3 Popular Sam’s Club Meals You Can Make Yourself for Less Money

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Sam’s Club offers different varieties of family-sized meals that make weeknight dinners convenient. However, convenience isn’t quite as enjoyable as saving money. Although you can’t make every Sam’s Club meal cheaper than the discount warehouse prices, there are some that you can.  

If you need to save some time, you might want to take advantage of the premade meals you can get at Sam’s Club. If not, head to Walmart (or your local grocer) to buy the ingredients needed to make similar dishes — often for less money.

Here are three popular Sam’s Club meals you can make at home for less money. 

Also see the five highest-quality Member’s Mark food items from Sam’s Club.

Chicken Alfredo

Sam’s Club’s chicken Alfredo, which serves two to four people, costs $3.98 per pound. With the dish’s typical weight, it costs about $14.33. For four servings, that amounts to $3.58 per serving.

However, it’s easy to put together a cheaper version for a quick weeknight meal. Consider using this recipe from Taste of Home and picking up the ingredients at Walmart.

Here’s what you need to make a homemade chicken Alfredo that yields eight servings for $14.19, or $1.77 per serving. 

• 16-ounce Great Value penne pasta: $0.98
• 2 16-ounce jars of Great Value Alfredo sauce: $1.82 each
• 32-ounce Great Value chicken broth: $1.37
• 2 cans of Swanson chunk canned chicken breast: $2.98 each
• Great Value shredded mozzarella cheese: $2.24
• Additional ingredients: Salt, pepper, grated parmesan, minced garlic and parsley (optional)

With a cost per serving of $1.77, making a chicken Alfredo dish yourself, with ingredients from Walmart, would end up being cheaper than purchasing the premade dish from Sam’s Club, which costs about $3.58 per serving.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

The Member’s Mark gourmet twice-baked potatoes come in a four-pack that costs $3.68 per pound. That comes out to approximately $14.72 total. However, you can make these at home for less. Add a bagged salad and your favorite soup for a filling meal. 

Using a recipe from Allrecipes, here’s what’s needed from Walmart to make four full twice-baked potatoes at home for a total of $13.55. 

• 4 russet baking potatoes: $0.83 each
• Great Value hickory smoked bacon: $4.42
• 8-ounce Great Value sour cream: $1.24
• Great Value shredded mild cheddar cheese: $2.24
• 1 pint Oak Farms 2% milk: $1.37
• Green onion bunch: $0.96
• Additional ingredients: Butter, salt and pepper

Making twice-baked potatoes at home would save more than $1 total, which can add up if you’re frequently buying premade Sam’s Club meals.

Stuffed Peppers

Member’s Mark stuffed peppers are roughly $17.18 for six servings, which is about $2.86 per serving. Not a lot of ingredients are required, so it’s possible to make these at home easily and for a cheaper price than what you’ll pay at Sam’s Club. 

Using a recipe from Creme de la Crumb, here’s what you’ll need from Walmart to make eight servings of stuffed peppers at home for $17.29, or $2.16 per serving. 

• 8 green bell peppers: $0.98 each
• 1 pound Marketside mild Italian ground sausage: $3.57
• 14-ounce box of Minute Instant white rice: $2.46
• 1 can of Great Value fire-roasted diced tomatoes: $1.18
• Shredded Mexican-blend cheese: $2.24
• Additional ingredients: Water, cilantro (optional) and green onions (optional)

Per serving, you’ll save more by making these stuffed peppers at home rather than purchasing them from Sam’s Club. It’s also worth noting that one serving of the Sam’s Club stuffed peppers is half of a pepper, whereas a full pepper is considered a serving in the alternative recipe. Therefore, you’re also getting more food for less money by making it yourself.

Editor’s note: Pricing and availability may vary depending on location.

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