5 Staple Casserole And Slow Cooker Ingredients That Are Cheaper At Costco

Sure, fall and winter might be soup season, but there are two other types of dishes that tend to make more appearances once nights get chilly: casseroles and slow cooker recipes. These two cooking methods tend to create meals that warm you up (and are plenty nostalgic, in some cases). 

Videos by Sporked

And if you’re looking to whip up warm, comforting, and hearty casseroles and slow cooker meals while the weather cools off, these are the five staple ingredients you need to buy at Costco — doing so will save you money.

Rotisserie Chicken

Costco’s rotisserie chicken is legendary for many reasons, and come fall and winter there’s one particular thing I love doing with it: Breaking down that whole chicken to use the moist, perfectly-cooked meat in casseroles and other hearty dishes. 

While you can absolutely eat this affordable, family-sized chicken on its own, it’s super useful if you’re hoping to skip the step of cooking every step of your casserole. It’s a great value for its under-$6 price, and you can take the precooked meat off the bone, then mix it into a whole smattering of casseroles. You can simply add it halfway through or towards the end of cooking, saving yourself quite a bit of time (and at least one dirty pan!).

And yes, you can put it to use in slow cooker recipes, too, although I tend to only do this if I’m dropping the meat in at the very end. After all, you don’t want to continue cooking that already-perfect meat and run the risk of ruining it.

Blocks of Cheese

I love cheese in just about everything, so I go through an awful lot of bags of the shredded stuff — and I’ve learned that the cheaper way to cheese everything up is to buy blocks of it at Costco. Costco has an incredible cheese selection, and the supersized, buy-it-in-bulk blocks of most varieties are also so much cheaper than your grocery store’s much smaller versions.

So, if you’re also planning to toss handfuls of cheese into your soups, casseroles, chilis, pasta bakes, and other slow cooker recipes like me, you’ve got to grab your blocks from Costco. It’ll last you longer than the pre-shredded cheeses you can also buy in bulk, and it’s cheaper. Plus, the blocks tend to stay fresh for quite a while when properly stored, so you can keep them around most of the winter.

Frozen Vegetables

There’s nothing more annoying to me than chopping all of the many ingredients — particularly onions, garlic, and fresh vegetables — that are typically required of most casserole and slow cooker recipes. It can add far too much time in the kitchen, so I’m always looking for a shortcut (one that’s cheap, obviously). And Costco’s frozen veggies are the perfect solution.

Costco sells a very wide range of frozen vegetables. You can opt for mixed veggies, which are perfect pot pie-inspired casseroles, or opt for supersized bags of single ones like corn or carrots. There are also recipe-specific blends, like stir-fry frozen vegetables. And you’ll get as much as 5.5 pounds per bag for $12 or less, depending on which you choose.

Stock your freezer with Costco’s affordable bagged veggies, and you’ll be able to reach for exactly what your recipe calls for without worrying about freshness or, in some case, chopping and dicing for your next winter casserole or slow cooker meal.

Grains

Grains are a staple for casseroles, but they’re also quite handy to have on hand for the slow cooker. And if you’ll be reaching for rice, quinoa, couscous, or anything else in this realm all fall and winter long, then you’re going to want to purchase your grains in bulk at Costco. They’re more affordable, especially for pricey options like quinoa. 

And, as an added perk, there’s so much variety. You can stock up on Minute Rice, sure. But Costco also sells jasmine and basmati rice as well as multiple types of quinoa. And you can usually get quite a long stretch of meals out of a single package, even if you’re feeding a big family (or prepping freezer meals).

Flour

Flour is a pantry staple you absolutely need to buy from Costco. It’s a baking essential that’s way cheaper in Costco’s massive bags than at any other grocery store. And you’ll reach for it for casseroles and slow cooker dishes repeatedly, whether you’re pulling together a sauce, thickening up a roux, or actually doing a bit of baking along the way.

And if you need alternatives, like almond flour? Costco stocks them, too, at equally affordable prices (although gluten-free flours do tend to run more expensive). In a pinch, you can also dip into this flour for more than casseroles and slow cooker recipes, too, to make your own tortillas, breads, and other sides or serving helpers.