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If you've decided not to cook — or at least not to cook much — for Thanksgiving this year, you won’t be the only one.
Last year’s pared down Thanksgiving gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 might have opened some families’ eyes to a new tradition — the outsourcing of all or part of your holiday meal for an easier, more low-key event. Now, as the country eases into a new pandemic normal, it might be a fine time to reinvent some family traditions, too.
There’s no shortage of national chains and local restaurants offering Thanksgiving dinners to go.
Whole roasted turkeys, spiral hams and apple pies can be ordered a la carte or as part of entire meal deals. In most cases, all you have to do is pick up your meal at the store (some chains offer delivery for an extra fee), thaw, reheat and serve. Many of these options will be popular, so be sure to order online or call as soon as possible.
Your local area is likely to have independent restaurants offering their own versions of grab-and-go and heat-and-serve Thanksgiving dinners. It's great to support community-based restaurants, so check out what's available near you.
If you decide to go with a national chain, here's what's on the menu.
Bob Evans
This Ohio-based chain, which has nearly 500 outlets in the U.S. — primarily in the Midwest, Southeast and mid-Atlantic states — is an affordable way to put Thanksgiving on the table.
All meals are picked up cold and require roughly two hours of heating. The Premium Farmhouse Feast, which can be ordered for up to 10 people, comes with presliced hickory-smoked ham and slow-roasted turkey, bread and celery dressing, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and ham, rolls, cranberry relish, macaroni and cheese, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie and double-crust apple pie. Meals for eight or four people (called Farmhouse Feasts) come with your choice of ham or turkey and all of the aforementioned accompaniments except for the apple pie (pumpkin pie only). The online ordering page makes it easy to customize your meal with extra servings of side dishes, too. In-store or curbside pickup and delivery are available.
Expect to pay: From $59.99 for 4 people, $89.99 for 8 people and $134.99 for the Premium Farmhouse Feast for up to 10 people.
Homemade hack: Take a pass on store-bought whipped cream and make the fresh variety by whipping heavy cream and a touch of sugar for the best pumpkin pie topping around.
