Costco has plenty of festive goodies, prepared sides, and heat-and-eat meals that are an ideal addition to any holiday spread. Beyond the sheer convenience, Costco shoppers love the decadent Lobster Mac and Cheese as a holiday side, the puff pastry bite appetizers, and, of course, both the pumpkin and pecan pies for dessert.
And while the Kirkland Signature take-and-bake (or, simply shop-and-serve) selections are continually knock-outs, there’s one prepackaged item at Costco that’s so delicious, my family has passed it off as homemade for the last decade at both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
Main St. Bistro Mashed Potatoes at Costco
When my mom took over Thanksgiving hosting duties in 2015, our family’s potluck plan got a bit shuffled, and mashed potatoes were no longer on the menu. Given that it’s a staple side dish for Thanksgiving, there was no way our spread was going sans potatoes, so in a pinch, my dad grabbed a few containers of Main St. Bistro’s Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes from the refrigerated section in Costco. We heated them up in the oven, then served them as normal. To our pleasant surprise, our 40-plus guests said that they were some of the best potatoes they’d ever had.
A few years later, the mashed potatoes were such a hit that we were buying eight cartons to serve all of our guests. Of course, our oven happened to be broken that Thanksgiving, and so we turned to the microwave to reheat pounds upon pounds of mashed potatoes—so many that our microwave gave up about halfway through the fifth container. But, since the potatoes are so dang good, our guests happily took home cold servings straight from the carton to accompany their Turkey Day leftovers.
Main St. Bistro’s Mashed Potatoes are made with real cream and butter, and are ready in just 7 minutes for a simple, ready-to-heat dish. Each package of potatoes includes two separate containers, for a whopping 4 pounds total. Plus, there’s no need to labor away on washing and peeling potatoes all morning. The dual cartons make it easy to serve a crowd, or you can make one for the family and save the other for a convenient weeknight dinner.
If you aren’t sold, my family isn’t the only one who loves the Main St. Bistro Mashed Potatoes. “These taste just like homemade!” wrote one commenter on costcohotfinds Instagram post showcasing the “amazing” heat-and-eat side. “We add garlic powder and fresh parsley to really jazz them up.”
“I absolutely love this brand,” echoed another shopper who agrees that the dish “tastes exactly like homemade!”
The only catch? The Main St. Bistro Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes—the ones we love and serve annually—are only available at Costco stores in Arkansas, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. But the Main St. Bistro Restaurant-Style Mashed Potatoes (which fans agree are just as good) are available nationwide.
Whether you’re last-minute shopping for Thanksgiving, menu planning for Christmas, or just want a simple side that’s as delicious as it is easy, be sure to add Costco to your holiday errand list and try these for yourself. My family is happy to finally share our secret.
Dining and Cooking