I love to cook, I really do. But when it’s summer break and everyone is home, and when my kids are with their dad, the kitchen is the last place I want to be. The idea of standing in front of the refrigerator trying to figure out what I even want is draining.
Because ordering takeout can’t always be my go-to, I needed to find some less expensive, enticing options. So, I composed a list of the best girl dinner options from Costco for my next run in search of items that are easy, good, and that I’d actually want to eat more than once and headed out in search of my very own Girl Dinner.
Most of us have probably eaten this way more than we’d like to admit, me included. But I’m at the age now where eating like a bird doesn’t make me feel good. These days, I need something more nutritious, that feels like a real meal–something that’s less random and with some actual protein involved.
What Girl Dinner Actually Is
If you’ve somehow missed the viral term, a Girl Dinner is essentially the art of eating a diverse selection of ingredients, with minimal effort involved. It’s basically a snack meal, consisting of an assortment of savory and sweet foods pulled from your cabinets and fridge that you eat on the couch or in front of the TV. Think cheese, chips, crackers, some kind of meat, pickles, and maybe something sweet. A charcuterie board, without the frills.
For this, there’s hope for us at Costco. Costco offers a wide selection of solid prepared foods and snack pack options, and they only continue to elevate their selection. I’ve added a bunch of items to my list that I can keep on hand, so I’m not always reaching for my phone to order DoorDash, grabbing random stuff from the cabinet, or standing in front of my fridge trying to figure out what’s for dinner.
Off to Costco I Go
My first instinct at Costco was to grab one of their Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chickens and pair it with a salad kit, but the salad never stays fresh long enough. My warehouse has chicken Alfredo pasta, chicken street tacos, and mac and cheese—all good options, but on the heavier side. Most of them also still require actual cooking, which I want to avoid.
The other problem I encountered was that I didn’t really want to buy that much; everything comes in bulk, so either it’s too much food, you’re missing one key thing, or you realistically don’t want to be eating the same setup for more than two meals. Then you’re stuck with oversized quantities of everything.
You grab the big box of crackers. Then you need cheese. Then meat. Then nuts…and if you want something sweet, you’re suddenly walking out with cookies or a cake you never planned on buying.
Next thing you know, you’ve spent over $100 building a spread that could feed 12 people. Perfect for a party, not ideal for one person on a random Tuesday night. Thankfully, Costco has snack pack options in the refrigerated section with everything you need for a single serving of a good Girl Dinner.
There’s Hope in the Refrigerated Section
My local warehouse was stocked with the Busseto Californian Snackin’ Bite Size Salami and Provolone packs, which looked decent. Protein-wise, they deliver 15 grams per serving with two servings per pack, so 30 grams total if you eat the whole thing. But the salami has nitrates, which I’d like to avoid, and the pack is the basic salami and cheese. That means no crackers, no crunch, no contrast in texture, and nothing sweet. A good snack, but not really a full meal. I’d likely still be rummaging through my cabinets or fridge, which defeats the purpose.
The better option, and the one that I’d seen on my social feeds, was the Upper Cut Tapas Snack Pack. At 18 grams of protein per pack it had the highest protein content of the three, and it was the only one that felt like a complete meal on its own. Each tray includes uncured salami Milano, sharp white cheddar cheese, rosemary and olive oil crackers, and dark chocolate-covered cranberries. That sweet element at the end is what sold me. Who doesn’t love something sweet to finish a meal? This is also an elevated snack pack that would be great for picnics or a wine party night.
I had one the other night and really like it. I felt satisfied and didn’t feel like I needed to reach for anything else from my cabinet or fridge. The crackers were crispy and flavorful, not the bland cardboard kind. They held up with the salami and cheese instead of just being filler. And I’d never had chocolate-covered cranberries before. They were enjoyable and the perfect sweet finish. The whole snack pack felt complete. It was filling, flavorful, and required zero effort on my part.
Upper Cut is a family and minority-owned brand, which I love supporting. The three-pack comes in at just under $13, which is a genuinely good price when you consider you’re getting the whole spread portioned out and ready to go.
A Few More Things to Add to Your Girl Dinner Rotation
If you want to build out your options beyond the Upper Cut Tapas Snack Pack, Costco has a handful of things that work well alongside it or on their own.
- The Wholly Guacamole mini cups are a staple. Individual portions, no browning, no waste.
- For nuts, Kirkland has unsalted and salted mixed nuts and fancy cashews in large bags, but they also carry individually packaged snacking nut options.
- The Nature’s Garden Organic Trail Mix Snack Packs Variety Pack is a good one to keep in the pantry.
- For something sweet, you can jump on the Dubai chocolate trend with the Nutty and Fruity Dubai Chocolate Bars. They’re individually wrapped and hit that dessert note without committing to an entire box of something.
Finally, don’t overlook the olives and pickles section. There’s a lot to choose from and they add a salty, savory bite to your meal.
The Final Word on Girl Dinner
I’ve seen Girl Dinner get a bad rap, as if it’s an excuse to not take care of yourself. I’d challenge that a bit. When you’re doing it right, it’s actually one of the easier ways to eat. You can populate yours with options that are on the healthier side; not too heavy, packed with protein, not overcomplicated, and you can move on with your night. That’s not laziness, that’s taking care of yourself with minimal stress while being efficient.
The key to a well-crafted Girl Dinner in my book is having options stocked that are actually worth eating, not just whatever you can pull together. That’s the main difference between Girl Dinner feeling satisfying and Girl Dinner leaving you standing in front of the fridge 20 short minutes later looking for something else.
The Upper Cut Tapas Snack Pack checked all of my boxes. It covered my protein, crunch, richness, and “something sweet” needs in one little tray, at a price that made more sense than delivery (and with a little less guilt involved than whatever I would be about to order at 9 p.m.). Keep a few in the fridge and you have dinner covered for the nights you just don’t feel like cooking.
