15 Italian-Inspired Finds Worth Grabbing At Sam's Club

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Unlike Costco, Sam's Club has no locations in Europe but it does its best to bring the world to U.S. shoppers via an international array of products, including Italian foods. Italian cuisine is incredibly popular in this country, which is no surprise seeing as how more than 17 million of us have Italian roots. Not that there's any need to identify with that nationality to enjoy all of the Italian-inspired bounty available at Sam's Club — all you need is a membership card to mangia bella.

This selection is by no means a comprehensive listing of all the Italian or Italian-inspired products available at Sam's Club, but rather represents a range of different items on offer. Some are from the deli section, others from the bakery, and both frozen and shelf-stable foods are likewise represented. Several brands are imported from Italy, while others were created much closer to hand. The list includes just about everything you need for a multicourse Italian meal, covering everything from antipasto through dessert and even a sweet, after-dinner digestivo. (Not all digestifs need to be bitter.) Besides being Italian or Italian in style, one thing these products have in common is they're all quite popular with Sam's shoppers. Each one has earned at least a 4-star rating and boasts numerous rave reviews.

Since Member's Mark Italian Style Beef Meatballs are frozen and packed in a handy resealable bag, it's easy to cook just the amount you need. A few meatballs for a sub sandwich? Done. The entire bag for a giant pot of pasta sauce? Nessun problema. Not only are these meatballs convenient, but according to customers the 4.6-star item is insanely delicious too. "I can't stop think about them they highjacked my brain ... I don't know what kind of magical ingredient they put in them but they got me," said one super fan.

Purchase a 6-pound bag of Member's Mark Italian Style Beef Meatballs at Sam's Club for $22.97

Dried herbs and spices are shelf-stable and convenient, but once they're ground to a powder they tend to lose some of their flavor. Sam's Club has found a way to circumvent the problem by releasing seasoning blends in grinder-top jars, which is great since grinding the components right before you use them makes them taste much fresher. The 4-8-star Italian Herb Seasoning blend includes chiles, basil, garlic, marjoram, onion, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, and salt, and is something Sam's Club members recommend using on everything from pizza to popcorn.

Purchase a 5.8-ounce Member's Mark Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder at Sam's Club for $5.98.

Member's Mark Basil Pesto is made with pine nuts and parmesan as well as its eponymous herb, which makes it a true northern Italian-style pesto alla Genovese. This 4.5-star product makes a perfect pasta sauce but you can also use it to turn potato salad into a gourmet side dish or give your mac and cheese an herby Italian upgrade.

Purchase a 22-ounce jar of Member's Mark Basil Pesto at Sam's Club for $8.58.

Tiramisu is a delightful Italian dessert that's typically flavored with espresso, as is the case with Member's Mark Tiramisu Cake. This bakery item also includes the traditional ladyfingers and mascarpone cheese plus the dusting of cocoa powder that adds a decorative and tasty topping. "Member's Mark Tiramisu is not only restaurant-quality, but one of the best tiramisu desserts I've ever had," one shopper said of this 4.4-star product. Another declared, "This tiramisu is one of the closest I have ever tasted to perfection!"

Purchase a 32-ounce Member's Mark Tiramisu Cake at Sam's Club for $14.98.

Biscotti are a kind of cookie intended to be hard enough to dunk in coffee without dissolving, and La Dolce Vita Almond Biscotti are certainly quite crunchy. Their flavor matches their texture, since they're baked from an old Tuscan recipe that includes a hint of anise along with the almond flavoring. According to one reviewer, they taste just like the kind dear old Nonna used to make.

Purchase a 34-ounce jar of La Dolce Vita Almond Biscotti at Sam's Club for $12.98.

Italian antipasto usually involves cold cuts of some sort — or rather, salumi, which is the Italian word for charcuterie. The 4.5-star Rossetti Italian Charcuterie Collection opts to use the latter, more marketable term for its deli trio, but the meats are all Italian: thin-sliced dry smoked ham known as speck, cured pork shoulder called coppa, and fennel-flavored Tuscan salami.

Purchase a 12-ounce Rossetti Italian Charcuterie Collection at Sam's Club for $13.98.

If you want a super-quick meal you put together yourself, a package of Member's Mark Five Cheese Tortellini is a great place to start. It cooks up in just four minutes, and the mascarpone, mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, and romano filling works well with a variety of sauces. Toss the tortellini with marinara or pesto — a jar of that Member's Mark Basil Pesto would be a great choice. For something simpler, stir a chunk of butter into the warm pasta until it melts and sprinkle the dish with grated parmesan.

Purchase a 48-ounce 2-pack of Member's Mark Five Cheese Tortellini at Sam's Club for $9.53.

Garlic and rosemary-flavored Member's Mark Italian Herb Grilled Chicken Breasts are fully cooked and ready to serve with a side or be diced and added to salads or pasta. "Sam's Club Herb Grilled Chicken is one of those rare finds that manages to be fast, convenient, and genuinely delicious," said one person who purchased the 4.4-star item. Another called it, "Very tender with a lot of taste."

Purchase Member's Mark Italian Herb Grilled Chicken Breasts at Sam's Club for $9.24 per pound.

In my Italian-American family, panettone served the same role that fruitcake plays in other households; something sent by relatives at Christmas and ignored until it grew stale. (At which point, it could have been repurposed in various creative ways, but I'll admit we usually just tossed it.) In recent years, however, the holiday sweet bread has become rather trendy, with new converts appreciating the subtle sweetness of citron and raisin-studded Bauducco Classic Panettone. Sam's Club customers rate it 4.6 stars, with one fan gushing, "It was awesome. It was moist and delicious. This is the first time I've bought this bread,it was amazing!"

Purchase a 26.5-ounce box of Bauducco Classic Panettone at Sam's Club for $5.98.

Member's Mark High Protein Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage is a one-pan ready-to-heat meal complete with protein, starch, and vegetables in the form of tomato sauce. (It totally counts.) "Restaurant quality dish as a great price," was how one customer described the 4.2-star entree. Somebody else added more detail: "The little chunks of sausage are spiced just right giving the whole dish alot of flavor. And some small pieces of mozzarella melted in nicely."

Purchase Member's Mark High Protein Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage at Sam's Club for $5.12 per pound.

One common myth about Italian food is that everything is steeped in centuries of tradition. Case in point, ciabatta bread is a relatively recent creation, one that dates back only as far as the early '80s. Nonetheless, Member's Mark Artisan Ciabatta Rolls wouldn't look out of place on a picturesque, rustic picnic spread. Sam's Club members give the fresh-baked 4.5-star rolls high marks for both taste and texture, and say they make splendid sandwiches.

Purchase an 8-pack of Member's Mark Artisan Ciabatta Rolls at Sam's Club for $4.54.

You can find any number of almond liqueurs in a well-stocked liquor store, but there's only one Disaronno. This brand may be the oldest amaretto of them all, as it's said to date back half a millennium. If you find this venerable drink too sweet to consume on its own, try splashing Disaronno Originale Liqueur into an after-dinner coffee. You could also combine it with cognac for a two-ingredient French Connection cocktail.

Purchase a 750-milliliter bottle of Disaronno Originale Liqueur at Sam's Club for $24.67.

Bronze-cut pasta is preferred by chefs because it has a slightly rough surface that holds sauce better than smoother noodles. The 4.8-star Al Bronzo by Barilla Organic Pasta Variety Pack is an organic Italian import that includes two bags each of radiatori and rigatoni. Both types of macaroni are short, chunky, and tailor-made for hearty sauces.

Purchase a 4-pound Al Bronzo by Barilla Bronze Cut Pasta Variety Pack at Sam's Club for $8.58.

BelGioioso cheese may be made in Wisconsin but the name is Italian and so are many of the company's cheeses. The 4.8-star BelGioioso Shaved Cheese Blend combines three of these — asiago, parmesan, and romano — into a thick-cut blend that melts beautifully on pastas and roasted vegetables, and also makes a terrific salad topper.

Purchase a 1.75-pound bag of BelGioioso Shaved Cheese Blend at Sam's Club for $9.94.

Lunchables are a fond childhood memory for many, but the Member's Mark Italian Style Small Plates are the same concept made over for adult palates. Instead of sliced turkey and American cheese, they come with uncured salami and mozzarella accompanied by artisanal crackers. These snacks rate 4.4 stars with Sam's shoppers, with one saying, "im surprised how good the meat and cheese are and the crackers balance the taste with a little sweetness. Its such a great protein rich snack!"

Purchase a 4-pack of 2.5-ounce Member's Mark Italian Style Small Plates at Sam's Club for $10.27.