You can count on two things when you visit a Costco food court: ridiculously tasty eats,
and ridiculously cheap prices.
And you simply can't talk about Costco's food court without mentioning the chicken bake
one of the menu's most beloved items.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and we can only assume that the invention of the
chicken bake came about because there were a bunch of leftover ingredients sitting around
the food court kitchen.
The chicken bake is sort of a cobbled-together calzone; according to one former food court
employee, the ingredients are nothing more than pizza dough, Caesar dressing, chicken
breast, bacon bits, and pizza cheese.
The chicken bake is undeniably just a mix of those other food court staples.
If it weren't for the pizza and the Caesar salad, we may have never gotten to taste our
beloved chicken bake.
To whomever invented it, we thank you.
If you're a Costco food court connoisseur, you're no doubt familiar with their amazingly
delicious pizza offerings, served with the same perfect crust every time.
It's not too heavy, with just the right amount of chew, and it's right there in your chicken
bake.
But what makes it so good?
According to a supervisor at Costco, it's all about handling the dough properly.
In general, it can take up to 27 hours for the dough to be ready to press.
The importance of letting dough rest can't be overestimated; the result is a softer dough
that's easier to work with, which in turn lessens the chance of overworked, tough dough.
That rest period also gives the dough a chance for it to develop its flavors and air pockets
both good things.
Maybe that nagging voice in your head is telling you to order sensibly.
If you skip the super cheesy pizza and go for the salad, you might be better off, right?
Who wants all that boring lettuce anyway?
What that inner voice isn't telling you, though, is that a chicken bake is practically a Caesar
salad.
It's got the chicken and the cheese and the dressing from the Caesar, and the crust fills
in for the croutons.
And here's the kicker: that chicken bake might set you back 100 more calories than the Caesar
salad, but it that salad has 15 grams more fat.
That's right the chicken bake has less fat than the salad.
Have you ever purchased the Kirkland Signature Chicken Bakes from the freezer aisle, only
to be completely disappointed when you heat one up at home?
How can that be?
Surely those Costco employees aren't back there whipping up fresh-made chicken bakes
on the daily, are they?
Turns out they are!
And why not?
As we've already learned, all the ingredients are already in the kitchen anyway, and Costco
isn't known for slinging sub-par freezer eats.
Sure, the frozen option is fine in a pinch, but most will agree that they just don't taste
as good.
As far as ingredients go, they look to be about the same as fresh, with one obvious
addition: green onions.
Do green onions really have the power to throw off that food court perfection?
Maybe they do.
Or maybe it's Costco's 600 degree ovens that give the fresh-made chicken bakes that little
extra something.
We may never know.
Typically, if a dish doesn't have enough flavor, or doesn't taste quite right, what can you
do to to bring all the best flavors forward?
That's exactly why there's so much salt in fast food it just makes everything taste better.
Since the chicken bake tastes so darn good, it's not surprising to learn that it comes
with 2,310 milligrams of sodium.
To put things in perspective, it's recommended that healthy adults consume up to a maximum
of 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.
In other words, you're taking in more than your day's worth of sodium with just one chicken
bake.
Of course it's going to taste amazing.
Like most of CostCo's food court offerings, the chicken bake is reasonably priced.
But for something with the heft of the chicken bake, it remains a shockingly good deal.
For just around $2.99 at most locations, you get the equivalent of about five Hot Pockets.
For most of us, it's a two-meal event.
It's what we order when we're starving and also have starving children in tow.
Even with the addition of a soda, you're looking at lunch for about $3.58.
Where else can you get that kind of quality for that price?
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