As a busy parent, I find weeknight meals often feel like a chore. I'm always looking for ways to make meal planning easier.
I've tried meal kits, but they usually take more time to put together than I'd like. I've also experimented with doing most of my prep on the weekends, from cutting up ingredients to planning our menu, but with sports, household chores, and the demands of daily life with two growing kids, it isn't sustainable.
The one thing that consistently works for my family is shopping at Costco for prepared foods, which I incorporate into weeknight dinners.
In my many years as an executive member at Costco, I've tried a lot of different dishes — but these are my family's favorites for quick meals.
Tasty Bite organic madras lentils are perfect for a Meatless Monday dinner.
These lentils are one of my favorite staples for quick meals, especially on sports nights when we have very little time to cook.
A box comes with eight pouches, and each heats up in 90 seconds. Two pouches are usually plenty for our family of four when poured over rice and served with a side of fruit, salad, or naan.
Crazy Cuizine lemon chicken cooks up perfectly in the air fryer.
At Costco, we've found three solid Crazy Cuizine items: orange chicken, lemon chicken, and beef with broccoli. You can't go wrong with any of them.
We especially enjoy the lemon chicken. The chicken crisps up perfectly in the air fryer, and the lemon sauce has a nice balance of sweet and sour flavors.
My kids love this served over rice and paired with edamame (which we also get at Costco).
I like adding Kirkland Signature blackened Atlantic salmon to salads.
I enjoy salmon, but having fresh seafood on hand isn't always an option. Kirkland Signature blackened Atlantic salmon is precooked and frozen, making it easy to reheat and prepare.
I love adding these fillets to big, fresh salads, especially in the summer months.
I prefer Mama Mancini's Italian-style sauce and jumbo beef meatballs to frozen ones.
Our pasta dinners usually involve ground beef and marinara sauce over noodles, which can get a bit boring.
I like to change things up with meatballs, but I don't always have time to make them from scratch. These jumbo meatballs from Mama Mancini's in the refrigerated section are delicious, and I prefer their texture and taste to frozen varieties.
I bulk up Taylor Farms' Southwest taco ranch chopped kit with beans and chicken.
I love entrée salads in the summer months, and Costco offers tons of salad-kit options to make prep easy. We recently tried the Southwest taco ranch kit from Taylor Farms, and it was a big hit with everyone.
I like to add black beans and protein (chicken strips or ground beef with taco seasoning) to make this salad more filling.
On busy nights, dinner is as easy as popping a Kirkland Signature meatloaf with mashed Yukon potatoes in the oven.
My kids love Costco's prepared meatloaf and mashed potatoes from the deli section.
Cook time takes about an hour, but it's as easy as covering the pan in foil and popping it in the oven. I usually serve this with a side of broccoli for a complete meal that takes minimal effort.
I love the versatility of Del Real carnitas.
I use these carnitas in pulled-pork sandwiches or tacos, but the protein is also tasty with just rice and beans.
We get two or three meals from each 40-ounce package of Del Real carintas, making it a great value. I usually set aside half for dinner and put the rest in the freezer for later.
Pasta Prima organic chicken and mozzarella ravioli make pasta night fun.
In our house, pasta night tends to feel repetitive, so I like mixing things up with ravioli or tortellini.
I like this Pasta Prima chicken-mozarella ravioli because it cooks up quickly and pairs well with marinara sauce. I serve it with a side of vegetables and garlic bread.
I add chickpeas to Sukhi's chicken tikka masala for an easy, protein-packed dinner.
Sukhi's chicken tikka masala is creamy and rich in flavor, and mild enough for my kids. I like to stir in a can of chickpeas for added protein.
I serve it over rice for a filling, one-bowl meal that's ready in minutes.
We love Rana's four-cheese chicken-carbonara lasagna.
Rana's chicken-carbonara lasagna is an unexpected change from typical beef versions — the lightness of the chicken balances out the creamy, cheesy texture.
I like to pair it with a side salad or roasted vegetables for a minimal-effort dinner.
I love Daphne's beef and lamb gyro slices for Greek-inspired street food at home.
We always have a bag of Daphne's gyro slices and a pack of Stonefire naan in our refrigerator. My kids love to make "Mediterranean tacos" (as we call them) with beef and lamb as the filling and naan as the taco shell.
I serve them with tzatziki sauce and a side of fries, similar to what I see at my favorite fast-food Greek spots.
Keep reading Costco Diaries to see what other shoppers have in their carts.
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Blythe Chadim is a freelance writer in Denver, CO. She focuses on all things family, including lifestyle, travel, health, and Denver living. She enjoys the outdoors and loves taking new adventures with her husband and two boys.
