With the chaos of Thanksgiving Day comes an overcrowded oven, spilled gravy and other inevitable occurrences that are sure to throw a wrinkle in our holiday plans. Although we enjoy the age-old tradition of roasting a turkey and peeling potatoes, this year some of us are throwing in the towel and letting the experts do their job … and we salute you!
If you are tempted to ditch the hours of prep and the dirty dishes, here are some options to consider. Pick up all or part of your Thanksgiving meal this year because, let’s face it, Thanksgiving is about the people surrounding you at the table, not the tears cried over dry turkey.
Cooper Street 20/20
800 South Cooper St., Memphis, TN 38104 • (901) 871-6879
Be a side dish superstar this Thanksgiving with a selection of side dishes from Cooper Street 20/20; each side is $25 and serves 8 to 10 people. Choose from cornbread or wild rice stuffing, sweet potato casserole and mashed potatoes; add in some gravy or cranberry sauce ($12/quart each) and finish it up with some scratch-made Beneva Mayweather yeast rolls (15 rolls/$7.99).
DEADLINE & PICKUP: Reserve by November 19, 2016, and pick up on Wednesday, November 23, by 3 p.m.
The Cupboard Restaurant
1400 Union Ave., Memphis, TN 38104 • (901) 276-8015
This Memphis restaurant icon has been serving home cooking-style food for more than 70 years, so it makes sense that they offer traditional Thanksgiving meals. Main dishes include a 10- to 12-pound turkey with dressing ($49.99); 8-pound, flame-glazed spiral sliced ham ($49.99) and a menu full of wonderful sides and desserts. The Cupboard is known for its dressing, eggplant casserole, Italian spinach, an extensive menu of fresh vegetable dishes and corn sticks.
DEADLINE & PICKUP: Reserve by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, November 22, and pick up by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23.
Curb Side Casseroles
5130 Wheelis Drive, Memphis, TN 38117 • (901) 761-0287
If you’re looking to enhance your holiday table with more than the usual turkey and dressing, or need some help with side dishes, then Curb Side is an excellent choice for yummy extras. Try a variety of dips – pecan-crusted spinach & artichoke, onion soufflé or creamy jalapeño cheddar ($11 each) and sweet pickles ($8/pint or $16/quart) for appetizers; Carrie’s Cracked Pepper Bacon Biscuits ($20/two dozen), squash casserole, sweet corn pudding or maple Dijon green beans (all $11/small; $18/medium; $30 large) as sides and a caramel cake ($10 – $35) to supplement your usual desserts.
DEADLINE & PICKUP: Reserve by noon on Tuesday, November 15, and pick up on November 19, 21 or 23 between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., or Tuesday, November 22, between 10 a.m.and 6 p.m.
The Germantown Commissary
2290 South Germantown Road, Germanton, TN 38138 • (901) 754-5540
This popular BBQ joint in Germantown may not be the first place that comes to mind when planning Thanksgiving, but it’s a go-to if you want your turkey hickory-smoked! (A 12 pound bird feeds 8 – 10, $49.95). There are whole smoked hams, a bounty of homemade sides and a full selection of some of the best homemade desserts, including The Commissary‘s banana pudding ($44 for a full pan), caramel cake or lemon ice box pie ($27 each).
DEADLINE & PICKUP: Reserve by Monday, November 21; pick up Wednesday, November 23, by 6 p.m.
Holiday Deli & Ham Co.
Multiple locations around Memphis; find yours here.
With many area locations, finding a Holiday Deli & Ham restaurant should be simple. For Thanksgiving, consider the honey-glazed turkeys and hams available in a range of sizes priced at $6.99 per pound and up. Plus, pop-in-the-oven casseroles of all sorts are available, including corn bread dressing, mac and cheese and green beans. ($8.90 and up). Their Papa’s Pimento Cheese ($6.99/lb) or black bean and corn salad ($4.99/lb) are easy dip-style appetizers for your guests to enjoy while you finish transferring those wonderful casseroles to your own serving dishes. (Shhhhhh! We’ll never tell. We do it too!)
DEADLINE & PICKUP: Reserve by Tuesday, November 22; pick up by Wednesday, November 23 (closing times vary by store).
The Peabody Hotel
149 Union Ave., Memphis, TN 38103 • (901) 529-4000
The Peabody’s scrumptious dinner to-go includes a 12-pound whole turkey and all the trimmings: Mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, cornbread stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes and a pumpkin pie. This is another full meal you can transfer into your beautiful serving dishes! The complete meal serves four to six people, and costs $125, plus tax.
DEADLINE & PICKUP: Reserve by Friday, November 18, and pick up on Wednesday, November 23, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the front drive.
A Moveable Feast
1291 Tully St., Memphis, TN 38107 • (901) 522-9453
A Moveable Feast is the gourmet catering division of Hog Wild Catering, and their menu has a complete holiday feast. The meats include everything from smoked spiral-sliced ham (8-pound average, $55 each) and deep-fried whole turkeys (10-pound average, $55 each) to hickory-smoked pulled pork ($12 per pound) and baby-back ribs ($24 per slab). (BBQ can be a holiday meat, right? We are in Memphis!) They also have an extensive menu of sides and desserts that starts with sweet potato casserole ($24) and ends with pumpkin cake delight ($30), with everything in between.
DEADLINE & PICKUP: Reserve by 2 p.m. on Friday, November 18, and pick up on Tuesday, November 22 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. or Wednesday, November 23, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Finally, we would be remiss to not mention the convenient option of ordering holiday specials from Sprouts, The Fresh Market or Whole Foods in your neighborhood.
With all of the free time you’ll have by ordering your Thanksgiving meal to-go, why not make plans to enjoy one of Memphis’ local holiday events? Download the SB App, and you’ll have all the holiday happenings right in your phone!
