10 Places to Order Thanksgiving To-Go

Chances are, you’d rather not cook a whole Thanksgiving spread yourself this year. Of course, many gatherings involve a potluck-style situation, with someone on turkey duty, another person on stuffing, and still many others on potatoes and pies (and someone making sure the family dog doesn’t get into said turkey!). But what if I told you that you could simply just not really cook Thanksgiving at all?

Doing a whole Thanksgiving dinner to-go is actually one of my favorite ways to make the holidays all my own again. I still get a golden-brown turkey on the table and time to watch all the parade floats, plus I just might pick up a few new recipes along the way. It’s a no-brainer, slam-dunk sort of decision, and one my family (and my extended family!) stand by. 

Before you think it: Yes, the to-go Thanksgiving options out there are really, really good. Plus, they’re essentially foolproof, all without little-to-no oven-space drama (some just need a simple reheat). If that sounds very appetizing to you, here are 10 places that are well-worth pre-ordering from this year. 

It comes as no surprise that meal delivery service Blue Apron offers a stacked Thanksgiving dinner option for the Big Day. Even if you have a smaller gathering coming together, Blue Apron’s Thanksgiving meal plans can serve as little as two and go up to 10 people, with three different meal boxes (Classic Thanksgiving, Vegetarian Holiday, and Holiday Ham), vegetarian options, and plenty of add-ons so no one has to miss out on their favorite side dish.

My favorite part of the Blue Apron plan is how the recipes push the envelope beyond the ordinary holiday fare, with dishes like pancetta stuffing, mushroom biscuits, and brown butter mashed potatoes with white cheddar on the menu this year. If you want to get a head start this year, the Thanksgiving boxes are available for the three weeks leading up to Turkey Day, which means you can get a major jump on the feast and safeguard that post-meal nap time. 

Buy: Thanksgiving and Holiday Meal Kits, prices vary for 2 to 10 servings at Blue Apron; meals are available for shipping to the 48 contiguous states 

I will always sing the praises of Fresh Market’s weekly meal kits, my favorite of which has to be the holiday meal kit (the holiday brunch kit takes a solid 2nd place). If you’ve yet to enjoy this southeastern grocer’s Little Big Meals (which, as the name suggests, is a $25 meal kit that serves four), the Thanksgiving meal kit is a great entry point to the beauty that is Fresh Market.

With meal plans that start at $75 for three to five servings, you’ll get all the classics like roast turkey breast, whipped Yukon gold mashed potatoes, seasoned green beans, and more. Best of all, they have meal kits that feed as few as two and up to 14 people, and each of Fresh Market’s holiday meals often just need a quick reheat and basically zero prep until they’re ready to dig in.

Buy: Holiday Meals, prices vary for 2 to 14 servings at Fresh Market (individual dishes also available for order); meals can be picked up at any Fresh Market location 

If considering all the decisions you can possibly make during the holiday season makes you want to run off to the Candy Cane Forest, the HelloFresh Thanksgiving box just might be the easiest decision you make all season. With two choices to pick between (a roast turkey box that serves eight to 10, and beef tenderloin that’ll serve four to six), you really can’t go wrong. Take a peek into the turkey box and you’ll see why, especially because you’ll get to enjoy brioche stuffing, roast turkey with a garlic butter rub, creamy mashed potatoes, and an apple crisp for dessert (plus all the fixings).

HelloFresh’s box is available to order for the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, and you just need to order by November 16, so you can save yourself from all the holiday grocery shopping chaos. One heads up: The turkey sent by HelloFresh does need four days to thaw, so keep that in mind when planning out your prep schedule.

Buy: Turkey and Beef Tenderloin Boxes, prices vary for 4 to 10 servings at HelloFresh; meals are available for delivery in the 48 contiguous states 

Letting Whole Foods cook your Thanksgiving meal for you sounds like a deliciously ingenious idea, doesn’t it? It really does. If you, like me, think the hot bar meals (and pizza, and sushi, and cakes) always seem to really impress, the same is true of the holiday offerings. Whether you want a vegan meal for two, surf and turf for four, or a Thanksgiving extravaganza for 12, there’s really something for everyone on the menu at Whole Foods.

If your focus is on the turkey, you’ll be happy to know there are also different flavorful birds to choose from, like a cider-brined smoked turkey, organic heirloom, or a classic whole roasted turkey. Plus, if you’re feeling like your plans are more flexible than usual, you can change your order up to 48 hours before the big day so you can add more seats to the table. 

Buy: Holiday Meals, prices vary at Whole Foods; meals can be picked up at any Whole Foods location and are available for delivery for Prime members in select zip codes, which can be confirmed by calling Whole Foods catering at 1-844-936-2428

Home Chef, like Blue Apron, offers a whole spread of Thanksgiving dishes for delivery the week of Thanksgiving. While the meal kits do need more than a simple reheat, I promise you it’s worth it, as you’ll likely be hanging on to Home Chef’s provided recipe cards well after the holidays blow over.

This year, Home Chef is offering a super-easy spread, but not skipping out on any of the non-negotiable dishes: hearty turkey breast roast (which will feed eight to 10 people), loaded mashed potatoes with bacon, sweet potato casserole, an upgraded green bean casserole, and more. Plus, you can order some post-holiday staples while you’re at it for when you need something to eat that isn’t a leftover. 

Buy: Holiday Meal Kits, prices vary at HomeChef; deliveries reach 98% of the U.S. and meals can also be picked up in-store at select Kroger grocery stores 

All you holiday-planning overachievers will be so pleased to know that you can pre-order your own Publix holiday meal as early as November 1 this year. With a whole host of cakes, turkeys, and sides to choose from, all you need to do is order online, pick up in-store, and then get to reheating. Whatever or however many things you choose, just be sure to give yourself at least two to three hours of reheating time to make sure there are no cold potatoes on the table.

With no full kits in the bunch, Publix is also a great option for when you want to mix-and-match what you want to cook this year. Want to cook your own turkey? You can just choose a few sides. Don’t want to bother with a turkey? Feel free to go bird-only when you order. For the ultimate stress-free holiday meal, be sure to pre-order your selections at least three days before Turkey Day. 

Buy: Thanksgiving Dinner and Holiday Meals, prices vary at Publix; meals can be picked up at any Publix location 

Want to skip to the good part? Do yourself a favor and look beyond the rotisserie chicken to get a look at Costco’s gourmet Thanksgiving dinner kit. On the menu you’ll find a five-pound, Amish farm-raised turkey, sweet corn, dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, plus two different pies (apple and pumpkin), and all the standbys you likely have on your holiday meal wish list.

Most items just need a quick reheat, but some items (like the green beans, turkey, and corn) are prepped for cooking; otherwise it’s a low-hassle dinner to prepare for the big day. The Thanksgiving Meal Kit is further proof you can buy almost anything at the bulk warehouse. 

Buy: Fortune Gourmet Thanksgiving Dinner, $199.99 for 8 servings at Costco; meals are pickup only at Costco locations 

Perhaps the easiest holiday dinner imaginable, Walmart’s newest smoked turkey breast box contains six different holiday favorites that are all completely microwavable. Yup, the future is here and it’s so bright, because each 12-pound box of food will feed six to eight people, and contains smoked boneless turkey breast, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, and gravy.

Best of all, Walmart is offering its Thanksgiving kit and other holiday groceries at pre-inflation prices, to make sure everyone can afford to gather even if they’re on a budget. I just want to know one thing: What will you do with all your free time, now that you can just simply pick up this super-easy meal box? You’ll have to let me know after you wake up from your post-smoked-turkey nap. 

Buy: Smoked Turkey Breast Holiday Dinner, $47.88 for 6 to 8 servings at Walmart; meals will be available for pickup in-store, with more delivery options available on November 1. 

Let’s just say, if you can dream it for your Thanksgiving table, it probably can be ordered at GoldBelly. If you’re unfamiliar with the service, GoldBelly is the ultimate middleman between you and your favorite restaurants. What this means is you can essentially order your favorite Thanksgiving meal from your favorite chef even if you’re in Indiana and they’re in New Orleans.

The options are VAST: Want a deep-fried turkey from Dallas’ Uncle Ray’s Fried Turkeys? How about lobster mac and cheese from Hancock Gourmet Lobster in Maine? No matter if you want to order each piece of your holiday table individually (perhaps just a bleu cheese praline pear pie from Justice of the Pies for dessert), or any of the whole feast options from restaurants like Blue Smoke, The Goddess and Grocer, or Commander’s Palace, your belly will be feeling pretty golden, for sure. 

Buy: Thanksgiving Meals and Dishes, prices vary at GoldBelly; meals are available for delivery to the 48 contiguous states

As it turns out, Omaha Steaks will help stock you up with more than just beef. Actually the holiday turkey and ham selections are so good it makes you wonder, shouldn’t it rebrand itself as Omaha Turkey? I digress, because we really should focus on how great of a deal the Thanksgiving offerings are. 

Here’s the nitty-gritty: Omaha Steaks offers three different tiers of build-your-own Thanksgiving meals (which will serve either four, six, or eight people), and all are fully customizable. They’re so customizable there’s even a prompt to pick your potato (yes, there’s not just mashed yukon potatoes available), which is absolutely the best question to be asked.

If you want to make even fewer decisions, there are also full Thanksgiving feasts, complete with all the fixings — even dessert. All the proteins can be purchased a la carte as well and there are plenty of different centerpieces to choose from: a turkey roulade en croute, boneless country ham, salmon Wellington, prime rib, smoked whole turkeys, and more. Along with all the sides (like steakhouse cauliflower gratin and Brussels sprouts with bacon and shallots), pie, and individual baguettes with garlic butter, this is one meal you’ll be very glad to have leftovers of, if you’re so lucky to have them. 

Buy: Thanksgiving Dinner, prices vary at Omaha Steaks; meals are available for delivery nationwide 

Where do you order Thanksgiving to-go? Tell us about it in the comments below.