The 10 Must-Have Costco Buys for Fall

Come fall, Costco doesn’t hold back on revamping its inventory. It seems to go from summer fun to “Hollowthanksmas” in a matter of days. Those giant bags of chips for outdoor barbecue parties? Gone. Now you’ll find gift packs of holiday-worthy truffles. Those boxes and boxes of frozen burger patties? Most have made way for frozen turkey breasts.

It can be hard to keep up with all the changes, so we recently walked the aisles to find out what’s new and notable for the fall season. Remember: These are the days when we stay inside more, inviting friends over and making rich, warming meals that can chase away the chill. With that in mind, here’s the best of what we found.

Game-day gatherings, cheese boards for book club, holiday parties — there are plenty of opportunities to trot out fancy nuts this fall. These whole roasted almonds are tossed in olive oil, garlic, and herbs (including oregano, basil, and rosemary), so they’ll go with just about any hors d’oeuvre spread.

The rich sauces we like to eat this time of year, like ragu, Bolognese, Alfredo, stroganoff, and pot roast, all go great with rich, eggy noodles. And you can’t beat this price. At less than $2 a pound, you can serve all your fall braises on these noodles.

You can serve this silky vegetarian butternut squash soup as the first course of an elegant fall feast, or just tote it along to work for a warming lunch. In addition to the squash, it’s made with carrots, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and rosemary, plus diced apples and sweet potatoes for a bit of texture.

Butternut squash is all over grocery aisles this time of year no matter where you go, and Costco is no exception. This fully cooked, ready-to-heat vegetarian casserole combines the squash with eggs, milk, bread, leeks, and Parmesan cheese. It would be delicious as a side dish with roast poultry or pork, or you can serve it for brunch.

As the days get chilly, we crave dinners that warm us up from the inside — like crispy pork schnitzel in mushroom cream sauce! This dish saves you the trouble of starting from scratch, so all you have to do is warm up the meat, press it into the breadcrumbs, and sauté until golden.

Swap out the usual tomato-based pasta for this creamy butternut squash version. Toss it with ravioli or tortellini. Or think beyond pasta and use it to braise pork loin, or spread it on flatbreads and pizza.

Here’s an antioxidant-packed and low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes. It’s fully cooked and just needs a quick reheat before serving.

Standing in for the usual sweet and tender Innkeeper’s Cinnamon Streusel bread at your local warehouse is this autumnal version. It’s packed with pumpkin purée and baking spices reminiscent of pumpkin pie.

As insiders know, Costco does a great job of sourcing quality wine and spirits and selling them for rock-bottom prices. This Italian import is no different. It comes from the Chianti Classico region, where wines are produced under strict DOCG standards.  Not only that, but it’s a riserva, which means it’s made with the best Sangiovese grapes and gets longer aging time on oak. At less than $10 a bottle, it’s a steal, and perfect for the rich lasagnas and rigatoni Bolognese dishes of fall.

For eggnog fans it’s never too early in the season to indulge, and Kirkland’s super-boozy, whisky-and-rum-based bottled eggnog is already in stores waiting for you. Shoppers who live in states that prohibit the sale of hard liquor at Costco now have a wine-based version too. It might not pack as spirited a punch as the original, which is 14.75% ABV, but at 13.9% it comes pretty close. Stock up now for your upcoming holiday parties.

What are your Costco must-haves for fall?