The 2-½ pound box of Kirkland Signature panko shrimp, which cost $19, was the most expensive meal I purchased. According to its packaging, each box comes with 40 to 50 shrimp that can be prepared in the oven.

The slightly peppery seasoning on the shrimp was tasty, but I thought there was too much breading, making the shellfish feel like an afterthought.

Next time, I’ll make my own version with frozen uncooked shrimp, which is also quick and easy to prepare.

The Sandwich Bros. chicken-melt sandwiches, which I’d wanted to try for a while, looked enormous and delicious on the box. But when I opened the package, they were smaller than I’d expected.

A pack of 15 individually wrapped sandwiches cost $12.70, which seemed reasonable to me.

The pita got a little rubbery in the microwave, but no other cooking methods were listed on the box. I tried heating the sandwiches in the oven and air-fryer, but both methods essentially baked the pita into a cracker.

Taste-wise, the chicken had a mildly peppery seasoning. The strongest flavor was the American cheese, which never came out as beautifully melted as it looked on the packaging. The sandwiches tasted best when I added a condiment like spicy mayo or hot sauce.

My 3-year-old loved these sandwiches, which seemed appropriate for someone whose favorite foods are bread, cheese, and chicken nuggets.

I picked up a four-pack of the Kirkland Signature thin-crust pepperoni pizza for $13.70, which came out to just over $3.40 per pie.

I thought the price was reasonable, but I’d prefer to spend a little more money on Target’s single Red Baron pie, which doesn’t require nearly as much freezer space. 

Each Kirkland Signature pizza was individually wrapped in plastic. However, during transport, most of the pepperoni shifted to one side of the pizza, so I manually redistributed the slices before baking it for about 12 minutes. 

The finished pizza looked exactly how I expected. The cheese melted, the edges of the crust browned, and the pepperoni glimmered with grease.

In my opinion, this pizza was sort of bland — the thin, cracker-like crust had a nice texture but little flavor, the sauce was slightly sweet but light on seasoning, and the pepperoni didn’t have much spice. 

It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great, either. I would probably serve one as a convenient appetizer if I needed to cook a more elaborate meal for guests, especially if kids were around.

But since this pizza wasn’t better or cheaper than other frozen pies I’ve had, I don’t expect to buy it again.

The Ajinomoto frozen ramen featured big chunks of chicken, noodles, dehydrated carrots, corn, red peppers, and green onions.

This pack came with six individual bowls, which required a decent amount of freezer space.

I added water and microwaved the ramen for four minutes per the instructions. The noodles were tender, the chicken was a bit spongy and sweet, and the salty soy-based broth was tasty without being overpowering.

They were a great size for a small but satisfying lunch, though far less portable than other forms of ramen. And at $18 for six bowls, they didn’t seem like a very good value.

On the day I went shopping, Costco offered samples of these dumplings, so I knew what to expect before I brought them home.

They seemed plain, but I was impressed by the price. The 3-pound bag was on sale for $7.50, though it normally costs $10.

When I opened the bag, I noticed some of the wontons fused in the freezer and didn’t easily come apart without ripping. Though it didn’t affect the flavor, this might make me less likely to use them as an appetizer while hosting.

I tried pan-frying them, but they took on a lot of the oil flavor. They were better when I steamed them in the microwave, as this cooking method allowed the filling’s subtle sweetness and cilantro flavor to shine through.

The Kirkland Signature lasagna requires 65 minutes in the oven, so it’s a little less convenient than many other frozen meals from Costco. That is, unless you risk the 24-minute microwave option suggested on the packaging.

But other than the baking time, the lasagna requires very little work. Each two-pack of lasagna was $16.70.

The finished meal looked appealing, covered with brown, bubbly mozzarella cheese. The lasagna was surprisingly spicy, with a black-pepper taste.

The sauce was subtly sweet but more seasoned than I’d like. The noodles came out perfectly tender, and the meaty sausage had a nice fennel flavor.

Each lasagna was enough to feed my family, with plenty left for the next day’s lunch.

Red’s turkey-sausage egg’wich caught my attention as a quick, protein-forward, low-carb breakfast option at the perfect time — I’m trying to eat lighter meals ahead of three family weddings.

The preparation was fast and simple. I microwaved the egg’wich for 50 seconds on each side, and I had a piping-hot turkey-sausage sandwich with eggs patties for bread. 

This eight-pack of egg’wiches cost $15, which didn’t seem especially cost-efficient as far as Costco frozen meals go. 

I was a bit surprised I enjoyed these, as I don’t usually like precooked egg patties. However, these were moist without being too greasy (though they were a little greasier than most foods I’d eat with my hands). The flavorful turkey sausage, which had a hint of black pepper, was good, too.

However, the egg’wich, which was only 190 calories and had 17 grams of protein, didn’t fill me up. I usually like to spice up my egg breakfasts with some hot sauce, but I was worried it would spill out the sides or off the top of the sandwich.

After some consideration, I took a hamburger bun and put the entire egg’wich between the bread to better protect my hands from grease and condiments. I found the egg’wiches tasted much better and were more satisfying this way, though they were no longer keto-friendly.

I’ll probably buy these again — along with more buns.

This was similar to a frozen orange-chicken meal I frequently buy at Trader Joe’s. Both the Crazy Cuizine and Trader Joe’s versions contain frozen chicken nuggets and pouches of sweet, brown, tangy sauce.

Without the sauce, the meat pieces’ crispy, salty, outer breading reminded me of chicken nuggets.

The meal seemed tailor-made for preparation in an air fryer and was ready in about 20 minutes. The chicken pieces came out super crispy and were even tastier than some Chinese takeout meals I’ve had.

I’d buy this $16.50 box again, especially since the chicken was enough for four meals for my family when I served it with white rice and vegetables.

I was eager to try this staple of the Costco frozen section. The package came with two six-serving pizzas and was on sale for $10, though it normally costs $13.

It may be a deep-dish pizza, but the crust was nice and airy. Each pie had plenty of molten mozzarella and both sliced and diced pepperoni.

The pepperoni got shaken up in the package, but that allowed me to rearrange the pieces to leave a meat-free section for my 6-year-old, who doesn’t like it.

The instructions called for baking the pizza directly on the oven rack in the tray it comes in. I tried this method, but I thought the buttery crust had more texture when I set the tray on top of a preheated cast-iron pizza pan.

A box of Kirkland Signature garlic-butter shrimp cost $16, which seemed like a good price for seafood that wasn’t breaded.

The box contained two 1-pound bags of shrimp, which I found convenient — a pound of shrimp is usually just enough for a family dinner.

The meal couldn’t have been easier to prepare. I opened the bag and dropped the shrimp into a skillet over medium heat. As the meal cooked, the buttery crust on the pieces of shrimp melted into a sauce.

With frequent stirring, the shrimp was ready to eat in about 10 minutes. 

The shrimp was surprisingly tender, considering it was cooked straight from the freezer. The buttery, rich sauce also burst with garlic and Parmesan flavors.

I served the shrimp over white rice, which was a perfect medium for soaking up the excess sauce. I sometimes make a similar shrimp meal from scratch, but it never goes over as well as this one did.

My only issue with the meal was that my kids wanted more shrimp than their usual share. I’ll buy this again, but I’ll cook both bags for future dinners.

I experimented a lot with preparing Red’s turkey-sausage breakfast burritos. The tortillas tended to burst open when I cooked the burritos in the air fryer, and the microwave made them too chewy.

Eventually, I settled on a combination — 30 seconds on each side in the microwave, then 10 minutes in the air fryer at a low temperature.

I don’t normally enjoy precooked frozen eggs in dishes like these. However, these burritos and their egg fillings tasted freshly made. The cheese was gooey, the sausage was tasty, and the flavor was spicy enough to be interesting without turning off my kids.

Don’t let the name fool you — these do not have to be reserved for breakfast. Since this taste test, the turkey-sausage burritos have become my go-to lunch.

At $15.70 for 10 small burritos, they’re a similar price to some convenience-store burritos, but these taste like premium versions.

This story was originally published on June 6, 2024, and most recently updated on September 13, 2024.