There is a very specific time of day when takeout starts sounding like the best idea I’ve ever heard.
Everyone is hungry. I don’t feel like cooking. I didn’t thaw anything. And suddenly spending way too much on dinner doesn’t seem nearly as unreasonable as it did that morning.
That’s why I like having a few “takeout replacement” foods in the refrigerator and freezer.
I’m not talking about cooking an elaborate copycat restaurant recipe, either. If I’m trying to talk myself out of ordering dinner, the alternative needs to be easy.
Sam’s Club has plenty of options that fit the bill. Some are ready to heat, some need just a little assembly, and others can go straight from the freezer to the oven.
Here are 10 Sam’s Club foods I’d consider buying before placing another takeout order.
Prices and availability can vary by Sam’s Club location.
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1. Skip Pizza Delivery: Grab a Sam’s Club Pizza
Pizza night is probably one of the easiest takeout habits to replace.
Sam’s currently offers its large Member’s Mark 16-inch Hot Baked Cafe Pizza, and it’s exactly the kind of option I’d keep in mind on a night when the alternative is ordering pizza for the family. Sam’s also currently carries prepared and frozen pizza options.
You don’t have to pretend homemade pizza is the same thing when what you really want is something hot that somebody else made.
That’s what makes the café pizza useful.
If you’re planning ahead, Sam’s currently has Member’s Mark frozen rising-crust pizzas in pepperoni, three meat and four cheese varieties, too.
Those are the kinds of things I’d stash in the freezer specifically for “I almost ordered pizza” nights.
Add a bagged salad or some vegetables and dinner is handled.
Takeout swap: Pizza delivery → Sam’s Club café or frozen pizza.
2. Skip Mexican Takeout: Member’s Mark Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas
This is another one where most of the work has already been done for you.
Sam’s currently carries Member’s Mark Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas in its prepared-meal department. They’re made using rotisserie chicken and sold by weight.
Instead of ordering Mexican food, heat the enchiladas and add a couple of easy sides.
Rice, beans, corn, chips and salsa or a simple salad would all work.
And importantly, don’t turn your easy dinner into a complicated dinner.
If the entire point is avoiding takeout, I’m not making homemade salsa and three side dishes to go with my prepared enchiladas.
Heat. Add a side. Eat.
That’s the plan.
Takeout swap: Mexican restaurant → enchiladas + rice + chips and salsa.
3. Skip Indian Takeout: Member’s Mark Indian Butter Chicken
This might be one of my favorite finds for this particular article because it gives us something completely different from pizza and pasta.
Sam’s currently carries Member’s Mark Indian Butter Chicken in a 32-ounce package.
Pair it with rice and naan and you’ve got a very easy dinner that scratches that creamy, flavorful takeout itch without waiting for delivery.
This is also the kind of prepared food that can make your freezer or refrigerator feel less boring.
If every emergency meal is chicken nuggets or frozen pizza, you’re eventually going to order something else just because you’re tired of eating the same thing.
Having a couple of completely different flavors available can help.
Takeout swap: Indian takeout → butter chicken + rice + naan.
4. Skip Italian Takeout: Member’s Mark Chicken Alfredo
Sometimes you want a big bowl of creamy pasta and don’t particularly care who made it.
Sam’s currently carries Member’s Mark Chicken Alfredo in its prepared-food section. It’s sold by weight and only needs to be heated before dinner.
This is another one where I’d keep the rest of dinner extremely simple.
Add steamed broccoli or a salad and some garlic bread.
Done.
It’s considerably easier than making Alfredo from scratch, and you’re still sitting down to a hot dinner at home rather than waiting for another delivery driver to show up.
Takeout swap: Italian restaurant → chicken Alfredo + vegetable + garlic bread.
5. Skip the Sandwich Shop: Italian Herb Grilled Chicken
This one requires a tiny bit more work, but it gives you a lot more flexibility.
Sam’s currently carries Member’s Mark Italian Herb Grilled Chicken Breasts in its prepared-food assortment.
Grab some good rolls, sliced cheese, lettuce and whatever sandwich toppings your family likes.
Now everybody can build their own chicken sandwich.
You could also slice the chicken and use it in wraps, salads or pasta, so leftovers don’t have to become the exact same meal the next day.
That’s one of my favorite things about buying an easy protein instead of a completely assembled meal.
Takeout swap: Sandwich shop → grilled chicken sandwiches or wraps.
6. Skip the Calzone Order: Member’s Mark Calzones
Here’s another fun one I found in the current prepared-food lineup.
Sam’s currently carries Member’s Mark Calzones with Marinara Sauce in a four-count package.
That’s practically designed for one of those Friday nights when everyone wants restaurant food but you don’t necessarily want the restaurant bill.
Serve them with the included marinara and put a salad on the table.
Or don’t.
I’m not judging your Friday-night dinner. 😂
The important thing is that you had something easy enough at home that ordering food wasn’t your only option.
Takeout swap: Pizza-shop calzones → heat-and-eat Sam’s Club calzones.
7. Skip the Burger Run: Member’s Mark Cheeseburger Sliders
Sometimes the temptation isn’t a full restaurant dinner — it’s that quick run through the drive-thru because everyone wants burgers and you don’t feel like cooking.
That’s where Member’s Mark Cheeseburger Sliders can come in handy.
These frozen sliders come in a 16-count package, with each slider weighing 2.3 ounces. Since they’re kept in the freezer, they’re exactly the kind of backup food I like for nights when dinner plans fall apart.
Heat up however many your family needs and pair them with fries, tater tots, a salad, fruit or whatever easy side you already have.
They’d also be great for football nights, busy weekends or feeding hungry kids after school when you need something fast without making another drive-thru run.
And unlike a refrigerated prepared meal, you don’t have to worry about using the entire package within a few days. Keep them frozen and pull out what you need.
Takeout swap: Fast-food burgers → cheeseburger sliders + fries or another easy side.
8. Skip Another Drive-Thru Run: Rotisserie Chicken
I know we just talked about rotisserie chicken in our other Sam’s article, but I wouldn’t leave it out of this one simply for the sake of making every item different.
Because this is probably one of the most practical takeout replacements Sam’s sells.
The trick is not serving it the same way every time.
Turn it into:
- BBQ chicken sandwiches
- Chicken Caesar wraps
- Buffalo chicken wraps
- Chicken quesadillas
- Chicken tacos
- Chicken rice bowls
Now you’re not looking at a rotisserie chicken thinking, Oh great, chicken again.
You’re looking at the protein for whatever you’re craving that night.
For example, toss shredded chicken with BBQ sauce, put it on rolls and add a quick side.
That’s considerably closer to drive-thru effort than cooking-from-scratch effort.
Takeout swap: Fast-food sandwiches → rotisserie chicken sandwiches or wraps.
9. Skip the Restaurant Pasta: High-Protein Penne With Italian Sausage
This is another current Sam’s prepared meal that caught my attention.
Sam’s currently carries Member’s Mark High Protein Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage, sold by the pound in the prepared-food department.
This is exactly the kind of meal I mean when I talk about having a backup plan.
You aren’t buying it because you couldn’t possibly make pasta yourself.
You’re buying it because there will be a night when you don’t want to.
That’s a big distinction.
If a prepared pasta dinner prevents you from ordering a full restaurant meal for several people, it has done its job.
Takeout swap: Restaurant pasta → prepared penne + salad.
10. Make Your Own “Takeout Night” at Home
For the final one, I wouldn’t even choose one specific product.
I’d make it a Sam’s Club takeout night.
Grab two or three easy foods everyone likes and serve them family-style.
For example:
Pizza + wings + salad
or
Enchiladas + rice + chips and salsa
or
Butter chicken + rice + naan
or
Chicken sandwiches + fries + salad
Sam’s prepared-food department currently includes pizza, enchiladas, ready-made proteins, pot roast, pork carnitas, wings and other heat-and-eat options.
This works particularly well for weekends.
It still feels more fun than a regular Tuesday-night dinner, but you’re not automatically reaching for a restaurant app every time nobody wants to cook.
The Trick Isn’t Giving Up Takeout Completely
I don’t think the goal needs to be “never order takeout again.”
Sometimes we want restaurant food.
Sometimes it’s convenient.
And sometimes it’s just fun.
The problem is when takeout becomes the default simply because there isn’t anything easy at home.
That’s the part you can fix.
Instead of meal planning seven elaborate dinners every week, try planning:
4 regular dinners + 2 ridiculously easy backup meals + 1 flexible night.
Those backup meals might be frozen pizza, prepared enchiladas, butter chicken or a rotisserie chicken you can turn into sandwiches.
Then when Thursday goes completely off the rails, you already know what dinner is.
Is Sam’s Club Cheaper Than Takeout?
This depends entirely on what you’re buying, how many people you’re feeding and where you live.
But I wouldn’t compare every prepared Sam’s meal to the absolute cheapest dinner you could cook from scratch.
That’s not the real choice we’re making at 5:30 p.m. when everyone is hungry.
The more useful comparison is:
What would I spend if I ordered dinner tonight?
Restaurant menu prices aren’t the entire cost, either. Delivery fees, service fees and tips can increase the total when you’re having food delivered.
A Sam’s Club prepared meal isn’t necessarily the cheapest possible way to feed your family.
But if it replaces a much more expensive restaurant order, that’s where the convenience can pay off.
My Favorite Sam’s Club Takeout Strategy
I wouldn’t buy ten refrigerated prepared meals at once.
Instead, I’d create a little “don’t order takeout” stash.
Keep two or three easy options in your freezer and add one prepared meal when you’re at Sam’s.
For example:
Freezer: pizza + another easy frozen entrée
Pantry: rice, pasta, tortillas, marinara
Refrigerator: salad kit + easy protein
Sam’s trip: one prepared dinner
Now you have multiple emergency meals without worrying about a refrigerator full of food expiring.
And if you know Wednesday is going to be crazy?
That’s the night you intentionally use one.
More Easy Sam’s Club Meal Ideas
Need even more dinner shortcuts? Check out my 12 Sam’s Club foods that make weeknight dinners easier for more simple meal ideas.
And if you like keeping backup meals in the freezer, don’t miss my favorite frozen foods to buy at Sam’s Club.
Thinking about joining Sam’s Club? You can currently grab a Sam’s Club membership for just $25. See the $25 Sam’s Club membership offer here.
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