{"id":5435,"date":"2024-12-08T23:11:05","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T23:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/?p=5435"},"modified":"2026-01-31T15:07:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T20:07:02","slug":"costco-frozen-lasagna-kirkland-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/08\/costco-frozen-lasagna-kirkland-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Costco Frozen Lasagna (Kirkland) Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

Author\u2019s note: I wasn\u2019t paid to write this review, and I have no affiliation with Costco<\/a>. Obvs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inconsistent, like a politician in an election year.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The hardest reviews for me to write are the ones where I\u2019ve had inconsistent<\/em> results with a product. Unfortunately, that\u2019s the case here. I’ve been working on this review for about 2 years, to be honest. Ha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(If you are looking for Costco’s Deli Ravioli Lasagna, you can read my review here<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before trying this lasagna for the first time, I did a \u201cLasagna Poll\u201d in my local Costco Facebook group, asking the Costco fans to rate this lasagna on a scale of 1- \u201cPrison Food\u201d to 5- \u201cGourmet Restaurant.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was surprised how many people voted it a 3 or lower. But I bought it anyway.<\/em> I just had to know for myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I realized is that the product itself <\/em>is wildly inconsistent. My first batch was unimpressive, and I wrote a snarky review based on that first experience. But the second batch was better \u2014 much better<\/em>. And I\u2019ve bought it at least three more times since then, and had different results each time. So, that makes it difficult<\/em> for me to describe it to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided just to post my original review below, and then add some notes at the end that explain the better\/different experiences I had after that.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

Original Review: My First Costco Lasagna Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, after my “lasagna poll” last week, I decided to try the Kirkland frozen lasagna<\/a> for myself. Chalk it up to insatiable curiosity. And shopping on an empty stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway. I bought the “Italian Sausage” version after reading everyone’s suggestions. I loved the spicy flavor and I was super happy to see the ingredients don’t include nitrites or preservatives (keep reading for the ingredients and nutrition facts<\/em>). Honestly, the sausage smell and flavor were the best parts of eating this. It’s a little smokey and delightfully spiced with fennel. At least, I think it is fennel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are actually three<\/em> meats here (zesty Italian sausage, ground beef, cooked Italian sausage), and each seems to have it’s own texture and taste, which is extraaaa nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Looking for another prepared meal with spicy sausage? Check out my review of Aldi Calzones<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Noodles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The pasta has a wonderful firmness \u2014 surprisingly “al dente” for a frozen lasagna. The noodles are thick and structural, and satisfying to bite into. Unfortunately, this isn’t a “deep” stack of noodles, just a couple layers, and it doesn’t hold together when I scoop it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It ends up looking really ugly and unappetizing, even after letting it cool in the pan for 10+ minutes on the counter. Sorry, I’m an art teacher, and I care how stuff looks! I give this a D- for visual appeal. It looks worse than middle school cafeteria food.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

The Sauce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The sauce gives me serious Chef Boyardee vibes.* If you like Chef Boyardee, you’ll be happy, I guess? There’s a lot of this\u2026 sauce\u2026 for you to love. The sauce was my least favorite<\/em> part. It’s as bland as everyone said.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s kinda an odd mixture of oil and thin tomato weirdness that coats everything in a red film. Nothing like the thick, tangy marinara sauce I was expecting from the ingredients. I think if Costco fixed the sauce, they could really elevate this lasagna. Fix it, Costco!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

The Cheese<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Alright, cheese time: the top layer of mozzarella is great, especially after baking. It’s got a lovely fresh flavor and a quality mozzarella taste. Unfortunately, the inner ricotta is just a thin, sad little smear? Why?? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was surprised by this, because some of you reported TOO much ricotta. Mine had almost none! It was a huge disappointment. It also made the lasagna layers a lot less<\/em> like lasagna layers. You know. More like just a pile of noodles in weird sauce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe the lack of ricotta is why mine wouldn’t hold together when I served it, IDK. I feel a little cheated. I want my missing ricotta. One of you got my ricotta, and I didn’t!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

How did I cook mine?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I cooked it in my oven. It came out looking really good, browned on top and bubbling. A pan is supposedly six smallish servings of 410 calories each. Again, the tray is not as deep as I expected, so not as much food as I thought. I ate 1\/4 the pan for dinner. But I also didn’t have any breakfast or lunch. Welcome to the life of an educator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here are the notes from subsequent lasagna batches:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Update:<\/strong> I actually like this better the second day, as leftovers. The flavor improved and the texture is more firm. In fact, it’s so much<\/em> better, next time I might bake this the day before I want to eat it and then reheat before serving. Sounds ridiculous, but I’m tellin’ ya!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More notes from later batches:<\/strong> I have had some lasagna batches that had naked sausage pieces sprinkled on top\/not covered with cheese. These dried out during baking, and got unpleasantly chewy\/stiff. Other batches have the sausage buried under a cheese layer, which seems to work better. Maybe scoot yours under the cheese, if you discover them perched on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have had other lasagnas with almost<\/em> no cheese on top, but much more ricotta filling inside. Sometimes the lasagna stack is a bit “deeper,” and sometimes it is “thinner” and flatter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Sometimes the sauce tastes thicker and better. In general, I have found that I like this lasagna better if I pour some of my own jarred marinara sauce over the top of each slice before serving \u2014 it helps round out the taste and mitigate any inconsistencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

**Salt and pepper help a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also a “Beef” version<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I have also tried the “Beef” version of this Costco lasagna. I found it very, very bland. I wouldn’t buy it a second time \u2014 I think the spicy, flavorful sausage (and other seasoned meats) are the redeeming qualities of Costco’s lasagna, and they are absent in the “Beef” rendition. However, one of my friends says she prefers the beef version. So. IDK. To each their own.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients in Costco Kirkland Lasagna<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the ingredients, from the label:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n