The Costco Food Platter You Should Avoid Buying For Your Holiday Party

Throwing together a gathering is enough work without having to make all the food from scratch. That's when trusty food platters come into play. Food platters come in all different types and sizes. For instance, at most grocery stores, you can get a fruit platter, a vegetable platter, or a more classic charcuterie platter with sliced cheeses and meats. However, at Costco, the options for food platters are brought to the next level. The wholesale retailer offers ready-to-eat trays of their signature shrimp salad, Caesar salad, and more. (Sadly, Costco doesn't sell a charcuterie board, although you can put one together by buying the components separately.)

To determine the wholesale club's best option for feeding guests at a party, Chowhound writer Katie Melynn ranked seven Costco food platters from best to worst, including the store's signature Kirkland brand products and others from Taylor Farms and Sunnyside Fresh. When trying and evaluating each one, she considered the cost of each platter, as well as its value and durability. She also considered which options were unique to Costco compared to those typically available at grocery stores.

In a sad loss for vegetable lovers, Melynn placed the Taylor Farms vegetable platter in the lowest ranking. She noted that it contained a fairly basic ranch dip and the vegetables were not customizable. The food platter comes with six different veggies, including cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, peppers, celery, and snap peas. But overall, it failed to impress due to its lack of inventiveness. On the other hand, the Kirkland brand platters stood out for their creative ingredients.

Let's say Costco's vegetable platter has everything you need, but you still want to impress your guests. There are several ways to spruce up a basic tray of assorted veggies with minimal effort. For one, you can add some dipping options. As stated, the Taylor Farms vegetable platter at Costco comes with a simple ranch dressing. Instead of serving only this sauce, add a tangy tzatziki (distinct from tahini) or hummus to add new textures and flavors. Or perhaps incorporate a rich, lemony whipped feta dip. Luckily, Costco carries several different dips in its refrigerated section for more inspiration and to avoid making another grocery store stop. 

Another way to bring life to a boring vegetable tray is to add fresh herbs. Sprinkle flavorful seasonings like dill, parsley, and basil over the vegetables and dips to effortlessly elevate the appearance of the vegetable platter. The herbs will also complement the taste of the veggies by enhancing their natural flavors.

Lastly, you can throw in a few pickled foods to add more variety to the tray. While olives and pickles may be the first to come to mind, there are other options that would also stand out on a basic vegetable platter. Take a gander down the canned food aisle to find pickled onions, beets, cauliflower, and radishes. To keep the briny food from touching the fresh vegetables, they can be served in small bowls accompanying the tray.