The $5.99 Costco Find I Always Have in My Pantry

It's a budget-friendly solution that doesn't compromise on quality.

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As someone who’s been in the food industry for almost 20 years, I’ve worn a lot of different chef hats. For a brief period during the pandemic, I operated a small private chef business catering to families in my neighborhood.

I’d send out a weekly menu, collect orders, then spend one full day cooking and delivering. Don’t take my word for it (ask my husband), but I’m not much of a numbers gal. I prefer using high-quality ingredients and wasn’t willing to sacrifice that to improve my margins. 

Since I was cooking family-friendly meals, I relied heavily on canned tomatoes for dishes like soups, pasta, lasagna, chili, and everything in between. To me, using a subpar canned tomato can completely ruin a dish. They taste flat, acidic, tinny, and anything but sweet.

The only issue? Finding a high-quality whole peeled tomato for under five dollars for a 28-ounce can is tough.

Nina Whole Peeled Tomatoes

• Price: $5.99 for a 106-ounce can
• Why I Love It: These real-deal San Marzano tomatoes are a steal at this price and size. I’ll use a can to make big batches of marinara or Bolognese and freeze the rest for future meal prep.

Simply Recipes / Costco

Why I Love Costco’s Nina Whole Peeled Tomatoes

On a stroll through my local Costco, I discovered the answer to my prep cook prayers: Nina Whole Peeled Tomatoes, sold in an awe-inspiring 106-ounce can for $5.99. The same volume of a similar quality, whole-peeled canned tomato costs approximately $20, making the savings hard to ignore.

The best part? These are the real-deal San Marzano tomatoes that are grown and packed in Italy. They have that bright, sun-ripened tomato flavor I crave during the cooler months, along with a nice, firm texture and a beautiful, bright red color. Adding them improves almost any dish. 

Now, I know what you are thinking. What am I supposed to do with nearly seven pounds of tomatoes? I, too, was intimidated by the size of the can, but if you are making a double batch of Homemade Tomato Sauce or Classic Bolognese Sauce, you can easily go through the entire thing.

You can also use them to simmer a big pot of Tomato, White Bean, Bacon Soup or Chicken Stew with Onions and Tomatoes.

If I’m not in the mood for batch cooking, I take out what I need, then pack the leftovers into plastic quart containers and pop them in the freezer for another day. They thaw quickly overnight in the fridge. Leave a little headroom at the top of the container, as they will expand as they freeze. 

An added bonus? The can is super cute, so I usually clean them out and save them to use as a vase or to help elevate buffet items when I’m hosting for the holidays!

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