I'm sorry to hear about your hand, maddielee. I hope it heals quickly. The publix meal is just like the food from their deli hot counter.

Whole Foods might work. I don't know Publix... none in my area. Costco's pre-made poultry is salted unto death. You could direct your husband (my own Dad loved to cook), or if your daughter is willing/able to cook at your home... that would work too.

I've had several complete Thanksgiving dinners from Whole Foods and honestly think they're just meh. The turkey is cooked but you have to cook it a whole lot more. That's not a problem. The green beans are fine if you like green beans, which I think are a very boring vegetable. It's hard to mess up mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin pie. But their stuffing is very ordinary and dry. I've had better stuffing from a box of StoveTop, seriously. It ain't cheap either. I'm otherwise a fan of WF and shop there 2-3 times a week, but I don't think their T'giving dinners are very good.

I agree with Bpath. I did a "store bought" Thanksgiving last year because I had the flu. Dinner was delicious and everyone was fine with it, no one even noticed. I don't have gourmets in my family, I'm the only foodie one and even I was happy with that choice. The biggest issue for me is cost anyway. Store bought is slightly more money but TONS more relaxing!

Note: Just be sure to mash up the canned cranberry sauce so no one notices the can rings! ;)

So sorry about your hand.

I think if you love Thanksgiving, and cooking for it, you will be disappointed in an entire meal from a store like Whole Foods or Publix.

Your daughter has stepped up which means she can help. So can your DH. I would trim the menu a bit and delegate. Do you always provide everything? If so, this can't happen this year.

I only do my pies the night before, but lots of people do all the sides the night before. Not sure if you already do this, but it's an option.

Think about how you can make things as easy and simple as possible.

We have one gourmet store that I have used for catering, so I would trust them. However, if you are not used to the way THEY do things, this can be a disappointment too!

Side story: One Christmas I tried using a mandoline that I received as a gift. I cut my finger on the under side of it! Had to go to emergency room. I told my Dh that he had to help prep. But we also got a rubber finger thingy that I put over it and I was able to prepare and cook.

We had a Publix thanksgiving box one year and we both felt that it was terrible. Some of it was inedible. You might, however, cobble together a good dinner by using some of those tasty Costco sides along with your own roasted turkey and gravy.

Perhaps call around to see if one of the nicer local restaurants will provide a carry out thanksgiving dinner.

I generally agree that the WFM Thanksgiving is nothing to rave about, however I frequent two WFM in my area and one has a much better kitchen than the other. You may want to pop over and see if they are having samples of the whole meal one day and see what you think.

Rita, that's a good idea. I tend to like most of the hot dishes at WF. For me the stuffing is the best part of the Thanksgiving meal, so when it's not good, I'm bummed.

We've gotten dinner from my parents' club a couple of times, the whole shebang or just some of it. Pretty good! But it was easy to make a mess transferring from foil pans to serving dishes.

Thank you everyone. I’m liking the idea of cooking the turkey and buying the sides.

Bpath, does Costco sell its own brand of mashed potatoes? The mashed potatoes and gravy really are always the stressful part of Thanksgiving prep for me.

Again, thanks.

Maddielee I suggest frozen (yikes!--I know but hear me out) OreIda Steam and Mash potatoes. I find them acceptable for both mashing and potato salad, and better than supermarket's ready mashed. They're just real potatoes that you don't have to peel and cut...

My idea of hell is one where I'll have to peel potatoes. So I'm being a very good girl :)

Try a bag and see if it suits. I use cream and decadent amounts of butter...

We did Whole Foods Thanksgiving last year and it was awful. My one and only time of not cooking and I will never do it again. Very bland and none of it was good. And I normally LOVE Whole Foods.

Maddie, I haven't tried the Costco mashed potatoes because it is a large tray, but many people here have mentioned them so I think they will be a safe bet.

We did the restaurant dinners to go one year, and the food was really good...not the cheapest solution, but it sure was tasty!

I've bought the Yukon gold packaged (already made) mashed potatoes from Costco and think they're pretty good. I mix some creme fraiche into them, and pass them off as homemade- ha! Costco also has housemade mashed potatoes that I haven't tried.

Maddie, tbh I didn't pay attention to brand. I guess it's their own, it was in the fresh food section. Butter on top, almost (almost) as good as Pioneer Woman's mashed potatoes. And without the effort!

For sure make your DH do stuff! Typical Tday stuff isn't hard; it's the shopping and timing and planning that is. It's time DH learned. You can simplify it with purchased sides, and have him cook the dressing/stuffing outside the bird.

Another option that would probably be welcome to everyone is to farm out Thanksgiving sides to guests, like a very organized potluck.

(I thought all men can make mashed potatoes. I can't even leave potatoes cooking for dinner without coming back and finding them mashed...)

(My household gets peels in their potatoes. They don't know any better!)

Just saw an article for the top 10 places to order a holiday meal. Boston Market was on the list, along with many already mentioned.

We have had better luck from a highly regarded local catering place and a local farm. Then from Whole Foods.

Whole Foods was so disappointing, we have stores here named Roche Bros. My daughter did it last year as she broke her wrist and it was fantastic. Turkey farms sometimes sell cooked turkeys.

We did Whole Foods one year in a pinch. It was just ok for me, DH the foodie said no way he'd want to have it again. If I recall we didn't finish all the leftovers. One year we visited a relative and to keep it simple ordered Bob Evans TG dinner to go. It was actually quite good, tasted more like home made. We did eat all the leftovers for a couple days as well. Though I'm sure it was loaded with sodium, if we were in a pinch again I'd go with BE over WF. I found a photo in this article:

https://www.dayton.com/news/thanksgiving-solved-restaurant-chain-offers-ways-dine-holiday/9qgz4TBlfLLmlgXr1EQDgM/

I've done it a few times, once through my local Giant grocery store, once through Bob Evans restaurant, once through Wegmans. None were stellar, and all gave me food that I would not have purchased. The Wegmans turkey needed to be cooked longer than I realized.

If I were to do it again, I would lean towards getting different things from different places, or going to a higher end supermarket and picking and choosing the prepared items I wanted. The grocery stores have made that process easy.

Pennydesign, this comment of yours made me laugh: “My idea of hell is one where I'll have to peel potatoes. So I'm being a very good girl :)”

When I was growing up, peeling potatoes for Thanksgiving was always my job. Just Thanksgiving though-when we had them for regular dinners, my mother always made them. However, my mother, and my father and brother actually, are all left-handed. The first couple of times I tried peeling potatoes, my mother could not figure out why I was so frustrated and having a difficult time. Turns out that her regular use of the peeler had dulled the blade for me, using it in my right hand as I had to turn the peeler and use it in the opposite direction.

This was one of several thingsi had difficulty with- being a righty in a majority lefty house (another was the iron....the cord was on the wrong side for me). Alas, I have two kids in a similar situation-two of my four kids are lefties, while the other two, dh and I are all righties. They are unable to use my Japanese can opener, scissors, etc. I don’t make them peel potatoes.

If mashed potatoes stress you out, would you consider roasted ones? I often do a mix of small potatoes, red, yellow, fingerlings, purple, sweet, etc. roasted with evoo. My family doesn't care if potatoes get mashed or not, so no one would freak out without it.

Do you have a Cracker Barrel? My SIL got Thanksgiving from them one year and they loved it. It was expensive.

When I had to travel with my meal I got a smoked turkey which simply has to be heated it is fully cooked and they are fantastic. I tried a box meal from the grocery store once and most of it was still partially frozen. Around here there are many restaurants that offer a cooked turkey either fried, smoked, BBQ, or baked. Check locally for this option.

Boston Market? Some of their stuff is very good but I've never had an entire turkey from them...

If you have a Popeye chicken in your area they offer whole fried turkeys. At least they do here.

The Costco mashed potatoes are pretty darn good. Especially if you add a bit of butter and milk or half and half while heating. And they have a really delicious apple pie. My family isn’t crazy about pumpkin but I think they sell pumpkin pies too. With your DD’s help, I think you can greatly simplify this dinner. Best to you.

And most of all, I just wouldn't sweat this whole thing. Great food is nice, but it's not the main thing, is it? So what if this year isn't up to your usual standards. You can make up for it next year.

My SIL always serves a rather penitential thanksgiving menu from some store or other (I've offered to cook, but she doesn't want the mess), but it's still a lovely day with family and friends, even if we do have taters-in-a-tub and so on.

Another vote for Costco's Mashed Potatoes! Better than I can make!

I know I'm late to this thread and you may be all set but I wanted to suggest Fresh Market as an alternative. We have used them in the past and it worked very well for us. Also, Hello Fresh is doing a Thanksgiving box so you may want to take a look - not sure how effortless that option would be. We have been pleased with our regular Hello Fresh meals although I find it takes me much longer than the estimated prep time they suggest. Could be a reflection of my lack of skill in the kitchen :).

Has anyone said Cracker Barrel? I think you can order whole Thanksgiving dinners from them.

oops, just read Sherry already mentioned it.

We cooked a turkey and dressing and bought some sides and pies one year. It was okay, but the cranberry apple pie I was looking forward to was especially disappointing. It hardly had any filling -- like they had to squeak out one last pie and had no more apples. After that, the year my parents had both recently passed, I was not up to hosting (the cooking was not the issue -- it was that I did all the work and didn't get to enjoy it -- and I was already tired), so I made a reservation. No reheating, overcooking or subpar desserts -- everyone got what they wanted and I didn't have to cook and clean for days and then clean up after. We went to a Brazilian steak house and there was turkey as well as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, sausage, a huge salad bar and other sides. It also avoided some other family issues, so while I love the traditional turkey dinner, the aromas in the house and may cook that meal for us over the weekend, if I can't or don't want to cook and clean for everyone -- I'll make a reservation.

I thought about a reservation at the Ruth Chris restaurant, but I did not check into how popular they are. There are NO reservations available Thanksgiving until late, LOL. If I could have got one, even though it was expensive, it would of been cheaper than cooking at home. No leftovers, but no work.

For pies, just cheat and buy the refrigerator dough. Most pies, other than the time invested in the crust, are pretty easy. Or do a box cake, or a crisp or box brownies and make everyone happy. I have done cherry cranberry crisp with dried cherries and cranberries and frozen cherries and fresh cranberries. Easy and delish, but if i was going to go easy peasy, there are some good frozen pie brands, or the refrigerator dough route with and easy filling. Turkey is pretty easy really, roasted potatoes, dressing mix, frozen string beans or some other frozen vegetable entree that you like, packaged cole slaw and dressing, canned gravy, bakery rolls, store bought cranberry orange relish, a pre-made frozen lasagne . . . All of these are things I have used and taste quite good IMHO. Your can even buy pre cut up squash and other veggies. Would I normally splurge for such things, no, but in a pinch, heck yes!

How flexible are you on price? I once hosted Easter from Dean and Deluca in NYC and it was very good. However, if this is family, family usually wants what they "always have" and even if the food is excellent, they don't want different. This is why I think cooking on Thxg can be thankless, LOL.

So, if you have a local gourmet store, start there.

Also consider, it is pretty easy to get a good pie and good bread (not from a supermarkets tho). DH's can usually make a turkey. What about a pot luck dinner approach for some of the other dishes?

Re; WF I like their "croutons" (leftover WF bakery bread cut up) for making stuffing, and I like their gravy. Sometimes we make only turkey breast so dont really get drippings. I start with the WF gravy and doctor it up a bit.

Again I thank everyone for taking interest in my thread. It has been decided that my husband will do the Turkey and the gravy. He’s going to practice the gravy this weekend with a chicken that he is roasting. All sides that that our guests won’t be bringing will probably be purchased (or made the day before when I can direct the teens.)

Thanks everyone!

A word of caution: be careful sitting in older lawn chairs. They may collapse and pinch off parts of your fingers. The surgeon told me it happens pretty often.

Maddielee, Ouch! I think y'all have it covered. Happy Thanksgiving!

ouch, sorry you had that happen to you!

I’ve done a make ahead vegetable based gravy from Cooks Illustrated. It scored very well on our score sheet and the make ahead aspect was great in a busy kitchen.

One year, my SIL ordered from Wegmans but didn’t realize the turket wasn’t cooked! Luckily, she picked up the meal early and had time to cook the turkey. What was so odd, to me, is she’s overly obsessed with details and yet that little detail she missed.