Montana Shoppers Are Loving This Costco Side Dish

If you’ve recently stepped into a Montana Costco, you may know about the deli section and what happens when you shop hungry and have nothing but a forklift. And this summer, there’s one item that hungry Montanans are adding to their carts faster than loading up toilet paper for a snowpocalypse: Loaded Potato Salad.

Yep. Costco took the comfort of a baked potato, the feel of a good ol’ barbecue in the backyard, and shoved it into a tub.

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It’s a nice little mixture of red and russet potatoes, shredded cheddar, sour cream, mayo, and bacon. If your grandma's cooking and your favorite bar food had a baby, this would be it. At a close-to-$4-per-pound price, you have enough to feed a crew without busting your brisket budget.

A friend of mine grabbed one in Missoula last week. By the time he arrived home, half the tub was gone. Kind of like how I handle hot French fries from a drive-thru.

Here are the things I love about this and think it would make a perfect addition to a Montana picnic:

• It works hot or cold. Great for those days in Montana when it’s 90 degrees at noon and snowing by dinner time.
• It’s also one of the few things at a cookout that my relatively picky uncle and vegan cousin both politely pass on, which leaves more for me.

Long story short, pick up a tub or two while they’re still available. Then bring it to the river, a tailgate, or that campsite your friend insisted “really wasn’t that far!” You’ll thank yourself later.