This post contains everything you need to know about a Whole Foods Thanksgiving meal, including the logistics of getting it all reheated and on the table.
I was fully pleased with this meal, which came complete with a whole turkey and all the sides. It came fully cooked, and reheating was easy – although it did require a bit of simple, thoughtful planning. I expected it to be decent, but it turned out to be fantastic.
Why
Thanksgiving comes in many forms: you might be a lucky guest, and bring a nice bottle of wine to a feast prepared by someone else. You might bring a dish or two to a Friendsgiving. Or you might singlehandedly pull the entire thing off, from scratch, for guests, while juggling the demands of your high-responsibility day job. I regularly rotate through these options from year to year. Last year, my husband and I decided to do something that would center more on quiet downtime, and it wound up being so satisfying, that I want to share it with you.
Not sponsored
Wouldn’t it be a kick in the pants if i could tell you that Whole Foods sponored this post? Well, they didn’t. This is just me, writing about my experience, and wanting to share it with others who, like me, might consider anything not homemade to be some sort of Thanksgiving Day sacrilege.
Road trip
The meal came fully cooked, smartly packaged, and ready to reheat. We packed it into three disposable 16-quart coolers, and drove it to a cozy little cabin in the north woods, where we enjoyed it by the fireplace as the first snowfall of the year drifted to the ground outside.
What we ordered
We ordered an “Apple-Brined Smoked Whole Turkey Meal for 8.” Yes, for eight. For just the two of us. We figured that, like all true Americans, we’d each eat enough for two – or maybe even three – on Thanksgiving day, and that we’d create all kinds of interesting things out of the leftovers for the whole rest of the extended weekend. The meal came with candied yams, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, corn pudding, and turkey gravy. To supplement it, we added “Creamy Mashed Potatoes” and a “Classic Pumpkin Pie.” We ordered the food to be ready for pickup on Tuesday so that we could deal with any unforseen problems, and also because we wanted to be able to get on the road on Wednesday morning (I get that day off because I have one of the best jobs on the planet) with as little “mad rush” as possible.
What we thought of it
- The turkey was juicy and delicious. Being smoked put it off the beaten path a bit, but in a great way.
- I’m not a maker of candied yams, nor have I often had them, so I don’t have a context for them. Nonetheless, I found Whole Food’s version to be delicious.
- The cranberry sauce had a bit of orange in it, which I love. It was kind of a cross between jellied and chunky. A little more like a jam than mine would’ve been, but who cares. It was fantastic. I wanted to just eat it out of the container all by itself.
- I didn’t grow up with green bean casserole, and I’ve never made one. Of course, I’ve had them countless times, and this one was as good as any I’ve had.
- The corn pudding – are you trying to tell me that you’ve never heard of corn puddin? – was also great.
- The turkey gravy wasn’t as good as I could make if I were using straight turkey drippings, but I almost always augment my drippings with chicken stock, and this gravy was just about identical to that … so, pretty good. And there was plenty of it.
- The mashed potatoes were as good as any I’ve ever made, so long as we’re talking straight-up potatoes without some fancy additions.
- Now the pie … I put in the order, but my husband picked it up. The box had a vegan sticker on it, but I didn’t notice it until we were packing the coolers on Wednesday morning. (My husband had noticed the sticker, but didn’t know that pumpkin pies aren’t normally vegan. Husbands. Amiright?) I figured we were just going to have to live with it, because there was no way I was wandering into a grocery store to try to change out a pumpkin pie on the day before Thanksgiving, like a full-on Karen. I had a carton of heavy cream that we added to the cooler, and I was glad I had, because particularly with the cream, it was a very good pie. Without the cream, nothing special, but nothing short of remarkable considering that it had no eggs or milk. The crust was what you’d expect if you weren’t going to use butter or lard.
Serving size
I found the serving sizes to be generous. Had we served this to eight people, I’m guessing that everyone would have been able to have had two moderate servings, and there still might’ve be some leftovers. If you want excessive servings, or a wealth of leftovers, you should order more servings than you have people.
How it works
Whole Foods publishes reheating instructions for all the dishes on their website, but in addtion, they’re printed on most of the packaging. (Interestingly, the online and on-container instructions don’t agree; I went with the online versions.) Although it will take a bit of careful thought and planning, you can get the whole thing reheated with a single oven, stovetop, and microwave. You’ll need only the barest minimum of other equipment, such as maybe a sheet pan or some aluminum foil. All but one of the sides came in black plastic packaging that is designed for oven and microwave use – super convenient. The yams, however, came in a clear plastic container and had to be transferred to a baking dish before reheating.
For the most part, you’ll be reheating the turkey, and then the sides. However, there’ll be a short period of overlap that will max out your oven space. You’ll need to think about logistics. While the oven’s cold, you might want to experiment with fitting all of it in there. You’ll want to know in advance just what you’re up against. The sides are packaged in four-serving containers, so for instance, eight serving of corn pudding comes in two containers. That opens up some reheating options. If you choose the smallest possible pan for the turkey, so that you’re able to get at least a few of the sides on the same oven rack, you should be able to fit the rest of the sides on the second rack.
The microwave is really the best option for the mashed potatoes; it might also be good for some of the other sides. If your microwave has a rack, you might want to figure out where you’ve stashed it.
Although I didn’t need them, a toaster oven or a roaster might reduce oven demand. You could, though, eliminate the overlap altogether: hold off on the sides until you pull the turkey out of the oven. Immediatey wrap it as tightly as you can in foil as you use both racks to reheat the sides.
The night before, put a timeline together for yourself. The one below is incomplete, but it gives you the idea.
Your outline will differ, depending on what you’ve ordered … but the idea is to condense all the instructions into a single timeline. This will expose possible conflicts and help you predict a dinner time.
I say this as someone who loves making a Thanksgiving meal from scratch: I was very happy with this meal and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Yes, I did miss the cooking, although I felt a little bit as though I’d cooked. The amazing thing though, was how after dinner I didn’t feel like I needed to collapse from exhaustion. Plus, it was a very, very good meal!
Whole Foods Thanksgiving Meal
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor and Proper Circle. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything.
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Thank you for sharing this review. I’ve never ordered a pre cooked Thanksgiving meal but it’s good to know if I ever want/need to that you found it appealing and it does look very good also.
I remember eating dinner out on Thanksgiving YEARS ago and it was just horrible plus there were no left overs so I’ve made the meal ever since.
Oh I know. Lack of leftovers is a deal breaker!
Greetings. I had the same experience: I live outside of Philadelphia. In November 2020 my wife and I ordered Thanksgiving dinner from our local Whole Foods. It was much better than we expected. Thank you, Jeff Bezos!
Glad to hear it!
What a fantastic meal! The turkey looks so juicy and tender.
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Thanks, Angie!
Un piatto molto invitante!!!
Thank you!
Thank you for this post. I’ve always wondered about those prepared meals. We are lucky that we have a Whole Foods about 8 miles from here so I’m off to check their menu out. Again, thank you!
You’re welcome!
Nice to know! I’m really wary of pre-cooked Thanksgiving dinners, as my sister had hosted one (or more) and the results were… not good. It’s reassuring to know there are decent ones out there. I may drop a subtle hint as she’s hosting again this year!
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Fascinating! I had no idea they did this, but it’s so smart! My husband and I were are our own for so many years, because of moving around, and this would have been a great help. It’s a really smart idea. Thanks.
You’re welcome!
What a great post, Jeff, I’ve often wondered about these pre-cooked meals. And what a fabulous idea to take it to the cabin, it must have been wonderful. Is it a whole turkey or just slices of turkey and can you choose white or dark meat or a combination?
Eva Taylor recently posted…Fall Butternut Squash “Pumpkin” Gnocchi
We opted for a whole turkey. It wasn’t sliced. I think we could also have chosen a whole breast.
Sounds super versatile. Great idea even if you don’t have a cabin to go to or if you’re just stretched for time.
Thanks, Eva!
Wow Jeff! I’d never guess from the pictures that this wasn’t a homemade Thanksgiving meal. It looks absolutely delicious! It’s nice to know there’s a good Thanksgiving option for times when making the meal (or elements of the meal) at home isn’t an option. (Or when the chef needs a break, which definitely happens! 😄)
Thank you!
We’ve bought premade Thanksgiving meals from our grocers before, but never Whole Foods. I think for those who don’t want to put the effort into making such a huge meal, it’s a fantastic option. I would have opted for the 8 servings for 2 of us too, because what’s Thanksgiving if you aren’t going to have leftovers? I’m glad it sounds like everything was tasty. My daughter is making the meal for us this year, and Lord help us, the extent of her cooking goes as far as putting a poptart in the toaster. I may have to have a Whole Foods meal stashed away just in case LOL.
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Haha! Well, I hope they make turkey poptarts!
I love the idea! It’s a chance to have a restful Thanksgiving and a great traditional meal. I’ve bought pre-made brisket for other occasions for my guests since I don’t cook meat. My family felt it was delicious and no work for me!! Best of all worlds. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
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Your whole setting and prepared Thanksgiving meal sounds quite idyllic Jeff. We don’t do Thanksgiving as a rule in Australia, but this makes me wish we did. Your whole idea sounds wonderful for our Christmas lunch. And I’ve never heard of Corn Pudding. tee hee. We always eat for two or three people at Christmas time too. Great story, thanks.
You’re welcome, Pauline!
I know, I don’t know what I did in life to wind up so blessed.
I had to laugh at your comment about eating this feast by the fireplace as the first snowfall of the year fell outside – sounds like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting! I do enjoy making homemade Thanksgiving, but each year there is always the temptation to say “screw it – let someone else do the cooking this year!” Thanks for the review, Jeff. Lucky for us, there’s a Whole Foods about 3 miles down the road!
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Any time!
This is an amazing review – and really helpful to those on this Thanksgiving path! I am weird about Thanksgiving, though – I don’t like turkey. If I am hosting, people get pork, or salmon, or beef. Or – worse yet – vegetarian! 🙂 This is why I like your brown rice recipe – perfect with pork! Happily, most of my friends now are admitting that they don’t love the turkey either – so I feel “safe” being a guest in their house!
I do love turkey, but I’d be so happy with many alternatives. Plus you’re such a great cook, I’m sure whatever you make is exquisite.
de quoi se régaler avec cette superbe assiette , j’aime beaucoup!
bonne semaine!
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Thank you! I agree. Have a good week!
This is such a help. I just ordered the turkey, serving 8. I will be making the sides. It is such a weight off my shoulders. Your review gives me confidence in my purchase.
I really hope you like it. I definitely did!
Ordered the thanksgiving meal for four for Thanksgiving….never again! Worst turkey, I mean was jerky breast! Mashed potatoes and stuffing good. Green beans went into the trash- think they were spoiled or just awful- gravy ok, cranberry sauce ok. Made extra rolls to go with meal. NEVER again will order a meal from Whole Foods!!’ Over rated for sure 👎
Oh, bummer. Definitely not my experience, and I’ve done it twice now. That must’ve been really disappointing.
Commenting because I finding this write up was so helpful to my planning – thanks! We had 5 adults and 3 ~ten year olds at Thanksgiving and ordered the meal for 8 with a whole turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and gravy. All the food was great. All the sides needed some more salt/butter (+cream for the potatoes), but very solid. We made sweet potato casserole, a vintage cranberry “salad”, and pie. (As well as a bunch of our traditionally apps).
I was nervous about buying 8 for 8, in my family you should ALWAYS have more than enough to serve everyone and leftovers are fought for. It ended up being the perfect amount to food. Plenty of leftovers but not an excessive amount.
I would do this all again in a heartbeat! It saves so much stress of prepping those main dishes the week before.
I’m so it was helpful for you! And thanks for taking the time to tell me.