The Costco Prepared Comfort Food Dinner Fans Say "Tastes Homemade"

It's no secret that we love Costco for its great deals on groceries, mouthwatering bakery items, heat-and-eat party apps, and especially the prepared meals for easy dinners in a snap. So when we got wind of a returning fan-favorite dinner people were raving about online, we had to dig in to find out just what we were dealing with.

Costco’s Shepherd’s Pie (though, technically a “cottage pie,” as it’s made with beef, not lamb) is back in stores and customers are thrilled. The $20 pie weighs more than five pounds, making it great for a large family dinner, or for meal-prep and planning, providing leftovers throughout the week.  Shepherd’s pie is hearty and comforting, making it a perfect winter meal.

Reviews among Costco fans, particularly on Reddit are mixed, with users who were disappointed in the pie and disliked the flavor and texture. However, most people seemed to love it—especially based on more recent reviews on social media platforms. Here’s what people have to say about Costco’s Shepherd’s Pie, along with best tips to enjoy it.

Costco’s Shepherd’s Pie Is Back

According to a Reddit thread, the pie’s density and serving size, and respectively low price point, makes it covetable to families and avid meal preppers. Reddit user QualityEvening3466, wrote, “$3.79/lb for that kind of quality is totally worth it, esp. for a finished product like that. I get 8-10 servings out of that pie, esp. with a side. $2-$2.50 a serving.” So, make sure you’re putting the pie to good use and taking advantage of its size for leftovers for instant heat-and-eat meals throughout the week. 

As for what’s inside, expect to find beef and veggies. “It’s similar to a pot pie except it’s beef instead of chicken and has a layer of mashed potatoes on top. No layers everything is just mixed together below the potatoes and crust,” explained Redditor rowdygos in the thread. 

Overall, customers were pleased with the cozy, comforting dish, and some users offered tips to give the pie an upgrade. “Pro tip: scrape the top of the pie with the tines of a fork to increase the surface area for crispy goodness. Bake until a crispy 'skin' of potato browns on top,” Reddit user dgianetti mentioned in the thread. Reddit user rowdygos also had a tip saying, “I think [they're] amazing! I cook them longer than the recommended time for a little extra crispiness, add your favorite hot sauce.” 

The Downsides of Costco's Shepherd's Pie

The vegetable mix in this pie include mushrooms, which generally people were not fans of—they’ve even deterred people from trying the pie altogether. “It is FULL of little black pieces of mushrooms that are slightly...slimy. We couldn’t do it. Our fault, I should have skimmed the ingredients before purchasing—just a warning to others,” wrote Reddit user 18thegreenbean in another recent thread. Some people have found the pie to be over salted, too.

If you’re not a fan of Costco’s Shepherd’s Pie, or you haven’t had it in ages, you might want to give it another shot, incorporating tips from customers as a way to boost flavor and texture, and make the pie more enjoyable. For instance, Redditor GOBEAVS1959 wrote, “We were very disappointed at the dryness of the filling—we were not expecting that. Soooooo we picked up a jar of Heinz chicken gravy, poured it over the pot pie. Boom. A little more gravy was all it needed.” 

You may also be surprised to find it delicious years later, as palates can change over time. Yet, another Reddit user, Super_tachy, commented in the same thread saying, “That’s so funny because I have had Costco’s shepherd’s pie in prior years and didn’t care for it, but picked one up a few weeks ago to give it another go and thought it was great!” So, you could have a similar experience, too.