Costco and the Chicken Bake

I am a member of Costco. Aside from buying toilet paper, paper towels, carrots, and celery in bulk, a big reason for this is “lunchtime at Costco.” This is when they set up stations throughout the grocery section and give out free samples. On a good day, you can truly eat enough bites to make a meal. One day I got lucky and found 4 types of pizza, ravioli, chips and salsa, pita and hummus, two different kinds of cheeses, lasagna, yogurt, and ice cream bars (and I actually think there was more).

I usually run into SOMEONE I know who inevitably makes fun of me eating lots of free food, but, hey, I have a reputation to uphold!

While this past Wednesday’s trip with Chad was not quite as good (but not as lame as last Wed), I really enjoyed the spinach lasagna and Lean Cuisines they were sampling. With only two or three other bites, we were still hungry after perusing the store. So, it was off to the food counter.

I think Costco is the only place in Memphis where you can get a ¼ pound hotdog AND a drink for 1.50. They also have turkey wraps, large slices of pizza, and chicken Caesar salads at very reasonable prices. They were out of wraps, so Chad decided on the last menu item – the chicken bake. While the picture showed a large pastry-looking object, cut in half with cheese and chicken appetizingly oozing out, nothing quite prepared us for what we were served.

Chad was handed a Styrofoam plate with a huge (seriously, almost a foot long) plain looking pastry. [No picture yet, but I will try to get one next time.] While the first glance did not yield the same temptation as the picture, the first bite revealed the true nature of the dish. Deliciously cheesy, with chunks of juicy chicken, there were also small pieces of bacon mixed throughout. After my first bite, I mentioned that I thought it needed some sort of sauce, like a marinara. It did come with a Caesar dip, which ended up being the perfect compliment, bringing a more complex flavor to the dish.

After tasting this chicken bake, I am excited to try some of their other dishes (and save a buck at the same time)!