The Costco Dairy Item That Shoppers Say Make The Membership Worth It

While plenty of perks come with a Costco membership, many shoppers say a subtler reason justifies the $65-a-year membership dues. At $11.23 for 2½ pounds, Costco's price on Tillamook cheese makes it a dairy fanatic's dream shopping destination (though it is worth noting that specific prices may vary depending on your warehouse location).

When Food Republic rated store-bought cheddar cheese slices, Tillamook took first place thanks to the high-quality taste, creaminess, and smell found across the company's products. While worth it, the cheese is a bit on the pricier side, with Walmart selling its medium cheddar for 39 cents an ounce, Kroger for 62 cents an ounce, and Target for 55 cents an ounce. However, Costco's bulk size comes in at just 28 cents an ounce, saving you between 11 and 34 cents an ounce, or $1.76 to $5.44 a pound. One Reddit user even found 2-pound blocks on sale for $6 each, buying 17 blocks at once to satisfy their cravings.

With savings between $1.76 and $5.44 per pound, you'd need to buy between 37 and 12 pounds of cheese to recoup your membership fee. But whether you live alone and purchase a single block or have a large household that needs several, ensuring your cheese stays good long enough to eat is key to getting the most value from your purchase.

Whenever you buy cheese in bulk, it's important to have materials on hand to store it long term or recipes in mind that help you use it all up. Unless it's been heavily aged, the moisture content of most types of cheddar gives them a shelf life of about two to three weeks in the fridge.

You can freeze excess cheese, either in its original packaging or repackaged, for up to three months. You can also make things easier on yourself by pre-slicing or grating the cheese beforehand and sealing it in zip-top bags. For slices, place pieces of parchment paper between each one to make them easy to peel apart for sandwiches. For shredded cheese, spread it out on a tray and let it harden before transferring it to a bag. This prevents the strands from freezing together into a solid brick, allowing you to defrost exact amounts as needed.

If you don't want to freeze your cheese, look for recipes you can make in bulk and freeze into individual servings. Make-ahead egg bites are a great option, especially since you can purchase all of your ingredients, from inexpensive eggs to large quantities of spinach, at Costco as well, increasing your savings. Casseroles and pasta dishes are also ideal, as they welcome extra cheese, and medium cheddar has enough flavor to cut through meat without overwhelming a dish's other tastes. Cheese-based soups, such as broccoli cheddar, freeze very well, preserving their flavors while using up plenty of whatever you have on hand.