Costco is my go-to place to shop for Thanksgiving. Here are 12 of my favorite things to buy there every year.

Offerings vary, but I can always find at least one great veggie tray at Costco. They typically come in a ready-to-serve plastic platter, which means one less dish for me to wash.

Simply peel off the plastic cover and set it out for your guests to enjoy.

This one from Taylor Farms has an assortment of colorful, crunchy, and cruciferous produce, plus a delicious ranch dip.

We usually serve Thanksgiving dinner around 4 p.m., so I like to set out small dishes and snacks for guests to have beforehand.

A charcuterie board is a great way to ensure no one gets too hungry or full before the main course.  

Costco offers premade flights and variety packs with assortments of cured meats or soft and hard cheeses, making it easy to customize a board.

Additionally, the chain offers lots of finishing touches to complement any charcuterie selection, including nuts, crackers, dried or fresh fruit, and olives. 

The sell-by dates for the turkeys usually fall after Thanksgiving, so you can purchase them relatively far in advance as long as you have the space in your refrigerator. 

If you shop at Costco a day or two before Thanksgiving, there's a chance the store may be sold out of your preferred size.

In my experience, the chain's turkeys can range from about 10 pounds to over 22.

If you're not cooking a whole turkey this year, you can also typically find precooked oven-browned turkey breast at Costco.  This is a great option for those who prefer white meat over dark. The turkey remains moist and juicy after getting warmed up in the oven.

It's also a great choice if you are serving ham, steak, or seafood as the main course, but would like to offer a small portion of traditional turkey. 

You can choose from a wide array of meats, such as rib-eye, prime rib, or a rack of lamb. 

Depending on the location and time of year, you may also find cold-water lobster tails. They can be poached in butter and served on their own or paired with steak for a classy Thanksgiving surf-and-turf.

At any other time of the year, you may find it difficult to justify purchasing 6 ½ pounds of potatoes. However, during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, it just makes sense.

Costco offers a variety of options, including sweet potatoes, tiny mixed potatoes, and yellow potatoes. Use them to make plenty of your favorite mashed potatoes so guests can have seconds and take home leftovers.

I like to make a garlic mash or mashed sweet potatoes. 

I typically look for 2-pound bags of pre-snipped, washed, and ready-to-use green beans at Costco.

Once cooked, you can sauté the green beans in garlic, butter, and lemon and top them with Kirkland Signature Parmigiano-Reggiano or add them to a baking dish to make a casserole.

If I'm going with the latter, I also pick up a big bag of crispy onions at Costco to top my casserole with.

If you're short on time and need to add a few more sides to your Thanksgiving spread, consider looking for premade dishes at Costco, such as scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese , or roasted Brussels sprouts.

These sides are also great for those who lack oven space, as they can be easily heated up in the microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer.

One year, I grabbed trays of Chef Hak's seasoned, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and cranberries.

The Kirkland Signature pumpkin pie is delicious — and it can feed up to 12 people for under $10.

I like to top the individual slices with whipped cream. Leftover slices also freeze well.

It's quite a popular item around Thanksgiving, so I highly recommend getting to Costco early before it sells out. 

Homemade whipped cream is superior, but these canisters can help you easily upgrade your pecan or pumpkin pie. 

If you decide to make the topper yourself, you can also find heavy whipping cream in Costco's refrigerator section.

Whether you're hosting Thanksgiving this year and want to dress up the house with seasonal decor or are attending as a guest and don't want to show up empty-handed, Costco is the place to go.

You can find beautiful bouquets of fresh-cut flowers for under $20, which is significantly less than what you'd probably pay at a local flower shop or online.

The retailer also tends to sell floral arrangements in decorative vases that can upgrade a Thanksgiving tablescape for under $25.

If you're looking for something a little more elevated than the run-of-the-mill paper plates you've been using for your backyard cookouts, then look no further than Costco.

Around this time of year, the chain typically offers a selection of elegant plastic plates and tableware that, at first glance, appears close to porcelain and silver.

In the past, I've seen Reflections cutlery sets with 160 pieces of heavyweight plastic silverware for under $11. I've also seen Kirkland Signature's elegant plastic plates priced at $10 for 50 dishes.

Once everyone has eaten their fill, I like to provide take-home containers so my guests can continue to enjoy their Thanksgiving leftovers after they leave. 

I can usually find take-away containers for a reasonable price at Costco. One year, I snagged a 25-pack of 38-ounce Glad meal-prep containers for under $10.

This story was originally published on November 16, 2021, and most recently updated on November 26, 2025.