antibiotic-free diet. They will ship frozen within 2 or 3 days of ordering and deliver Wednesday through Friday.
Not into turkey? You’re not alone! A crispy roast duck is a quicker-cooking option. Try pomegranate and honey glazed duck or jerk spiced duck. Some Costco locations may not have the fresh birds, but they may also have the same brand’s Roast Half Duck. It is fully cooked and ready for the air fryer.
Nothing screams Thanksgiving like pecans. I dream of being a person who has a jaunty bowl of roasted nuts available at all times. These come in a hefty 2-pound bag and are mostly whole pieces (compared to smaller bags more prone to nut breakage). Blitz them up for kale salad with pecan vinaigrette and bake up a new classic, pecan cream pie.
You need a lot of broth to make turkey gravy, and look, not all of us are making it from scratch. A case of six 32-ounce cartons ($11.99 or $1.99 per carton at my store at the time of writing, as is the case with all prices that follow) is cheaper than getting the same amount at Wegmans ($3.49 per carton) or the chicken broth concentrate at Trader Joe’s ($3.99). If you don’t have the room to store six cartons, Costco also carries jars of Better Than Bouillon Organic Roasted Chicken Base (a darling of the Test Kitchen).
A luxury upgrade to more standard fats. What else are the holidays for? Replace the olive oil in spice-roasted potato wedges or any roasted vegetables, use it in savory pie crusts, and for caramelizing onions to boost savoriness. For something less meaty, Costco has their own Kirkland Signature organic ghee, which has fantastic flavor and can handle high-heat cooking.
A steal! Six cans are $9.89 (or $1.64 each), which is a couple dollars cheaper than all of the other stores I checked. Make no-knead pumpkin focaccia instead of dinner rolls or an easy three-ingredient curry pumpkin soup to start off your meal. For dessert, opt for an airy pumpkin chiffon pie (the crust is made with Biscoff Cookies, which you can get at Costco) or silky pumpkin tiramisu.
Do your stretches before you lug this 20-pound package into your cart. It’ll have you set up for holiday baking and beyond. Go for a batch of delicious pull-apart sour cream and chive rolls, homemade perfect pie crust, even some Thanksgiving cookies (let’s make them a thing).
Of course they’re good for green bean casserole. But these crispy onions can also add texture atop salads, roasted vegetables, or even the turkey herself. Decant into a bowl and plop on the table with a spoon.
With the creamiest flesh, gold potatoes are my go-to tuber, and these are especially good ones. Compared to other stores, a 10-pound bag is a few dollars cheaper. They’ll shine in BA’s best mashed potatoes, classic potatoes au gratin, and creamy Yukon Gold potatoes with crispy skin (no food wasted here).
A holiday must. In my experience, compared to other stores, these spuds are bigger and unbruised, meaning less lost product as you prep them. I shy away from the classic sweet potato casserole and want more spice from shingled sweet potatoes with harissa. But you do you!
Costco’s bakery section overfloweth, but for Thanksgiving, go straight for the cranberry walnut loaf. Just-sweet-enough from the fruit, with a satisfying crunch from the nuts. Slice it up and set out with salted butter. Or turn it into a superlative few-ingredient stuffing.
Listen, I can’t be bothered to make one more thing if I can get a 58-ounce pumpkin pie for $5.99. This honker can feed a dozen people without blinking an eye. As you pass the freezer aisle on your way to check out, load up on the Kirkland Signature Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream to make your pies a la mode.