If You Buy One Thing at Costco This Month, Let It Be This $10 Dinner Staple (It’s That Amazing)

There’s not a week that goes by where I’m not pulling my car into the Costco parking lot as part of my job as The Kitchn’s officially unofficial Costco correspondent. I visit the warehouse regularly to scope out what’s new and exciting and to make sure you get the most from your membership. (If you haven’t joined Costco yet, what are you waiting for?) 

While I’m there I always make sure to restock my favorite Costco groceries and try out new items. It’s easy to overcome any hesitation you may have in bulk-buying new-to-you products at the warehouse: The return policy is second-to-none (the store offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on most products sold), and now that membership cards are scanned at the time of purchase you don’t even need to keep your receipt. 

Another way that Costco encourages members to expand the scope of their shopping is by setting up free sample stations throughout the store. A bite-size sample is exactly how I discovered my latest go-to grocery find: Orchard Valley Harvest Salad Toppers. 

The options for salad add-ins have gone way beyond bottled salad dressing and bagged croutons — there are now tortillas strips, nuts, seeds, cheese crisps, and more. And Costco is selling what I believe is the best salad topper out there: Orchard Valley Harvest Salad Toppers is a mix of dried sweetened cranberries, glazed pecans, and pepitas. (Here’s the 411 on the difference between pumpkin seeds and pepitas.) The mix straddles the line between sweet and savory. It also offers a variety of textures, from chewy dried cranberries to crunchy pecans. 

At Costco, you can purchase a 24-ounce bag of the fruit, nut, and seed mix for just $9.99 (or about $0.42 per ounce). This exact salad topper mix is not available at grocery stores near me in the Tampa, Florida, area, but another brand sells a similar 3.5-ounce bag of glazed pecans and dried cranberries for $4.19 ($1.20 per ounce). That’s roughly triple the price. 

There are those who can enjoy a salad with little more than a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil, and then there’s me: My favorite salads are those where the lettuce plays a supporting role to other veggies, fruit, cheeses, and crunchies. 

Every night I’d dig through my pantry (never doing so neatly during the dinner rush) for extra dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. And just as smoothie kits have made my life easier, so has this bag of Orchard Valley Harvest Salad Toppers. Now all I have to do is open a single bag, reach in, and sprinkle it on.

Some of my favorite salads don’t have salad toppers as part of the ingredient list, but their flavors work so well together. I’ve added them to this grilled chicken salad for extra crunch. Skip the almonds in this strawberry spinach salad recipe and add a handful of the glazed pecans, pepitas, and dried cranberries instead. This fall salad already has tons of variety, but substituting these salad toppers for the dried cranberries alone takes it over the top. 

Salads aren’t the only thing that you can top with this tasty mix. Add a handful to yogurt parfaits, smoothie bowls, or oatmeal. They’re also delicious to snack on straight from the bag. 

Find it in stores: Orchard Valley Harvest Salad Toppers, $9.99 for 24 ounces

What new Costco find are you adding to your cart this month? Tell us about it in the comments below.