The 12 Items I Never Leave Sam’s Club Without

They might be your new staples, too.

Maybe it’s because I’m a food editor, but I love strolling through the aisles of Sam’s Club looking at the latest finds and picking out my favorite staples. It’s probably no surprise that writing about food all day has me constantly thinking about grocery shopping, recipes, and what I’ll be eating next. But, that also means I have my grocery game down to a T.

Let’s be honest, you don’t have to be a food editor to have a favorite grocery store. It just so happens that I get to share my favorite store—and its plethora of items—with the world. So, Sam’s Club members, this one’s for you.

These are the 12 items I never leave the club store without. Hopefully, you find a new favorite staple—or maybe you non-Sam’s members will find a reason to sign up for a membership today.

Member's Mark Mountain Trek Mix

There is always a bag of this trail mix in my pantry. It’s four pounds of protein-packed peanuts, almonds, and cashews with a hint of sweetness thanks to the raisins and M&M’s. I like to have it on hand for a midday pick-me-up, late-night snack, or travel fuel for those long road trips. And for a store-bought trail mix of this size, you can’t really beat the price. Case in point: Sam’s Club sells a non-private-label version of a similar product, and it costs more than $20 for almost half the amount of trail mix.

Condiments

I tend to buy a lot of my condiments at Sam’s Club because you can usually find a two- or three-pack for a pretty good deal. And, even if you don’t go through condiments that quickly, their shelf life is long enough that it makes it worth it.

I especially love the Heinz Picnic Pack, which normally goes on sale right before Memorial Day through Labor Day. It features two bottles of Heinz ketchup, one bottle of Heinz mustard, and one bottle of Heinz sweet relish for just $2.47 per bottle. You can’t even find a single 32-ounce bottle of Heinz Ketchup for that cheap at most stores, so even if it sits in your pantry for a few months, it’s a great deal.

REESE'S Chocolate Peanut Butter Dipped Animal Crackers

It doesn’t matter if it’s around Halloween or Christmastime or not, Sam’s candy section is always fully stocked—and with large, club-sized bags. These Reese’s-dipped animal crackers hit Costco stores last summer, and customers wanted to buy them by the pallet. Well, they’re at Sam’s Club, too, and yes they are as delicious as everyone says. They’re crunchy and sweet with the perfect amount of Reese’s peanut butter-chocolate flavor.

Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce

It’s no secret that I—along with most people—love Rao’s Homemade jarred sauces. They’re some of the best jarred spaghetti sauces on the market, but you do have to fork over a pretty penny for the quality. That’s why I only buy the marinara sauce at Sam’s Club, because you can usually get two large 22-ounce jars for the price of one. And, each jar is enough for at least a couple meals, so I might even call this deal a steal.

Bacon

Speaking of steals, the Member’s Mark three-pack of bacon almost feels like I'm robbing the store. Three pounds of bacon for just over $11? Load my fridge and freezer up, we’re having bacon for every meal!

Cheese

Anytime I’m having a party where a charcuterie board is involved, I’m running to Sam’s Club. The large blocks of cheese mean you only have to grab a couple options to fill out your board—and, you won’t break the bank. I love Kerrygold’s Dubliner cheese for its sharp, slightly sweet, aged flavor, but there are so many flavors and brands to choose from.

Pro tip: we learned that if you make your cheese a little “hat” using the end of the packaging, it will extend its shelf life. So if you were worried about being able to finish off a club-sized block of cheese, worry no more.

King's Hawaiian Original Dinner Rolls

I’m a sucker for a sweet Hawaiian roll, but who isn’t? From potluck sliders and breakfast casseroles to stuffing and easy garlic bread, there’s really nothing the doughy, slightly sweet dinner roll can’t do.

The 32-count of Kings Hawaiian Rolls at Sam’s Club is especially great for those times you need to feed a crowd, like during the holiday season or at tailgates, but the rolls freeze exceptionally well, too, just in case you can’t find a way to use them up in one go.

Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Bites

If you haven’t heard about this brand before, I might just change your frozen chicken nugget life forever. Just Bare’s lightly breaded chicken nuggets have been described as tasting exactly like Chick-fil-A’s beloved chicken. The brand used to only be sold at Costco, but in January, Sam’s finally got the chicken nuggets and chicken strips that will have you skipping drive-thrus for good. Aside from eating them on their own with french fries and a certain special sauce (wink, wink), I also like air-frying these nuggets and adding them to salads or wraps for an incredibly quick and easy lunch.

Sushi

Don’t give me that look. When it comes to Sam’s, take everything you think you know about grocery store sushi and throw it out the window. Seriously.

Sam’s Club’s sushi is probably my favorite prepared food item that the club store sells. It’s prepared in-house daily by professional chefs from a third-party company called FujiSan, and no matter what roll you get, it’s always great. Typically I go for the California Roll or California Crunch Roll—and, I’ll be honest, it doesn’t always make it the whole way home.

Bakery Items

Much like its prepared foods section, Sam’s Club’s bakery aisle can be overlooked. But it has some pretty delicious and high-quality items. The bakery offerings tend to change pretty often and along with the seasons, so you might never get the same flavor or dessert twice. However, no party is complete without a cookie tray or assortment of cupcakes from Sam’s.

If you need more suggestions, Sam’s Club customers have continued to rave about the Girl Scout Thin Mint Brownies, cake balls, and mini cheesecakes. You’ll just have to look around the bakery to see if they’re still in stock.

Rotisserie Chicken

Everyone loves to talk about Costco's rotisserie chicken, but let us not forget that Sam’s sells one, too, for the same $5 price tag. Sam’s Club also sells rotisserie chicken breasts and legs that are pre-separated and ready-to-eat in its deli section. So who’s really got the better chicken deal?

Dawn Powerwash

The Allrecipes editors have said it before, and I’m here to say it again: Dawn Powerwash is the elite dish soap. The powerful dish spray works to get even the grossest dishes clean, and it’s great for other spots in your kitchen, too—like the stove, microwave, and even cabinets.

I know, I know, I sound like the Billy Mays of Dawn Powerwash, but I promise, it’s that good—and you can get a three-pack set of refills and bottle for just $13 at Sam’s, which is one of the best deals I’ve seen on the fan-favorite dish soap.

Read the original article on All Recipes.