Deli & Sides

Deli Platter Shopping Guide

What Different Types of Deli Platters and Side Dishes Are There?

Deli platters and cold cuts cover a wide array of dishes prepared ahead of time, including sandwiches, meats, and cheeses to dips, desserts, salads, and vegetable and fruit platters. These are the perfect solution to feeding guests at events such as Super Bowl parties or professional networking events. They may also round out large home meals like Thanksgiving dinner.

Sam's Club offers a selection of deli platters to serve every event, as well as ready-to-serve meals to have on hand after a long day or when leaving the kids with a babysitter. Popular deli dishes often include turkey, ham, salami, roast beef, turkey breast, or chicken deli meat sliced very thin with a deli slicer, cheeses cut into bite-sized chunks, and fruits and vegetables cut to finger-food sizes. Other popular deli items include breakfast or dessert platters and a variety of dips, all available at Sam's Club.

Every event has different food needs. Super Bowl parties, Thanksgiving dinner, or birthday parties are a great time for shareables and dips, like the can't-go-wrong choice of Wholly Guacamole Homestyle Trays or the bold, fresh flavor of Member's Mark Raspberry Chipotle Dip. A vegetable or fruit platter can provide a healthy, bright accent to any party.

Main St. Bistro Scalloped Potatoes are a great choice for a prepared side dish for Thanksgiving. Every party can culminate with a delicious dessert like the Member's Mark Cookie Tray. Sam's Club is ready to make your party fun and memorable with our selection of classic and unique party platters.

Professional events benefit from self-contained foods such as Member's Mark Assorted Pinwheel Wraps Party Tray with turkey breast, roast beef, and ham deli meat. There's also the Member's Mark Chicken Salad Sandwich Party Tray. Serving a variety of cheeses, such as those in the Member's Mark Gourmet Selection Imported Cheeses, is a tasty tradition at formal events. Sam's Club carries upscale classics such as Member's Mark Shrimp Tray with Cocktail Sauce, or you can range farther in seafood with the five different sushi rolls in the FujiSan Akita Deluxe Party Tray, freshly made at Sam's Club with healthy ingredients.

Whatever type of event you're hosting, you want to be sure to serve only the best, healthiest, and freshest foods. Sam's Club carries top brands of dip, salsa and guacamole, such as a range of Sabra hummus flavors and Chi-Chi's Salsa. Our healthy deli meats, cold cuts, chicken breast, and seafood options are always freshly prepared, our vegetables are crisp and colorful and our cheeses are carefully selected from among the best Europe has to offer. We even offer cold cuts and hot dogs free of nitrites if you're watching what you eat. Sam's Club has you covered with quality and quantity in our deli platter selection.

What to Consider When Buying Deli Platters and Side Dishes

When buying side dishes prepared ahead of time, a crucial consideration is how many guests you're serving. For large events, our 54-count Member's Mark Breakfast Tray is perfect for breakfast or lunch, and the 40-count Member's Mark Assorted Pinwheel Wraps Party Tray is great for any time of day. For mid-sized gatherings, our 4-pound Gourmet Vegetable Tray is a healthy option that serves 16, while the Member's Mark Chicken Salad Sandwich Party Tray contains 9 sandwiches cut into halves to serve 18.

Items priced per pound, such as Member's Mark Rotisserie Chicken Salad or Member's Mark Waldorf Salad, are a great flexible option for any-size parties. And for a small family or solo meals ready to serve, our variety of FujiSan sushi rolls offer a smart zero-prep choice.

Another consideration is how much dip you should buy with your platter. Sam's Club offers a vast selection of dips, including salsa, guacamole, hummus, ranch, cheese, and spinach artichoke. Each of these can pair excellently with our deli meat offerings, like black forest ham or honey ham, paired with chips or vegetables. Take into account the tastes of your guests and the theme of your party, as well as how many guests you expect. Calculate approximately 3 ounces of dip per person. For example, our 32-ounce Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus can serve about 10–12 people, and is one of the most popular hummus options.

Dietary restrictions are another thing to consider. Our chicken and oven-roasted turkey breast offerings are great kosher alternatives to black forest ham or honey ham, and our veggie platters, fruit platters, and prepared salads are delicious and nutritious choices for your vegan and vegetarian guests.

Another dietary consideration is pregnancy and deli meat. While it's best to avoid deli meat in pregnancy due to listeria concerns, your pregnant guests can still have a delicious experience with the fresh fruits and hard cheeses in our Member's Mark Fruit and Cheese Party Tray with Strawberries. Preservatives are also often a concern for women who are pregnant, so they may choose to steer clear of the deli counter.

How long deli meat is good for affects the timing of your purchase relative to your event. Sam's Club brings you fresh deli platters ready to serve right away, but if you need to plan ahead for your event, you can buy deli meat as far as 5 days in advance as long as you keep the product refrigerated. Or you can freeze deli meat to last even longer.

Different types of platters will include different deli meats (even pastrami), so it's best to research the type of meat you're expecting to get for your event and base your purchase around that. Sam's Club offers fresh deli meats, as well as prepared longer-lasting dishes such Member's Mark BBQ Baked Beans With Brisket, a delicious BBQ side dish great for outdoor events.

What Types of Deli Platters and Side Dishes Does Sam's Club Sell?

Sam's Club offers a variety of meat deli platters, shrimp platters, potato side dishes, dips, and other popular deli items. We carry top brands like Sabra hummus and a selection of fresh and flavorful fruits and crisp and colorful vegetables. You can mix and match any of our delicious dippables with our wide ranges of salsas, guacamole, hummus, cheese dips, and other dips. We have you covered for dessert, too, with cookies and cheesecake to please any type of crowd.

When you need prepared side dishes on a budget, Sam's Club has you covered. Our offerings are under $20. They include a variety of potato dishes such as Reser's Main St. Bistro Oven Roasted Potatoes, a range of soups and bisques such as Member's Mark Tomato Basil Soup, and classics such as our Member's Mark Shrimp Platter.

Our FujiSan sushi collection offers another affordable seafood option, while the Mediterranean Tapas Platter offers a bargain-price break from the prepared side dish standbys. A price-conscious meal can be rounded out by our delectable dessert of Member's Mark Cheesecake Miniatures.

Whatever your headcount, tastes, or budget, Sam's Club offers a large variety of prepared side dishes and entrees to meet your needs and feed your guests.