We Hired a Costco Superfan to Try Gameday Snacks: These Are Her Favorites

Whether it's chips, dips, sandwiches, or a hot plate of wings, nothing turns gameday into a celebration more than a good snack spread. From Cracker Jack and hot dogs at a baseball game to pimento cheese sandwiches at The Masters, food is an essential part of the sports experience.

And just as the connection between buffalo wings and football is inextricable, so is the relationship between snack foods and America's biggest warehouse store, Costco. That's why we wanted to connect them.

In celebration of America's #1 sports holiday, our team at FinanceBuzz went on nationwide search to find the ultimate Costco fan to rate and review Costco's gameday foods. Because we love saving money for shoppers, we wanted an expert to figure out what Costco items were best for a gameday party and which were better left on the shelf. This way, you can save money on groceries by buying the best ones. After tasting 15 iconic gameday foods, we have our list of winners.

Editor's note: Availability of these items may vary by location.

Our team at FinanceBuzz went on a nationwide search for a new open role on our team: a Sideline Sampler to taste as many gameday snacks at Costco as they could find. After a nationwide search and over 10,000 applicants, we selected Tiffany Woo, a public relations specialist from Los Angeles, California.

We selected Tiffany because she's not only a Costco superfan. She's also the party host. "I know firsthand that the snacks can make or break a watch party, and I'm excited to help others navigate the frozen food aisles to build the ultimate gameday menu," Tiffany wrote in her application.

Tiffany's love for Costco runs deep. In addition to weekly trips to the warehouse, Tiffany is an expert in everything Costco snacks. "With my passion for food, football, and Costco, I'm ready to deliver an all-star performance as your Sideline Sampler. Let's make this game day one for the books!"

So which Costco gameday snacks are worth the extra freezer space, and which are better left on the shelf? We had Tiffany rank all of Costco's gameday foods and give her advice.

Kirkland Signature Cauliflower Crust Pizza, Supreme, has a cauliflower crust topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, seasoned sausage, and roasted vegetables. For the Big Game, I prepared one in the oven on normal mode and the other in pizza mode. After taking it out of the oven and taking a bite, it was nothing special. It was my least favorite pizza, and it was also my guests' least favorite.

The El Monterey Mexican Grill Taquitos, Chicken & Cheese, are filled with charbroiled chicken breast and Monterey Jack Cheese. I prepared these in the air fryer, which dried them out, and they were not a favorite appetizer in my game day spread. There is very little chicken filling compared to the size of the tortilla. I served these with the Del Real Combo Salsa and the Avo Crema by AvoFresco. They definitely needed condiments to make them not dry.

The Don Miguel Chipotle Chicken Mini Tacos are corn tortillas filled with chicken breast seasoned with mild chipotle chili. It came with two packs of about 13 mini tacos in each package. The website description describes these as crispy, but they weren't.

They were prepared in the air fryer. They were definitely bland and not a standout for your game day spread. They needed the Del Real Combo Salsa and AvoFresco Crema to amp up the flavor.

The Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips are gluten-free, non-GMO, paleo-friendly, and vegan. I served these with the dips and Del Real Salsa. These chips were light, so they definitely needed something added to them. They were crunchy and airy but very plain on their own.

The Kirkland Organic Hummus in 2.5 ounce single-serve cups is the perfect party dip for guests to dip vegetables and chips. Since they are individually wrapped and don't require clean-up, they're great for guests worried about germs.

The Kirkland Signature Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookies, found in Costco's bakery section, are a grocery staple any time of year. They are perfectly served out of the container or can be warmed up for a couple of minutes in the oven. They are chewy and have a good ratio of chocolate to cookie dough.

The Kirkland Signature Sweet Heat Snack Mix includes seasoned and BBQ-flavored cracker-coated almonds, seasoned cashews, honey-roasted sesame sticks, seasoned honey, glazed pecans, and corn nuggets. This snack mix is definitely sweet and salty. Don't let the word "heat" scare you because it's not spicy. The mix is a delicious snack, but it is a little salty, so make sure to have a beverage handy.

The Kirkland Signature Tempura Shrimp has a crispy tempura batter on the outside and firm and flavorful shrimp on the inside. It comes with a soy dipping sauce. To sample this item, it went from the freezer to the air fryer. It turned out just as the description said, and it's like the tempura from your local sushi spot at home.

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The Kirkland Burnt Ends Beef Brisket is smoked and seasoned beef, but it doesn't come with BBQ sauce, so before eating, I added Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce, which can also be found at Costco. The way I chose to prepare these was in the microwave. 

These taste like the Burnt Ends you'd get at a BBQ restaurant. They are easy to prepare. Besides just eating them with BBQ sauce, other ways to serve them for game day get-togethers would be on sliders with King's Hawaiian Rolls and as a macaroni and cheese topper.

Since there are four in the box, I cooked two thin-crust pepperoni pizzas to try this item. I used the conventional oven on normal bake mode and the other on frozen pizza mode. Either way, this pizza was a hit because it was easy to eat and kept well, staying crispy while out for my guests. The crust was like a cracker. It is your classic thin-crust pepperoni pizza that doesn't taste like it came from the freezer aisle.

The Snack Factory Organic Original Pretzel Crisps are the perfect potato chip alternative. These taste great right out of the bag and are sturdy enough for dipping. They are not too salty and taste like pretzels. Serve them with Costco's many dips in the prepared meal fridge section.

Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips are a great, healthier, and limited-ingredient option for game day. With only three ingredients (sweet potatoes, avocado oil, and sea salt), these are real chips that are great to snack on or use as a dip in your food spread for your get-together. They are crispy, and you can taste the real sweet potatoes.

The Kirkland Signature Extra Crispy French Fries are frozen French fries. I prepared these in the air fryer. They are a must-have and will have you skipping the drive-thru. These would be great for any game day party served on their own, turned into garlic fries, or as a base for a chili cheese fries bar.

These were prepared in the air fryer for an additional five minutes for crispy wings.

These were one of the first things to run out during my gameday get-together. They tasted just like chicken wings should, but they definitely had a spicy kick at the end.

The Authentic Motor City Pizza Co Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza, Double Pepperoni has two pizzas in the box. I prepared this in the conventional oven, and it didn't disappoint. There's a good reason that it is often sold out and has the "popular item" badge on Instacart. 

It lives up to the hype. I devoured this pizza as someone who usually doesn't like pizza crust. The crust has a pillowy soft texture, meanwhile, the top of the pizza is crispy. This was the best pizza out of all the ones sampled.

Costco is almost always your first stop for your next gameday party, but we all know how pricey things can get in bulk. Though we won't have an expert available to walk you through all your grocery purchases, there are some things you can do with your budget to save money.

On your next shopping trip, be sure to use one of the best cash back credit cards to rack up rewards while shopping. By using a budgeting app for your financial needs, you can also make sure your Costco hauls fit your budget so you can reach your financial goals faster.

Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.