A Comforting Fan-Favorite Costco Ready-Made Meal Has Finally Returned To Shelves

Though summer seems to be hanging on pretty tight, chilly days are upon us yet. And in preparation for the upcoming autumn, Costco has just brought back one of its most beloved seasonal deli items. That's right, Costco's fan-favorite chicken pot pie is back on store shelves just in time for fall. The wholesale club's chicken pot pie isn't just your average pre-prepared chicken pot pie. These savory pastry wrapped delights weigh over five pounds. Each one is filled with rotisserie chicken breast, peas, carrots, corn, onions, and gravy.

This pie, along with the chain's shepherds pie, are only available during the colder season. This makes each year's release all the more exciting. Think of it this way — it's like a savory version of Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte, a delicious treat that signals the turning of the seasons. News of the comfort food staple's return to shelves is eagerly anticipated and widely celebrated by Costco shoppers everywhere. Now, availability does vary, so your Costco's release schedule might be different from other locations. Each pie costs $3.99 per pound, so expect the pie to be priced at around $20, though this will vary by exact weight.

So, what makes this savory seasonal pie so special? Apart from its gargantuan size (my husband and I have stretched it over three dinners with ease), this pie is a great example of scratch-cooking from the Costco deli. Each pie is filled with about 1 ½ pounds of rotisseries chicken, which gives it a lot of protein and flavor. The pie is also sold refrigerated and unbaked, allowing shoppers to cook it as they please. All you need do is bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 50 minutes and serve.

It truly is everything you could want in a Costco prepared dinner: easy to cook and absolutely delicious. This convenience seems to be an important factor that fans appreciate about the pie. One happy shopper on Facebook explained how the return of the chicken pot pie was welcome news after a particularly hectic week: "Costco Chicken Pot Pie is BACK! ... Dinner handled. Kitchen still clean. Everybody happy." Another fan thrilled to see it back wrote on Instagram, "I need to discuss the Costco chicken pot pie because WHAT IN THE BUTTERY, GRAVY-SOAKED WITCHCRAFT IS THIS?! ... Costco really said, 'Here. Pretend you cooked.'"

Some shoppers warn against messing with perfection. In a Reddit thread regarding prep hacks for the chicken pot pie, one user simply said, "Bake it and serve it. Don't mess with perfection. Those pies are pretty darn good." So you can absolutely remove the plastic top to this pie and bake it in the oven as is. This will, as many pot pie fans will tell you, produce a delicious and nearly homemade tasting result. So feel free to take the minimalist approach if you please. 

However, if you like to add a semi-homemade touch to your dishes, walk with us; there are a few hacks to try. For starters, adding an egg wash to the latticed pastry top will help produce a glossy, golden brown crust. And who doesn't love that? Some recommend using egg wash and covering the pie in foil midway through the cooking process though so that it doesn't become too brown.

You can also, if you're feeling really crafty, remove the pastry top and add in some fresh herbs or chopped mushrooms to the top of your pie filling. This will help add a little bit of dimension and flavor to the dish. You could also make a batch of homemade gravy to serve alongside the pie. However you slice it, this pie makes for a wonderful and easy dinner. It's an excellent dish to get you into the mood for fall. Go ahead and pick up Costco's apple pie to serve as dessert afterward (bake the Costco apple pie twice for best results), and you'll be ready to pull those sweaters out of storage.