The Major Company Behind Kirkland Brand Sous Vide Egg Bites

Move over, Starbucks — if you're looking to munch on protein-packed egg bites in the morning, you can find them in mass quantities at Costco. These Kirkland brand sous vide egg bites come in two flavors: Uncured Bacon & Gouda and Egg White with Cheese Trio and Roasted Red Pepper. Like other egg bites, they're already fully cooked, so you just have to heat them up before chowing down. Each box will give you 10 bites made with cage-free egg whites, and you'll get 11 and 17 grams of protein for every two that you eat, respectively.

But, as with many Kirkland products, Costco sources these breakfast items from an outside brand. In this case, it's Cuisine Solutions, as Kirkland told Tasting Table. Cuisine Solutions specializes in sous vide foods, since the cooking method itself was in part spearheaded by the company's Chief Scientist, Dr. Bruno Goussault. Even if you've never heard of this supplier before, you've likely heard of (and tried) some of the brands it partners with, which include Panera, IHOP, Applebee's, and Starbucks. In fact, it's entirely possible that Cuisine Solutions makes Starbucks' Egg White & Roasted Red Pepper Egg Bites, as well. They have similar calorie and protein counts to Kirkland's vegetarian flavor and feature some of the same ingredients.

In addition to the two egg bite flavors Costco offers, Cuisine Solutions makes versions with turkey sausage and four different types of cheese as well as mozzarella, tomato, and spinach. Plus, it sells oatmeal bowls with chia seeds and stone-ground grits with Parmesan. But, breakfast isn't all this brand offers. You'll also find proteins like beef short ribs in an Asian-inspired barbecue sauce, slow-cooked Berkshire pork belly, and prime rib. Cuisine Solutions even makes sauces, such as Alfredo and smoky tomato, and vegetarian dishes, such as spicy collard greens and lemon herb risotto.

As you now know, this company supplies major restaurants (almost 30,000 of them, to be exact). But, you may also unknowingly find its food in school cafeterias, convention centers, healthcare facilities, and on airplanes. However, one factor will be consistent across the board: These dishes will be prepared using the sous vide method. This means they'll have been placed in a vacuum sealed bag and cooked in water at a specific temperature, which allows the food inside to emerge with a wonderfully tender texture.