I’m an executive Costco member and cookbook author. I swear by these 10 ingredients for simple, delicious meals.

When I was developing recipes for my cookbook “Big Dip Energy: 88 Parties in a Bowl for Snacking, Dinner, Dessert, and Beyond!” I visited Costco frequently, stocking up on dairy, produce, and crunchy dippers.

I was there so often that I realized, based on my spending habits, I’d already have money back if I upgraded to an executive membership.

So, I moved on up to the black-card lifestyle.

Over time, I’ve streamlined which cost-saving items are worth buying in bulk.

Some of them are everyday staples for simply delicious meals, and others are little upgrades that transform a basic dinner into something spectacular.