Okay, let’s talk about throwing a party without spending all day in the kitchen. I had folks coming over last month, maybe about 20 people, and honestly, I just didn’t have the bandwidth to cook everything from scratch. So, I figured, let’s see what Costco can do for me.
The Planning Stage (Sort Of)
First thing, I kinda mentally walked through what people actually eat at parties. You need some stuff to nibble on when they arrive, something a bit more substantial, maybe some easy snacks scattered around, and definitely something sweet. Didn’t make a super detailed list, more like categories in my head. Apps, main-ish bites, snacks, dessert. I knew Costco sizes are huge, so I didn’t need tons of different things, just enough quantity.
Hitting Up Costco
Alright, so I drove over to Costco on a Thursday morning, hoping to avoid the worst crowds. Still busy, naturally. I grabbed one of those giant carts and just started wandering. The plan was to let the store inspire me, you know?
I first hit the deli and refrigerated section. Saw those big shrimp platters with the cocktail sauce. Always a winner, super easy. Grabbed one of those. Then I spotted the pinwheel sandwiches – the turkey and cheese ones. People seem to like those, and they look nice on a plate. Put a container in the cart.
Moved over towards the frozen aisles. This is where things can get dangerous, so much choice! I was looking for hot appetizers. Saw some spring rolls, mini quiches, and those little beef franks in pastry. Decided on the spring rolls and the quiches. Figured two different hot things would be good. They just need baking, right? Easy peasy.
Then, snacks. You absolutely must walk down the chip and cracker aisle. I got a massive bag of tortilla chips. And next to that? The dips! Found a big tub of that spinach and artichoke dip – the kind you can heat up. Grabbed that. Also picked up a container of their hummus and a box of mixed crackers.
- Shrimp Platter
- Turkey Pinwheel Sandwiches
- Frozen Mini Quiches
- Frozen Spring Rolls
- Big Bag Tortilla Chips
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Hummus
- Cracker Assortment Box
The Sweet Finale
Okay, dessert. Honestly, the Costco bakery is overwhelming. Cakes, muffins, pastries… I nearly grabbed a huge tiramisu, but then I saw the mini cream puffs in the freezer section. You just thaw them! Perfect. Got a box of those. And just for good measure, I grabbed one of those big Kirkland Signature cheesecakes. Can’t go wrong with cheesecake.
- Frozen Mini Cream Puffs
- Plain Cheesecake
Putting It All Together (The “Work” Part)
Party day arrived. The beauty of this plan? Minimal effort. Seriously.
Maybe an hour before guests arrived, I preheated the oven. Popped the spring rolls and mini quiches onto baking sheets. While they were baking, I opened the shrimp platter, arranged the pinwheels on a nice serving dish. Scooped the hummus into a bowl, put the crackers out. Put the spinach dip into an oven-safe dish to heat up during the last 15 minutes of the apps baking.
When the hot stuff was ready, I put it out on platters. Arranged the chips around the heated dip. Placed the cheesecake on the counter (already thawed overnight in the fridge) and put the little cream puffs on a plate next to it. Done.
The Result? Success!
Honestly, it worked out great. People grazed, everyone found something they liked. The shrimp went fast, the hot apps were popular. The pinwheels are always surprisingly well-received. And cleanup? So much easier than if I’d cooked everything myself. Just tossing containers and dealing with platters. Way less stress. Doing a party haul at Costco? Yeah, I’d definitely do that again.
