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Don’t You Need a Break? 22 Thanksgiving Meals Ready to Go Home With You
Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many people and one of the biggest home-entertaining days of the year. There’s no need to buy gifts, wear a costume or worry about getting pinched for not wearing green.
On Thanksgiving, all you need to worry about is eating a delicious turkey dinner, watching football, taking a nap, eating some more food, watching some more football and just chilling with family and friends.
That’s a holiday!
You might think, “That’s all well and good if you’re not the one who has to make that massive feast.” Well, you don’t have to be the one who does all the cooking this year. You have plenty of options to order Thanksgiving dinner to go from your favorite grocery store or restaurant.
It just depends on what you’re willing to spend.
You’ve done what you can to cut back your spending. You brew coffee at home, you don’t walk into Target and you refuse to order avocado toast. (Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
But no matter how cognizant you are of your spending habits, you’re still stuck with those inescapable monthly bills.
You know which ones we’re talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
Ready to stop paying them? Follow these moves…
This year, many big box retailers, restaurants and meal services are rolling out discount Thanksgiving meals as hosts look for ways to combine savings and festivities into one delicious holiday meal. This year that includes chains like Target. So, if you’re thinking of paying someone else to handle dinner, it might be more budget-friendly than you think. And that way, you can spend time decorating the table.
So, what are your options when you want to skip the cooking entirely and let someone else do the heavy lifting?
Here are 22 places where you can order Thanksgiving meals to go — or at least part of dinner — to feed family and friends on the big day. Plus, reduce the work in the kitchen.
If you live in the Southeast, you probably know and love Publix. It loves you right back with the premade Publix Complete Turkey Dinner. All you have to do is buy it, take it home and heat it up. It’ll feed about 15 people.
This Thanksgiving meal costs $139.99, which comes out to about $9 per person.
The meal price includes:
And if you’re feeding a smaller family, you can get the Publix Deli turkey dinner for eight people for $69.99, or about $8.75.
The meal includes:
Some items require up to 2.5 hours to heat because of their size so plan accordingly. Heating instructions are included for both meals.
With nearly 400 stores across the country, there’s a chance you might be able to snag a prepared Thanksgiving meal from a Sprouts near you. Their Natural Nae Turkey Meal serves six to eight people for $69.99 — or about $8.75 to $11.67 per guest.
This particular meal includes:
Sprouts also offers a spiral sliced ham meal ($69.99) and a boneless beef rib roast ($89.99) that both feed six to eight people, as well as a roasted turkey breast meal for a small crowd of two to three people ($39.99).
Nothing says “homestyle” like Cracker Barrel. With its Heat n’ Serve Holiday Family Meal To-Go, you know you’ll get comfort food — and plenty of it.
Its Heat n’ Serve Feast feeds eight to 10 people for $169.99, which comes out to about $21.25 to $16.99 per person.
The meal includes:
If you’re planning a smaller gathering, Cracker Barrel’s Heat n’ Serve Family Dinner serves four to six people. At $104.99, that comes out to about $26.25 to $17.50 per person. The meal includes the following:
If you just want a bit of help in the kitchen, you can grab the Heat n’ Serve Turkey Breast for $39.99 or the Heat n’ Serve Spiral Sliced Sugar-Cured Ham for $69.99.
Yes, Target has made the list! The retail giant is back with Thanksgiving dinner for four this year with a lower price. You can get all the ingredients you need to whip up something tasty for $20 (or $5 per person), including:
Fresh Market is known as an upscale grocer, but it doesn’t stretch the budget with its ultimate holiday dinner. If you want variety in your meal, you’ll get it with this one.
The cost to feed 12 to 14 people is $199.99, which comes out to about $14.29 to $16.67 per person.
The meal kit includes:
Wait. Turkey and ham? That we can get behind. Plus, the sides look amazing. If you have a Fresh Market nearby, this could be a great option.
If your Thanksgiving dinner will be a little smaller — as in 8 to 10 people — then you can go for the traditional holiday dinner for $99.99, or about $9.99 to $12.50 per person.
This meal includes:
And if your Thanksgiving table is even smaller, you can grab the essential holiday dinner for 3 to 5 people. This heat-and-serve meal rings in at $74.99, or about $15 to $25 per person, and includes:
To feed 12 people with Bob Evans’ Turkey Farmhouse Feast, you’d need to order one eight-person meal and one four-person meal. Together, the turkey meal runs about $220 and the ham meal costs $200, running you roughly $18.33 or $16.67 per person.
The meal includes:
If you prefer turkey over ham, you can order the Ham Farmhouse Feast for $149.98, or $12.50 per person.
You can also opt for the Premium Farmhouse Feast, which feeds 8 to 10 people for $159.99, or about $16 to $20 per person, and includes:
The meals are packed cold, but heating instructions are included.
If you’re lucky enough to live in the Midwest where you can shop at Hy-Vee, you have a great holiday meal option with its family feast turkey dinner. Those outside the Midwest don’t know what they’re missing from this Iowa-based grocery store chain.
The price for up to 12 people is $169.99, which comes out to $14.17 per person.
This Thanksgiving feast includes:
Other side options include buttered sweet corn, cranberry relish, green bean casserole, holiday potatoes with cheddar, sage bread dressing, white cheddar macaroni or pie (apple, banana cream, French silk or pumpkin). The instructions say to plan for 2.5 hours to reheat the meal.
If you’re ready to pull out all the stops, Thanksgiving Extravaganza for 12 may be your best option. It’s not cheap, but it will blow the doors off your typical Thanksgiving dinner — as well as your belt buckles and buttons.
The price for up to 12 people is $539.99, which comes out to about $45 per person.
It includes:
If that’s a little too pricey for your taste, we get it. Whole Foods also offers some cheaper version, the Thanksgiving Feast for 12 for $399.99.
We get it. Everything is more expensive than it used to be, but your paycheck hasn’t kept up.
When money is tight, these resources will help nearly everyone.
It’s no surprise to find Costco on this list. Just like most things you buy here, you can expect a quality, delicious meal from Rastelli’s antibiotic-free turkey breast roast turkey dinner.
The meal serves eight to 10 people and costs $269.99 and is currently only available online.
This meal includes:
Costco ships directly to you, and the shipping costs are included in the overall price. If you’re feeling more like red meat this Thanksgiving, Costco also offers Black Angus Beef Tenderloin Roast Meal that serves six people for $199.99.
If you live west of the Mississippi, Albertsons has your back this Thanksgiving. You can order a fully cooked Roasted Turkey Holiday Dinner that serves eight to 10 people for $135.99. That’s about $14 to $17 per person.
It includes:
You can also choose a version with turkey breast (serves 8) instead of whole turkey or baked turkey for the same price. Albertsons also has a deluxe Prime Rib Holiday Dinner (serves 4–6) for $199.99.
Looking to feed about 10 people? Check out the Complete Thanksgiving Dinner from Shoprite for $79.99 — about $8 a person. It includes:
Shoprite also offers a Friendsgiving Bundle that feeds 15 for $199.99 or about $13 per person. The bundle includes:
If you’re looking for just a few sides or desserts, Shoprite offers those as well.
When it comes to Thanksgiving meals, the turkey is the main attraction. It seems deceptively simple to roast a perfect bird, but how many of us have served it dried out or undercooked? Stick to making the sides and get a cooked turkey, delivered right to your door, from Popeyes instead.
Popeye’s turkey costs $99.9 plus sales tax and shipping is included. They say the bird will feed approximately eight to 12 people. The turkey is infused with Cajun seasonings, roasted, then frozen — so all you need to do on Thanksgiving day is reheat the thawed bird. Check thawing times because you should start that a day or two ahead of the day you want to heat and eat.
If you don’t want to make your own sides either, you can pick up sides, including mashed potatoes, biscuits, and mac and cheese, from a local Popeyes in your area.
Blue Apron is offering its Classic Thanksgiving Box again this year for $94.99. It serves six to eight people, coming out at about $12 to $16 per person. The box includes:
It is available for pre-order now for delivery starting the week of 11/18.
Harry & David is known for its premium foods that it delivers by mail nationwide. You can order the Gourmet Turkey Feast for your family for $269.99. It serves eight to 10 people.
The meal includes:
You can also upgrade to the Wow Holiday Meal for $499.99 if you’re really feeling fancy — and flush with money — this year.
Omaha Steaks is typically known for its namesake meat, but at Thanksgiving you’ll want to get your hands on one of their prepared Thanksgiving dinners.
There are four options available: Custom Thanksgiving Feast for Four ($139.99), Build Your Perfect Thanksgiving ($179.99), Build Your Own Thanksgiving Feast for Eight ($169.99), and Build Your Own Festive Dinner ($169.99). Depending on which you order, the per-head price ranges from $25 to $32.50.
The meal for 8 includes:
Once you’ve ordered, your meal will ship directly to you at no additional charge and all you’ll need to do on the day is reheat it.
Meal delivery service Hello Fresh offers a complete Thanksgiving meal kit shipped straight to your door for $18.99 per person for eight to 10 guests.
You can customize your box depending on your food preferences. Choices include:
You can add an appetizer — a jammy brie and charcuterie board with pear, pecans and baguette — for $24.99.
Hello Fresh also offers a roasted beef tenderloin that serves four to six guests for $24.99 per person. It includes all the same sides, sans the cranberry sauce.
As is typical with Hello Fresh meals, this meal will require some prep work. The turkey also requires four days to thaw. Your box will ship on your preferred delivery day from Nov. 16 to 23.
You may not think a kitchen and home retailer would sell complete meals, but Williams Sonoma is in on the prepared meal business. This includes their Deluxe Thanksgiving Dinner for those of us who have a bougie budget and a palate to match.
The dinner serves four to six people and costs $299.95. It includes:
That’s not your run-of-the-mill Thanksgiving dinner, but it obviously comes with a not run-of-the-mill price.
Williams Sonoma also offers many other prepared Thanksgiving dinners, but be ready for sticker shock.
Goldbelly is a unique business that took off during the pandemic. They allow customers to buy meals directly from their business partners across the country, which include everything from small shops to world-famous restaurants.
To date, Goldbelly offers meals from thousands of restaurants across the country. Their Thanksgiving dinner options currently include:
Goldbelly also gives you the opportunity to simply just order a whole turkey or several sides from restaurants all over the country – such as Commander’s Palace, BLT Steak in New York, 4 Rivers Smokehouse in Kissimmee, Florida, Bludso’s BBQ in Los Angeles, Loveless Cafe in Nashville and many other options.
Of course they’re known for their hams, but HoneyBaked Ham also offers prepared Thanksgiving dinners that feature a honey baked turkey.
HoneyBaked’s Thanksgiving dinner costs $164.99 and feeds 14 to 18 people. That will run you around $9 to $12 per person. The meal options are more limited, but they do include:
You can also add a pecan pie for $39.99.
Shipping opened on Oct. 30. The company says their hams can be frozen for up to six weeks for future use, and turkeys can be frozen for up to 12 weeks.
The large grocery store chain offers an affordable prepared Thanksgiving dinner that feeds six to eight people for only $69.99. That’s a reasonable $8.75 to $11.67 per person. The dinner includes:
All the dinners are fully cooked and take two to three hours for reheating.
Wegman’s — an East Coast-based grocery store chain — offers four Thanksgiving dinner options for carryout only, all available for pickup between Nov. 23-28.
If you’re feeding just a few people, the Holiday Turkey Meal may fit the bill. Each individual dinner is $16 and includes turkey, whipped potatoes, herb stuffing, butternut squash, cranberry relish and homestyle gravy. These are available to order Nov. 5–28.
For a bigger crowd, the Hand-Carved Turkey Dinner feeds six for about $200 or or 12 for $290. It includes a turkey platter and your choice of four sides from the following:
Wegmans’ Classic Turkey Dinner costs $179 and feeds 10. It includes:
Finally, Wegmans offers a Signature Ham Dinner that serves 10 to 12 people and costs $238. This meal includes a 7- to 8-pound spiral-sliced glazed ham and your choice of four sides:
Kroger also offers Thanksgiving dinner you can order ahead. Its Thanksgiving Feast Bundle will run you $170 and serves six to eight guests — about $21 to $28 per person. This meal includes:
Kroger also offers a Bone-In Turkey Dinner for 4-6 at $90 and a Bone-in Ham Dinner for 4-6 for $85.00. They also offer several Home Chef and Savannah Classics sides.
If you need to wrangle your budget, it may be time to consider a savings challenge. Our 10-Day Savings Challenge will teach you how to make your money work for you with a high-yield savings account, stop overpaying on Amazon, earn money for trying out apps or watching movie previews and more.
Robert Bruce is a senior writer with The Penny Hoarder. Freelance writer Catherine Hiles contributed.
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