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    Urban Bliss Life » All Recipes » Costco Meal Plan for One Month

    Published: March 19, 2020 / Updated: May 19, 2022 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Costco Meal Plan for One Month

    1521 shares
    Costco meal plan
    Costco meal planning
    Costco Meal Plan and Grocery List

    Ever wish you could make your groceries last longer? This Costco Meal Plan and grocery list will help you make enough dinners for a family of four for one month for under $250!

    2014 GMC Acadia car review
    an old pic of a past Costco trip when the kids were little

    It used to drive me crazy how quickly we would go through food in our house. Setting aside the food that I need for the recipes I develop for this blog and for clients, our family of four still goes through a LOT of food on our own. And we go through the food WAY too quickly!

    If you can relate, then this blog post is for you. Or if you just want some inspiration, motivation, and ideas on how to make your food last longer and save money, this blog post is for you.

    In this post, you'll learn:

    • Why meal planning is so important
    • Meal planning is a habit
    • Costco grocery list
    • My best meal prep tips
    • Costco meal plan recipes

    Why meal planning is so important

    Now, during these odd and uncertain times, meal planning is more important than ever.

    • Meal planning can help you save money by making your food last longer.
    • It can help you feed your family for a long time without constantly going to the store.
    • Meal planning can take the stress out of everyday cooking so you can enjoy that time with your family.

    A few years ago, I started learning how to shop and cook smarter. I learned how to shop once and eat for a week. Then, I learned how to shop once and eat for a month. I just go to the store for fill-in items; my one big shopping trip

    Meal planning is a habit that takes practice

    Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

    The more I talk with fellow mom and dads, the more I realize this dilemma is more about time than money. Learning to shop for smarter meal planning takes practice to become a habit.

    And admittedly, I do get tired of it sometimes that I just give in and get pizza. But listen: that's a-okay. I think it's important, especially when times are challenging, to give ourselves grace. We do the best we can with what we have.

    Even with my family's busy schedule, we try to have a homemade dinner together at the table five nights a week. I love this time. It's family magic to this mama.

    Because I'm fairly high risk right now, we're actually eating every meal at home. That's three meals a day, together, at the dining table. I love it! But it also requires a LOT more planning.

    Costco meal plan recipes

    Once a quarter, I do a big Costco run. Although admittedly, this past year I've gone more like once a month.

    Then I make a trip once a week for fill-in items to the neighborhood grocery store or farmer's market. Or, better yet, hit the farms down the street when they are open for the season.

    The list and recipes for my Costco meal plan below are what I use in general during normal times. However, these are not normal times. And this meal plan has already been helpful just a few days into home quarantine!

    Costco grocery list

    potatoes

    Most of us have a big box bulk store like Costco or Sam's Club in our towns. Here's a look at the groceries I can buy at my local Costco for $242.70. Note: prices vary by location and do not include tax because we don't have sales tax in Oregon.

    Fruit & veggies

    • 6 lbs apples ($8.99)
    • 6 mixed (red, orange, yellow) bell peppers ($5.89)
    • 5 pounds of lemons ($6.99)
    • 10 pounds of carrots ($6.99)
    • 2.5 lbs celery stalks ($4.99)
    • 10 lbs onion ($5.49)
    • 15 pounds of potatoes ($4.99)

    Frozen foods

    • 6lbs frozen strawberries ($10.89)
    • 4.4 lbs frozen broccoli ($8.99)
    • 6 lb bag of frozen Italian-style meatballs ($16.99)

    Canned goods & dry goods

    • 12 cans of chicken stock ($7.49)
    • 48 oz minced garlic ($5.49)
    • 8 cans of black beans ($7.99)
    • 8 cans of diced tomatoes ($6.99)
    • 6 cans of coconut milk ($6.99)
    • 6 lbs rice ($10.89)
    • 4.5 lbs quinoa ($16.49)

    Meat

    • 5 pounds of chicken thighs ($3.99/lb = $19.95)
    • 2 whole 3-lb chickens ($4.99 each)
    • 6 pounds of ground turkey ($2.99 lb = $17.94)
    • 6 lbs pork chops ($15.41)
    • 4 pounds of bacon ($15.39)
    • 2 lbs shrimp ($20.99)

    Dairy

    • block of cheddar cheese ($8.49)

    The savings on meat alone is one of the main reasons I shop at the big box store. I'm still researching local farms to see if they can give me this much meat for this cheap -- and this much variety of meat too, not just one kind. But for now, I'm gonna stick with Costco.

    Other grocery items

    meal prep & planning

    This Costco meal plan of course doesn't include every single little item in every one of these recipes. That's because I'm not including items I usually already have on hand and do not normally buy at Costco.

    Certain items, like pasta, eggs, salt, pepper, and my dairy-free milks and cheeses. These are items I will pick up each week from our local grocery store.

    Fresh herbs can take a dish from okay to amazing, so herbs that I don't grow in my garden I will pick up from the store as needed. We also go through a lot of bananas and salad, so I buy those items fresh each week. I've never found pasta or eggs that I like at Costco, so I buy those locally.

    So together with the food I buy at Costco and these other fill-in items, I'm able to make the following recipes that can essentially feed my family of four for one month!

    My top meal prep tips

    The trick to ensuring we actually USE all of the food as effectively as possible is to prep as much as possible right away. As soon as I get home from buying groceries, I put the basics away and start prepping.

    costco meal prep plan: chopped carrots and celery

    Chop carrots, celery, and onions for various uses. I always have bags full of mirepoix - chopped carrots, celery, and onions - in my freezer. This is the starter base for so many soups, sauces, stir-fries, and more. You can see in the photo above that I chop some of these vegetables larger for roasts and chopped finer for classic mirepoix prep.

    Costco meal plan pork chops

    Divide the meat into amounts per meal. For chicken thighs, chicken breasts, and ground turkey, this is pretty easy. Those items are usually already divided into packaging per pound. Depending on what you are cooking, you may want to divide the meat into half-pound freezer bags.

    • whole lemons
      a 5lb bag of lemons from Costco
    • lemons
      Slice some and cut others into wedges
    • lemons
      Freeze in freezer bags to use later
    • lemon juice
      Juice the cut ends of the lemons into a mason jar and use for cooking & baking

    Slice and cut citrus into wedges. I use lemons every single day - in my water, for cooking and baking - and there's no way that even I would go through 5 pounds of lemons in a month. That's a lot of lemons! So I slice a few lemons and cut a few more into wedges. I freeze those for later.

    Costco Meal Plan Recipes

    So what do I make with all of this food from Costco?

    Here's a look at a general idea of what I would make using the ingredients listed above. These meals would cover my family of four for one month. And for less than $250, plus the cost of odds and ends from my weekly trip to the local grocery store.

    Ground turkey recipes

    • Tri-Pepper Turkey Pasta full photo in skillet
      Tri-Pepper Turkey Pasta
    • Teriyaki Turkey Burger With Pineapple Asian Slaw
      Teriyaki Turkey Burgers
    • Taco Pasta recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
      Taco Pasta
    • bowl of Best Instant Pot Chili
      Best Instant Pot Chili
    • bowl of Easy One-Pot Lasagna Soup
      Easy Lasagna Soup
    • turkey meatloaf
    • Tri-Pepper Turkey Pasta
    • Teriyaki Turkey Burgers
    • Easy Lasagna Soup
    • Instant Pot Chili
    • spaghetti bolognese
    • taco meat for tacos (1 dinner), Taco Pasta (1 dinner), and breakfast scramble or breakfast hash

    Chicken recipes

    • Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken
      Air Fryer Whole Chicken
    • Easy Lemon Herb Roast Chicken with roasted vegetables, recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
      Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken
    • Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
      Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
    • Dairy-Free Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
      Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken
    • Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
      Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
    • Instant Pot Filipino Chicken Adobo
      Instant Pot Filipino Adobo Chicken
    • Air Fryer Whole Rotisserie-Style Chicken
    • Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken
    • Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
    • Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
    • Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
    • Instant Pot Filipino Adobo Chicken
    • Easy Homemade Ramen
    • Easy Breaded Chicken Tenders

    Pork recipes

    • Easy weeknight meal: Cider-glazed pork chops recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
      Apple Cider Pork Chops
    • Thai Peanut Curry asian dinner
      Thai Peanut Curry
    • Apple Cider Pork Chops
    • Thai Peanut Curry

    Recipes using frozen meatballs

    • Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs dairy-free two bowls closer in
      Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
    • Cranberry Meatballs Party Appetizer recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
      Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs
    • Meatballs with Romesco Sauce
      meatballs with Romesco Sauce
    • Honey Bourbon Meatballs recipe | UrbanBlissLife.com
      Honey Bourbon Meatballs
    • Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
    • Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs
    • Meatballs with Romesco Sauce
    • Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Meatballs

    Bacon Recipes

    • Filipino Fried Rice
      Filipino Bacon Fried Rice
    • Pasta with Turmeric, Bacon, and Peas is a hearty lunch or dinner dish full of flavor! Recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
      Pasta with Bacon and Peas
    • Seafood Bacon Corn Chowder
      Seafood Bacon Chowder
    • Bacon Fried Rice
    • Fettuccine with Bacon and Peas - or go for this version with turmeric!
    • Seafood Bacon Chowder

    Seafood recipes

    • Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
      Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
    • Shrimp Lo Mein Noodles
      Shrimp Lo Mein
    • shrimp roll recipe
      Shrimp Rolls
    • Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
    • Shrimp Lo Mein
    • Shrimp Rolls

    Vegetarian and vegan recipes

    • Instant Pot Lentil Soup
    • Fiesta Potato Smashers
      Fiesta Potato Smashers
    • Instant Pot Lentil Soup
    • Fiesta Potato Smashers

    Breakfast recipes

    • The BEST Apple Cinnamon Muffins (made healthier with carrots and zucchini!) recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
      Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins
    • Butternut Squash Hash topped with sage and egg
      Breakfast Hash
    • Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins (with sneaky veggies!)
    • Breakfast Hash - the recipe includes butternut squash but I only include that when it's in season.

    Dessert recipes

    • Apple Pie Bars
    • Chewy Apple Granola Bars recipe on http://UrbanBlissLife.com
      Chewy Apple Granola Bars
    • Apple Pie Bars
    • Chewy Apple Granola Bars

    Notes on this Costco meal plan

    So, with one Costco shopping trip plus what we already have on hand, I can feed my family of four a whole month's worth of dinners for under $250. We usually round out dinner with fruit and a salad or cut veggies.

    With the recipes listed above, we often end up having leftovers. So I will freeze half for a second meal to enjoy in the future. This helps us stretch our dollar - and our food supply! - even further!

    My favorite meal prep tools

    • FoodSaver Food Preservation System
    • Souper Cubes
    • Refrigerator, Freezer, and Microwave safe containers

    More Meal Prep and Planning Tips and Recipes

    • Pantry Essentials and Printable Checklist
    • 110 Easy Family-Friendly Dinner Ideas
    • 30 Homemade Bread Recipes
    • Free Printable Meal Planner

    PIN IT:

    Costco Meal Plan and Grocery List

    This post was originally published May 5, 2010. It was updated March 19, 2020 with all new photos, updated information, and more in-depth meal prep information and recipes.

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Erin says

        March 21, 2020 at 12:13 pm

        This is such a helpful post for these crazy times we're living in! I hope you're staying safe, comfy and cozy Marlynn!

        Reply
      2. Karissa says

        May 07, 2010 at 4:41 pm

        Holy Cow! Well, no cow 'cause you dont' do red meat at home, but wow! Our Costco trips obviously need some planning because they are in no way as organized as your list. We do quite a few of the same meals as your family is eating but throw in pork adobo, enchiladas and a few quickie freezer type for our rushed nights. Our go-to side dishes are potatoes, asparagus and corn. We're currently planning and shopping on a weekly basis. Might have to take a look at doing it on a monthly basis - I feel inspired!

        Reply
      3. Megan says

        May 05, 2010 at 7:28 pm

        Wow - great job. Lately, I've been doing a weekly shopping run and then one major day of prep cooking, but as things have gotten busier lately it's been hard to pull this off on a weekly basis!
        .-= Megan´s last blog ..Text Storm Your Mom =-.

        Reply
      4. Joy says

        May 05, 2010 at 4:11 pm

        Wow! I wish we had a Costco closer. The chicken dishes sound yummy!

        Reply

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      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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