This Costco Frozen Chicken Is My Favorite Shortcut To An Easy Dinner

At the crossroads of bulk buying and ease, Costco warehouses have more than their fair share of options to get dinner on the table in a jiffy. But a desire for simplicity in preparation doesn't necessarily mean a hunger for something lacking complexity. That's why an ideal shortcut — and a personal preference — for bringing more of a fine-dining experience to the kitchen table, with all the convenience of typical frozen foods, is the chicken cordon bleu by Pierre. One of a number of old-fashioned restaurant dishes deserving of a comeback, chicken cordon bleu typically pairs breast meat with Swiss cheese and ham. 

While recipes like Tasty's chicken cordon bleu are accessible for even novice chefs, the time it takes to pound flat the poultry, layer the ingredients, roll them all together, and bread them before baking can be too much trouble after working all day. That's why I'm a fan of keeping a package of Pierre Raw Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Cordon Bleu from Costco in the freezer as a go-to timesaver. This option clears all the prep time for the star of dinner, leaving me with little more to do than toss the desired number of pieces in the oven and wait 40 minutes or so. Plus, between the juiciness of the meat, the crispy texture of the breading, the 31 grams of protein per serving, and the overall flavor, the chicken doesn't disappoint. Add in the price per serving (which does vary by location), and you're eating like a king while making out like a bandit.

Life has a way of throwing up obstacles, and I'm not alone in weighing the decision to settle on a third taco night of the week when it's only Wednesday. On top of giving the chicken their seal of approval, Redditors who similarly enjoy this dinner shortcut have some preparation and pairing suggestions. Rather than trusting the timer, it's a good idea to use a thermometer to ensure the raw chicken reaches the USDA minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also cook them upside down to help keep the cheese from oozing out too much. 

As for what to enjoy with your chicken cordon bleu, green beans with butternut squash ravioli did the trick for one fan. Leaning into shortcuts for dinner, I like Seeds of Change organic quinoa and brown rice, ready in 90 seconds in the microwave, and some asparagus roasted to perfection. While I love to prepare meals from scratch, and would enjoy digging into a riff on the classic like a chicken cordon bleu panini, this remains a great fallback.