Everything You Need to Know About Costco Party Foods (Including 3 of Our Favorites!)

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The Best Party Foods You Can Buy at Costco
Party Dishes You Should Miss at Costco
How to Pre-Order Costco Party Food
Can you order Costco party food online?

Costco it is That The place to shop when you’re hosting any party: holiday gatherings, graduations, baby showers, bridal showers and more. Once the invitations have been sent and the decorations have been chosen, the fun part of party planning begins—choosing the food for the party.

Feeding a large group of people can be tedious, time-consuming and expensive. Luckily, Costco offers a variety of party foods to choose from. Some dishes are ready-made, others require a short pre-order period. The only question that remains is: which party plates are the best to buy and which ones should you skip?

The Best Party Foods You Can Buy at Costco

An overhead shot of Costco sandwiches with a pinwheel on a platter. — 1 credit 1 credit

1. Chicken and Wraps, $32.99 for 20-24 servings.

This sandwich dish is a fan favorite and has been my go-to party food. for many years. The scone is spread with cranberry-flavored cream cheese; layer lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese and grilled chicken; rolled; and cut into rings. Plan for 48 sandwich spirals per platter. Smaller packages, including 12 muffins, are available pre-made in the prepared foods section for $6.99 per pound (about $14 total). If you’re visiting Costco locations in the UK or Australia (lucky you!), this dish might be called the Hye Roller. The cost per serving of this dish ranges from $1.37 to $1.65.

Top shot of Costco holiday platter with croissant sandwiches — 1 credit 1 credit

2. Assorted Croissant Sandwich, $32.99 for 16-20 servings.

Costco’s Famous Croissants they are split and stuffed with either chicken and provolone, roast beef and cheddar cheese, or ham and Swiss ham, and lettuce. Large portions of mustard mayonnaise and pesto mayonnaise are served in covered cups and added separately to sandwiches. This dish consists of 10 croissant sandwiches, cut in half. The cost per serving of this dish ranges from $1.65 to $2.06.

An overhead shot of Costco's meat and cheese platter. — 1 credit 1 credit

3. Meat and Cheese Platter, $39.99 for 18-24 servings.

This dish consists of one pound of chicken, ham and roast beef, plus 8-10 slices each of provolone, cheddar and Swiss cheese. While this isn’t the most attractive party food you can buy, it is quite affordable. At my local grocery store, deli meats range from $11 to $16 per pound. So, with the Costco meal, you’re already saving money and you don’t even count the cheese. This dish is a good option for making sandwiches yourself, or for guests who prefer low-carb options. The cost per serving of this dish ranges from $1.66 to $2.22.

Party Dishes You Should Miss at Costco

Shrimp Cocktail Plate, $39.99 for 20-24 servings.

This dish consists of three and a half pounds of cooked peeled 31/40 tail shrimp, a few slices of lemon, and cocktail sauce. The cost per serving of this dish ranges from $1.67 to $2.00.. You can grab the smaller one-and-a-half pound dish anytime for $8.99 per pound (about $14 total).

You can save about $5 by taking frozen cooked shrimp from the freezer and putting together your own meal. Thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight (or quickly defrost the day of the party under cold running water). Slice the lemons and place on a platter with your favorite cocktail sauce. Not only will the shrimp taste fresher, but you’ll also be able to serve more shrimp and save some money in the process.

Costco deli ordering kiosk. — Credit: Patty Catalano Credit: Patty Catalano

How to Pre-Order Costco Party Food

If you want to place an order in advance for an event, find a narrow booth in the deli section (the one you usually pass by on your way to the eggs). This kiosk is where you order your holiday dishes. This is the good old ordering method (feels like ordering a Costco cake.), where you will find the form. Fill out the details of what you’d like to order, as well as your personal information—name, phone number, and pick-up time—and insert them back into the designated slot.

While there are off-the-shelf options, pre-ordering offers the advantage of cost savings. For example, party plates with chicken and swiss rolls cost $0.83 per pinwheel, and in the deli section you get 12 sandwich spirals for about $1.23 each. Of course, the advantage is that you can, in a pinch, pick up ready-made ones.

Costco requires at least 24 hours’ notice for orders, so plan ahead whenever possible and be aware of store closures (the chain is closed on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas). Day).

Can you order Costco party food online?

Additionally, just like ordering a custom cake, Costco party food cannot be ordered online and must be ordered in-store at a designated location.

There is an exception to this rule – pizza. Customers can call their local Costco store and order a whole pizza for pickup at a specific time. Although, keep in mind, this is through a food court, not a deli.

A version of this story was first published May 3, 2018 by Danielle Centoni.