The Costco Shortcut For Making Your Own Lunch Meat
For time immemorial, the humble turkey sandwich has graced lunchboxes, work bags, cafeterias, and kitchens around the world. The simple yet delicious turkey sandwich is convenient to make, and with the right bread and toppings, it satisfies even the pickiest of eaters. While sandwich making has become easier with pre-sliced turkey, it sometimes has a wet, slimy texture, or too much added sodium. To solve this problem, just slice your own deli meat at home. We love Costco's Kirkland Signature Oven Browned Turkey Breast for this exact purpose.
At around $22 per breast, or $5.66 per pound, Kirkland Signature's Oven Browned Turkey Breast is one of the best deli meats to buy at Costco. It's more affordable than many pre-sliced varieties, which are upwards of $7.99 per pound, and it's perfectly cooked, seasoned, and packaged for freshness. To use it for sandwiches, you'll need to cut it pretty thin, which is where a mandolin slicer comes in handy. While it's an easy trick to slice your own deli-style meats at home, a sharp chef's knife or handheld meat slicer can work just as well.
Customers have found this trick makes about a week's worth of lunch meat. But if you're hoping to stretch it a little longer, store half the slices in a vacuum-sealed bag in the freezer, which can last up to three months. In other words, if you're a daily sandwich eater, you'll be well-stocked.
Other Costco meats to try this trick with
Of course, other packaged deli turkey brands could work in lieu of this hack. But we highly recommend trying Costco's meat first, since it's fresh and mostly preservative-, antibiotic-, and fat-free. Beyond turkey, our favorites include Kirkland Signature's Applewood Smoked Master Carve Half Ham, at $24 or $4.53 per pound, and the Smoked Pulled Pork Rubbed With Seasonings, at $15.88 per container. Even the wholesale chain's pre-sliced options, like Dietz and Watson's Organic Sliced Turkey, tend to beat out other grocers in terms of portion size and affordability.
No matter the meat you choose, the thinner the slice, the better. In fact, sandwich experts say the best thickness for deli meat is around one-eighth of an inch. This makes it easier to stack several layers of lunch meat between your bread, plus it saves room for cheese, veggies, and any other condiments your heart desires.