10 Foods From Costco That Will Pair Well With Your Summer Burgers

If there is one food to rule all other summer foods, it is arguably the mighty hamburger. The cookout staple is a favorite of both kids and adults, there are endless ways you can dress it up, and there is just a strong summer vibe when you're flipping these babies on the grill. And while the burger is unquestionably the star of the show, it's only as good as its supporting cast. To look for the best side dishes and condiments for the summer season, we looked to Costco, and the big box chain certainly delivered.

We found plenty of barbecue-friendly delights from the prepared foods section, plus fresh and canned vegetables, a unique cheese for unforgettable cheeseburgers, a couple of potato sides, and a tart dessert that is perfect for ending your burger feast. Costco products and availability vary by location, so be sure to check your local warehouse to ensure it has what you're looking for. If it's out of any of these, we're sure you can find something delicious to serve alongside your hamburgers.

Pasta salad is always a welcome side dish at summer barbecues and happens to taste great with burgers. Costco hits it out of the ballpark with this dish that you can find in the prepared foods section at your nearest warehouse location. Multicolored five-cheese tortellini is tossed with black olives, creamy mozzarella pearls, grape tomatoes, chunks of salami, and a tangy Italian dressing. A container of Kirkland Signature Tortellini Pasta Salad weighs about 2½ pounds.

If you've never put guacamole on your burger, do yourself a favor and try it this summer (bonus if you add a couple slices of bacon). These 2½-ounce single servings are the perfect portion for adding to your bun, or you can just grab a cup and a handful of tortilla chips to enjoy it as a snack or appetizer. The minimal ingredient list includes organic Haas avocados, tomatoes, lime juice, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, salt, red onion, and garlic.

If burgers are the ultimate summer dish, then corn on the cob is the ultimate side dish. Americans wait all year for ripe, sweet summer corn, and Costco packages eight shucked ears, wrapped up and ready for your grill or pot. Slather them with salted butter or roasted garlic mayonnaise. Additionally, if you cut the kernels off the cobs, you can make unique, sweet corn-based summer side dishes.

People clamor for Costco's seasonal pies in part because they can't get their hands on them year-round. The key lime pie is a customer favorite, and at a whopping four pounds, it serves a lot of people. Bright, tangy, and cool, it's a creamy delight with a graham cracker crust and whipped topping border. With its zesty flavor and tropical attitude, it was a pie made for summer.

This cheese can transform the flavor of your burger without a bunch of extra toppings, but rather with one generous slice. Jack cheese melts exceptionally well, so it's perfect to put on a hamburger anyway, but this one is loaded with mild oniony flavor from the leeks and lovely earthy tones from the morel mushrooms (which can be quite pricey). For a cheesy surprise, grate about a tablespoon of this cheese in the center of your patties before shaping them into burgers. They will get ooey and gooey as the burgers cook, and every bite will reveal that pocket of melted goodness.

Mac and cheese pairs as well with hamburgers as it does with Southern soul food and barbecue. Costco's version is a generously sized portion that you can find in the prepared foods section. It is made with Cavatappi pasta (that fun, corkscrew shape), cheese-loaded Alfredo sauce, and shredded cheddar on top. Just cover the pan with foil, bake it in the oven, and enjoy this creamy, cheesy dish.

Sure, you can build a burger without any condiments, but where's the fun in that? Costco knows that summer burger bashes can involve a lot of people, so it offers this pack from Heinz that includes two large bottles of ketchup, one bottle of barbecue sauce, and one bottle of yellow mustard. Any of these would taste great on a hamburger, but you can use them for hot dogs, ribs, and chicken as well.

Four bean salad is seriously underrated as a summer side dish. Generally, it packs a punch of flavor, just like this one from Paisley Farm that's made in Willoughby, Ohio. Costco offers two 35½-ounce jars of this excellent product made with green, kidney, garbanzo, and wax beans, sugar, onions, vinegar, and red peppers. It is sweet and tangy, and excellent right out of the jar, so no heating is required. Try it on top of your burgers, hot dogs, and sausages.

If you like your side dishes to be crisp and crunchy, it's hard to beat a great potato chip. And if you love burgers, we think you'll be amazed by this classic side dish that is sold exclusively at Costco. Made with three ingredients – potatoes, beef tallow, and salt — these have an amazing, beefy flavor and a deep crunch, thanks to the kettle-fried cooking method. Like most products at Costco, you get a large, 22-ounce portion with this bag.

As you've seen (and likely already knew), there are a lot of great things to pair with burgers, but the timeless choice is French fries. This version from Costco's house brand is made to cook up exceptionally crispy, especially in the air fryer. You get a full five pounds of fries in this bag, which you can find in the freezer section of your local warehouse. And, you should have plenty of ketchup to go with them if you purchase the aforementioned Heinz variety pack of condiments.