The Frozen Meal You Should Just Leave Behind At Costco

Costco frozen meals are so varied that you can try a new dish for dinner every night of the week. From Birds Eye garlic chicken to Bibigo shrimp fried rice, there's always something satisfying and savory to be found in the abundant chiller cabinets. However, there's one frozen meal we reckon you should just leave behind at Costco; Marie Callender's chicken pot pie. The loser in our ranking of 9 popular Costco frozen meals, we found it to be non-starter that was lacking in flavor and texture.

Featuring all the best bits of a classic chicken pot pie, Marie Callender's version combines chunks of chicken with carrots, celery, and peas in a thickened chicken broth that's encased in a pie crust made with enriched wheat flour. Unfortunately, despite having all the right elements, it failed to deliver. Firstly, we found the bottom crust lacked the structure required to contain the moist ingredients in a filled pie. It was soggy upon removal from the foil container even though we opted to oven bake it for a crisper finish instead of giving it a quick zap in the microwave (which can often elicit a doughy and squishy texture). This sogginess meant the gravy inside the pie leaked out as the pastry collapsed. Secondly, the vegetables were far too soft and the chicken was dry and dense, which could perhaps be attributed to their large size. While the top crust of pastry was crisp, it simply didn't make up for the other failings.

Take a look at the reviews on Marie Callender's website and some of the poor comments speak for themselves. Some customers have complained about the tasteless chicken and the salty gravy, while others have been disappointed by the lack of vegetables, backing up some of the findings of our taste test. We'd advise removing the brand's chicken pot pie off your grocery list and substituting it with a Kirkland Signature Italian sausage and beef lasagna instead. Ranked No. 1 in our list of popular Costco frozen meals, we found it to be just the right kind of gooey in the middle and crispy on the top. It was bubbling when we took it out of the oven and was aromatic with herbs. Plus, the sausage meat in the recipe had a touch of welcome spice. While this lasagna wasn't as time-convenient as some of the other options (it took an hour to bake) it was worth the wait.

Alternatively, you could try your hand at making a homespun chicken pot pie. Even if you're not the best at making pastry, you can always buy a store-bought ready rolled pie crust and simply lay it over your baking dish after pilling in your chicken filling.