Costco Mac and Cheese Instructions & Review
Premade Mac n’ Cheese from Costco is a fan favorite comfort food! The print on those Costco Mac and Cheese instructions is small, isn’t it? Or maybe you lost your cover, lol. Either way, if you’re wondering how to cook the Kirkland Signature Mac n’ Cheese from Costco…we got you…and good news…it’s easy! Plus you’ll find the nutritional info (calories, fat, etc), serving suggestions and our Costco mac and cheese review.
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Our Review of the Kirkland Signature Mac n’ Cheese at Costco
Costco Mac n’ Cheese is a fan favorite, and is available year round in the Costco deli refrigerated prepared foods section.
Pros of the Costco Mac are that it’s a mild and has a kid-friendly cheese flavor with plenty of the bechamel cheese sauce – and of course it is super easy to prepare and bake the Costco mac and cheese (see below) so it’s a great easy option for main or side dishes.
Cons of the Costco Macaroni and Cheese are [for our family] it’s a little bland and lacks the cheese flavor we like in our mac. We prefer the taste of a mac made with gruyere, sharp cheddar cheese or the like. For our family, we’re kind of ambivalent about the Kirkland Mac n Cheese.
Strong cheese flavor is not everyone’s cup of tea though…and the premade Mac at Costco is definitely a “safe” cheese flavor, good one size fits all option, which certainly has its place…especially with those who don’t love strong cheeses or picky pasta loving kids!
While this item doesn’t have a permanent rotation in our meal schedule, I do still buy and serve it sometimes for a crowd, like kids birthday parties, and the like. It’s not bad, and it is super easy to just pop it in the oven of course. Other people LOVE it…so don’t just take my word, give it a try…there is a reason this is available all year long at Costco!
Costco Mac and Cheese Price and Item Number
Kirkland Signature Mac and Cheese Ready-to-Bake is Costco Item Number 40506 and costs $3.49 per lb, or about $13 per package.
Each tray contains approximately 10 servings, which shakes out to about $1.30 per serving. This is a fully prepared bake and serve main or side dish. See recipe card above for the Costco mac and cheese instructions.
ProTip: If you’re serving this as the main dish, we suggest planning on 6 servings per adult.
Costco Mac and Cheese Cooking Instructions
Looking for cooking directions for the Kirkland Signature Costco Mac and Cheese? We have them, and it's easy to heat up this fully prepared mac n' cheese meal from the Costco deli!
Ingredients
- Costco Mac and Cheese
- Aluminum Foil
- Sheet Pan
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees
- Remove plastic cover
- Cover container with aluminum foil
- Place on a baking sheet
- Bake for 40-60 minutes (or until reachers 185 degrees F)
- Optional: Remove aluminum and bake for additional 10 minutes or until top is browned as desired
Notes
Kirkland Signature prepared mac and cheese is a super easy weeknight meal shortcut! Plan for about 45 minutes to an hour to bake it!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
153 gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 22 ggSaturated Fat: 13 ggTrans Fat: 0 ggUnsaturated Fat: 0 ggCholesterol: 60 mgmgSodium: 490 mgmgCarbohydrates: 27 ggFiber: 2 ggProtein: 12 gg
Nutritional information is estimated to the best of our knowledge, however, always, you must contact the manufacturer and/or consult your personal medical provider to confirm or assess the nutritional information and suitability of any product.
What to Serve with Costco Mac n’ Cheese
- Kirkland Signature Spiral Ham
- Premade Bagged Salad
- Fruit Platter
- Sliced Cucumbers, Bell Peppers or Carrot Sticks
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Garlic Bread
- Amylu Chicken Meatballs
- Costco Rotisserie Chicken
- Sautee mushrooms in truffle butter and add them
Doctor Up the Basic Kirkland Signature Mac from Costco
- Add a dash of garlic powder, onion powder or garlic salt
- Puree steamed cauliflower and mix into mac to add a little veggie and fiber boost
- Remove foil for final 10 minutes of baking and add a dash of paprika to give the top a little color and flavor
- Sautee 1 cup of panko bread crumbs in butter and sprinkle on top before baking (you will want to remove the foil for the final ten minutes of baking if you do this)
- Dice your favorite protein or vegetable and mix into mac to make a casserole (diced ham, sliced hot dogs, shredded chicken, broccoli, etc)
Ingredients
PASTA [WATER, ENRICHED DURUM SEMOLINA FLOUR (DURUM WHEAT SEMOLINA, VITAMINS (B3, BI, B2) IRON, FOLIC ACID)], ALFREDO SAUCE (CREAM, MILK. WATER. BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), ROMANO & PARMESAN CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK & PART SKIM MILK. CHEESE CULTURES, SALT. ENZYMES), ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, VITAMINS (B3, BI. B2), IRON, FOLIC ACID), CORN STARCH. SALT, CORN OIL, OLIVE OIL, CREAM POWDER, SUGAR, YEAST EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVORS, GARLIC, CULTURED DEXTROSE, XANTHAN GUM, BLACK PEPPER, SPICE. NATURAL ANTIMICROBIAL, ANNATTO EXTRACT.
TOPPING: SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE [PASTEURIZED MILK. CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYME, ANNATTO (COLOR), NATAMYCIN (NATURAL MOLD INHIBITOR)].
Allergen Warnings: Contains Wheat and Milk. Made in a facility that processes wheat, soy, peanuts, egg, tree nuts, milk, fish, shellfish, crustacean, and sesame seed. Please refer to the actual packaging in your local warehouse to confirm potential allergen warnings (these can change, better safe than sorry!).
Nutritional Overview
Let’s be real, Mac and Cheese is a comfort food, not a health food…amiright? Based on about 10 servings per tray (or 153 g) of prepared Macaroni and Cheese from Costco deli, you can bank on around 340 Calories, 22 grams of fat, 60 mg of cholesterol, 490 mg of sodium and 12 grams of protein.
Following the Costco mac and cheese instructions is super easy, and makes for a quick and filling side or meal, it’s a crowd pleaser and the price per serving is reasonable…but do you like it? We want to hear your review, preparation tips to doctor it up, or how you cook/bake it!
FAQs
How long do you cook Costco mac and cheese?
You need to bake the prepared Costco mac and cheese for approximately 40 minutes at 400. See recipe card for details.
How to doctor up Costco Mac and Cheese?
We have a few ideas to doctor up your Costco Mac and Cheese including adding garlic powder, adding panko bread crumbs to the topping, or adding your favorite protein or veggies like diced ham or broccoli florets.
How do I keep macaroni and cheese from drying out in the oven?
The exact directions will vary based on the product or recipe, but in short, you can cover the baking dish with aluminum foil for part or all of the cooking time..some recipes factor this in and it’s not needed. You do need to cover the Costco mac and cheese to retain the moisture while cooking.
Does Costco have pre made mac and cheese?
Costco sells pre made mac and cheese in the refrigerated prepared foods section. This is a fan favorite item and is generally available on a year round basis.
How do you heat up Costco mac and cheese?
You need to bake the prepared Costco mac and cheese covered for approximately 40 minutes at 400. See recipe card for details.
How do I know when Costco mac and cheese is done?
Plan on baking time of 40-60 minutes and when temperature reaches 165 degrees F, it’s done!
Is Costco pre made mac and cheese good?
The Costco pre made mac and cheese is a fan favorite item. It’s a mild cheese sauce, which many love. If you’re looking for a stronger gruyere based mac and cheese, it may not be the right choice for you.
Can you cook Costco mac and cheese in the microwave?
Reheating leftovers of Costco mac in the microwave is easiest method. As far as the original baking…the recommended preparation is to bake it at 400 for about 40 minutes. That said, many people microwave it. The tray it comes in is aluminum so be sure to remove it from it’s container if you decide to microwave it and check to make sure it reaches 165 degrees.
How many calories does Costco mac and cheese have? How much fat?
Based on about 10 servings per tray (or 153 g) of prepared Macaroni and Cheese from Costco deli, you can bank on around 340 Calories, 22 grams of fat, 60 mg of cholesterol, 490 mg of sodium and 12 grams of protein.