Are you looking for party foods that you can buy at Costco? Foods that will hold up well on chafing dishes on your buffet table? Here are the best Costco party foods for your buffet table.
Best Costco Foods for Buffets
Taco Bar
Transform your buffet into a Mexican fiesta with a taco bar. Serve delicious carnitas in a chafing dish. Then complement the carnitas with soft flour tortillas, guacamole, salsas, and shredded cheese.Â
Serve different types of salsas to add variety to your taco bar. The best part is that you can buy everything in bulk from Costco.
Chicken Alfredo
The Costco chicken alfredo is a delicious pasta dish that’s perfect for any gathering. Although it comes in a small tray, you can easily transfer it to a larger one. I usually get multiple trays and serve them in chafing dishes at my parties.
It’s a great entertaining time-saver, and the best part is that the chicken alfredo stays warm and delicious in the chafing dish.
Just Bare Chicken Tenders
These chicken tenders are a fantastic addition to your buffet table. They’re incredibly delicious, with a flavor that will remind you of Chick-fil-A.
What’s even better is that they are quick and easy to prepare. Just pop them in the air fryer for eight minutes, and voila! You can serve them in the chafing dish on the buffet table.
Potstickers
Potstickers are a fantastic appetizer choice for your buffet. They are simple to prepare and can be kept warm on a chafing dish. Both kids and adults love them, and they are quite satisfying as well.
Salmon Fillets
If you want to add some seafood to your buffet, serve these pre-marinated salmon fillets. You just need to heat the fillets in the oven and then place them in a chafing dish for serving—they hold up well on the buffet table.
If you prefer, you can also serve ready-to-heat stuffed salmon from Costco. Just bake it for 30 minutes and place it on chafing dishes.
Another option is to serve Baked Salmon with Pesto Butter. It’s easy to bake and can be served in a chafing dish at your buffet.
Smoked Pulled Pork
These smoked pulled pork make a perfect addition to your buffet table, adding a southern twist to your buffet food selection. The flavorful pork will hold up well in the chafing dish, allowing your guests to enjoy it with mac and cheese and baked beans.
Baby Back Ribs
These baby back ribs are a great addition to your BBQ buffet. They maintain their texture well in chafing dishes and pair perfectly with mac and cheese and baked beans for a fantastic Southern comfort food spread.
There are a few options at Costco, you can buy the ready to eat ribs or these.
Mac and Cheese
If you have kids attending your party, add some kid-friendly Mac and Cheese to your buffet table. Simply heat up a few trays in the oven and then transfer them to the chafing dish on the buffet table to serve. It’s an effortless and hassle-free party food! This Mac and Cheese also make great side dishes to baby back ribs and pulled pork.
Baked Beans
These baked beans are an excellent addition to your buffet spread. They are perfect to serve alongside your smoked pulled pork.
Carved Ham
Elevate your buffet spread by adding a carving station to your buffet table with this Kirkland applewood smoked ham. These hams are fully cooked and ready to be carved, making them a convenient addition to your party spread.
Cheese Tortelloni with Marinara sauce
If you’re planning to include pasta with a red sauce in your buffet, serve these Costco cheese Tortelloni paired with Rao’s Marinara sauce. These cheese Tortelloni are incredibly simple to prepare, taking only 2 minutes, and they complement Rao’s marinara sauce perfectly.
In my opinion, Rao’s Marinara sauce is unquestionably the best bottled marinara sauce available. Serving cheese Tortelloni with Rao’s marinara sauce at your party is always a crowd-pleaser.
Chicken Tikka Masala
This Sukhi’s chicken tikka masala is absolutely delicious. It’s perfect for buffets and holds up well in chafing dishes. It’s not spicy at all, so it’s also kid-friendly – my 11-year-old son loves it.
You can serve it with basmati rice (available at Costco). If you don’t want to cook rice from scratch, you can always serve it with microwavable quinoa and brown rice (although you’ll need to buy a lot and it will be much more expensive).
Shrimp Cocktail
Impress your guests by serving shrimp cocktails at your party. I always make a stop at Costco for shrimp cocktails—they offer the best deal on shrimp cocktail platters, serving 24 people for just $39.99. Place them on your buffet table, and you’re all set!
Fruit, Meat and Cheese Platter
For a stress-free party appetizer that requires zero preparation, you can’t go wrong with a Costco fruit, meat, and cheese platter. Priced at $39.99, this platter is designed to serve 24 people and includes grapes, salami, soppressata, cheddar, and gouda. It’s the perfect addition to your buffet table.
Mediterranean Appetizer Platter
I love preparing a Mediterranean-inspired meze platter for the buffet table. The platter typically includes tzatziki, naan, assorted olives, and hummus. I also like to include stuffed grape leaves, which are vegetarian and filled with rice, tomatoes, onions, and red peppers. A Mediterranean appetizer platter is a fantastic addition for guests to enjoy during the party.
Caprese Skewers
I always serve mozzarella tomatoes for party snacks. They’re super easy to make: just mix marinated fresh mozzarella with grape tomatoes in a bowl, and you’re good to go. If I want to jazz up the look, I’ll put them on small skewers to make Caprese skewers. They’re perfect for a party appetizer.
Salad
Costco has a variety of bag salad options that you can easily add to your buffet table. Their bagged Caesar salad is delicious.
Chips and Guacamole
I love serving chips and guac at parties. You can’t beat the price at Costco, so that’s where I go whenever I need to buy chips and guacamole.
Cookies
The Costco cookie platter is perfect for any party. It’s only $22.99 and comes with 60 cookies in four tasty flavors: chocolate chip, white chocolate double nut, oatmeal raisin, and white chocolate cranberry. But remember, this platter has macadamia and cashew nuts, so it’s not suitable for guests with nut allergies.
Pie
Costco’s pies are delicious, and they are cheap too. Plus, they are big and oversized, perfect dessert to add to your buffet table. Buy one and serve it at your next party!
Sparkling Water
Costco is my go-to place for sparkling water. The store offers a wide variety of flavors. My top pick is definitely Waterloo sparkling water. It’s got just the right amount of flavor, not too weak. I also like to have some Spindrift and La Croix when I throw a party.
Hard Seltzer
I like to serve many types of drinks at my parties. These White Claw Hard Seltzers are great for variety.
Sangria
These Costco sangria are a steal. It’s an easy drink that is always a hit at any party. Just pour it into a drink dispenser and garnish it with some orange slices to make it look attractive.
Beer
I love shopping for beer at Costco—they have such a huge selection, including seasonal brews. Whenever I’m throwing a party, I always stock up on a mix of beers from Costco, like Paulaner Hefeweizen, Stella Artois, seasonal IPAs, and some local favorites.
Buffet Chafing Dish Tray
Whenever I host a party, I always get my disposable chafing dishes from Costco. They offer them in half-tray and full-tray sizes.
Buffet Cutlery
I love using these silver plastic cutlery to elevate my parties. They’re really good quality, and it’s hard to tell they’re plastic!
Buffet Plates
I always get my party plates at Costco. I like using the Elegant plastic plates because they’re thick and fancy-looking and prevent food from making a mess.
For more laid-back get-togethers, I use Chinet plates, which are tough and durable. They’re great for avoiding saucy mishaps. I also always look for seasonal plates, like these fruit-themed ones, which are perfect for summer parties.
Buffet Cups
I always use these crystal Chinet plastic cups for parties. They’re clear and look great at any party, whether it’s fancy or laid-back.
Buffet Napkins
When it comes to napkins, if I’m just looking for plain white ones, I always go for those Vanity Fair napkins. They are thick and look great.
Flowers
I always make sure to grab flowers from Costco before hosting a party. Their bouquets are reasonably priced and perfect for arranging in a vase to decorate the buffet.
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