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My sister, BIL, and two nephews are traveling to our home for Thanksgiving. This year we have a complicated Thanksgiving food situation. They're coming for just one day, then driving 12+ hours to Mississippi the following day to visit my BIL's family. My sister is a domestic goddess and I am goodheartedly jealous of her amazing cooking and parenting skills. She can cook any homestyle meal, with seemingly no thought or effort, and it always tastes fabulous.
She wanted to do the whole Thanksgiving dinner for us, the make the trek to MS the following morning. But there are many reasons this is not a good idea. First of all, the family must drive 3 hours just to see us, then there's the long meal preparation for Thanksgiving, followed by a very long drive to MS. Plus my wife is a decent cook, but it stresses her out and makes her grouchy until the food is prepared. To add to our woes, our kitchen is tiny, and I will be just ten days post-op from major shoulder surgery and will be unable to do anything with my left arm. Lastly, BIL is a wonderful dad and a great husband, but not much of a cook, which leaves the majority of the cooking to my little sister. She says she is willing to do it, and I know she truly is, but I don't want to burden her.
Ultimately we decided to buy a premade heat and eat meal from our local grocery store and supplement the food with a few easy to make items. My poor little sister is terribly disappointed, but I reasoned with her that being together is more important, even if the food won't taste as good. I didn't want her to spend the family's short visit slaving away in the kitchen.
Have you guys done any premade meals? What did you think about them? Did you add any extras to them? Were they worth it, or is cooking better? Or do you think it is easier to just go to a restaurant? I welcome any input.
We've done premade meals with great results, but they've always been from the "gourmet" grocery stores, not the neighborhood grocery chain. The only extras we added were to accommodate someone who is gluten free. It was definitely easier than cooking the whole meal.
We've done premade meals with great results, but they've always been from the "gourmet" grocery stores, not the neighborhood grocery chain.
This.
I prefer to purchase the turkey cooked regardless of time constraints, etc. I do enjoy doing the sides though since recipes are handed down the generations. I still want dinner to taste like "mine". We have a family dessert as well someone makes each year that we've been doing since the 1940s.
The biggest gift I ever give myself - I do the prep work days beforehand (chopping, cleaning, purchasing, menu planning, cleaning the house etc). I pretty much wake up leisurely prep/cook then drink wine
I'm sure your family will enjoy it regardless and it is thoughtful to prep and serve the big meal, regardless of particulars.
Maybe consider going out? Some of the restaurant/hotel buffets are very good.
Or go nontraditional. Is your wife really comfortable cooking a certain dish? Prime rib, lamb? How about really good prime steak on the grill - and have SIL or BIL do the grilling.
I've never understood the 'It's thanksgiving, it's gotta be turkey' thing.
The quality of that preprepared meal will be dependent on its source. The local grocery store is going to dissapoint (been there, done that). However, a high end restaurant, deli or gourmet grocer can produce a beautiful meal (which I've eaten, but in a million years wouldn't pay the price they demand.)
Have you considered asking sis to bring a special desert; one that travels well?
I did ask her this. She is bringing something called "pink stuff." I don't know what it is exactly, but that's what we call it (ambrosia maybe?) It has walnuts, cranberries, marshmallows, and sugar in it. That request made her happier, because I ask for it every year.
A few years ago, we were planning a small Thanksgiving get-together (6 people), so ordered a pre-made meal from a high end grocery store. We didn't know what to expect, but figured that it should be decent. To our surprise, it was prepared well, packed well and very tasty.
You could also go out, we've done so and the meals have been good.
Went to a friend's house one year and she did a pre-cooked meal, but she got it from a restaurant, versus a grocery store. I don't know if you have any restaurants that would do that around you, but it is something to consider.
My son, one Thanksgiving, when he couldn't come home for it, had Thanksgiving in Goose Creek, SC (he was stationed there - not sightseeing ) with his roommates who didn't go home either. They got the whole kit and caboodle at a regular grocery store. I asked him how it was, and he said, "Mom, we had already killed a six pack before we unwrapped anything - it was FINE. We think." So I don't know if that's a ringing endorsement, per se, but it can be very good, depending on where you source it.
My poor little sister is terribly disappointed, but I reasoned with her that being together is more important, even if the food won't taste as good. I didn't want her to spend the family's short visit slaving away in the kitchen.
I presume your sister knows what is involved in making a turkey dinner at your place and thought herself up to the task,for some of us putting together the entire Thanksgiving meal is viewed as a privilege/pleasure to undertake and not slavery. .
Best of luck with the meal enjoy the company and best of luck with the upcoming surgery.
Have you guys done any premade meals? What did you think about them? Did you add any extras to them? Were they worth it, or is cooking better? Or do you think it is easier to just go to a restaurant? I welcome any input.
The only times I've done premade Txgiving meals I actually used a local restaurant who roasted your turkey for you, made the giblet gravy from scratch, mashed the potatoes and you name it. Their food was heavenly homestyle comfort food in enormous portions, so it was perfect for us. I used it happily for years -- I hate doing the autopsy on the bird -- until one year I realized they had roasted the turkey with the plastic packet of giblets still tucked inside. They just bunged it in the oven plastic and all. We got a good laugh out of it, but still.
The restaurant went under shortly afterwards.
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) with his roommates who didn't go home either. They got the whole kit and caboodle at a regular grocery store. I asked him how it was, and he said, "Mom, we had already killed a six pack before we unwrapped anything - it was FINE. We think." So I don't know if that's a ringing endorsement, per se, but it can be very good, depending on where you source it. 
