The Best Groceries to Buy at Costco for a Backyard Picnic

1. Le Petit Francais French Baguettes, $10.69 for 10

The French certainly know how to picnic; and if you’re taking even the smallest note from them, you’ve got to start wth a warm baguette, cheese, and charcuterie. Channel your inner Francophile and bake these frozen baguettes until hot and toasty. In minutes, you’ll be able to stash them in your picnic basket and take them out back.

2. Quinoa Salad, $4.79 per pound

Soggy pasta salad got you down? Upgrade your picnic spread by serving a lemony quinoa salad instead! Nutty quinoa, crunchy cucumbers, tomatoes, and kale are filling as a vegetarian main or a stand-up side act.

3. Schwartz Brothers Everything Bagel Chips, $7.79 for 15 ounces

I will never get over the everything bagel trend — especially since it’s now taken the form of these snack-able, crunchy bagel chips. Scoop even the heartiest of dips with ease and scatter the crumbs crouton-style over crisp green salads.

4. West End Cuisine Grilled Chicken Skewers, $11.99 for 28 ounces

Favorite hack ever. Tender chicken skewers without heating the grill? Yes, please! Serve simple sauces alongside these grill-marked Mediterranean skewers to add even more flavor.

5. Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips, $5.99 for 28.8 ounces

If you only buy one bag of chips for your backyard picnic, let it be this one. The multigrain crisps complement dips of all styles, from salsa to spinach-artichoke.

6. Palmetto Cheese, $6.99 for 24 ounces

There are very few foods that can’t be improved upon with a scoop of pimento cheese spread. This creamy cheddar cheese is spiked with cherry-red pimentos and a cayenne kick. (There’s a jalapeño variety too!)

7. Del Destino Grilled Vegetables, $8.99 for 39 ounces

All the hard work is already done when you buy a jar of these oil-packed grilled veggies. Layer grilled marinated eggplant, Piquillo peppers, artichokes, and zucchini on baguettes with creamy cheese, then wrap in parchment before you hit the picnic blanket.

9. Upper Crust Bakery Lemon Bites, $6.69 for 28 ounces

Landing somewhere between cookie and cake, these citrusy sweets are the perfect finish to any backyard picnic. Serve the sweet bites on their own or with fresh fruit or an icy granita.