The $1.67 Costco Find I Always Stock Up On

My favorite time of year is here: grilling season! Not only do I love the taste and flavor my grill adds to mealtimes, but I also love how easy it makes cooking for my family of five. Sure, I still need to clean the grill, but there are fewer pots and pans to scrub and no stovetop mess to deal with.

The only issue? The side dishes. Sometimes, I’ll grill a veggie or two, but when it comes to starches, I still have to fire up the cooktop or oven to make a complete meal.

That was until I discovered Ritika's Organic Cilantro & Lime Rice from Costco. It cooks in the microwave in 90 seconds, truly saving weeknight dinners everywhere! The Costco pack comes with six 8.8-ounce packages and costs $9.99 at my local warehouse (or under $2 each!). I’m a big fan of frozen rice, but I’m usually hesitant to buy fully cooked seasoned rice because, in my experience, it’s overly seasoned and full of preservatives I try my best to avoid.

Why I Love Ritika’s Organic Cilantro & Lime Rice

I’m happy to report Ritika's is unlike any precooked rice I’ve ever tried. The ingredient list is short, featuring organic long grain rice, organic cilantro, organic lime juice, salt, and sunflower oil. The texture is super light and fluffy when it comes out of the microwave. I usually let it cool slightly, then transfer it to a serving bowl and fluff it with a fork right before serving. 

Now, I will say I love cilantro. I am not one of the unlucky 14% of the population that experiences a soapy taste when eating this delicate herb. If you are or if you simply don’t like the flavor of cilantro, this rice may not be for you. The cilantro and lime flavor really comes through and makes it a great accompaniment to a variety of grilled proteins like chicken, steak, and salmon. 

When we make a pack, it usually feeds my family of five (two hungry grown-ups and three little kids) as a side for one meal. If we have any leftovers, I’ve been loving it reinvented for lunch. My recent meal fixation has been this leftover rice crisped up in a pan, then served with some greens and a quickly fried egg. It’s a super easy five-minute lunch that fills me up and keeps me satisfied.

We’ve also used this stirred into vegetable soups to make them a bit more filling or as the base for burrito bowls. It’s quickly become a pantry staple that comes in clutch during busy weeknights!

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