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Thanksgiving Turkey Preparation
updated: Oct 30, 2012, 10:37 AM

We are hosting about 25 people for Thanksgiving dinner this year, and I have anxiety about PROPERLY cooking enough turkey for that many people in addition to all of the other responsibilities of hosting. As much as I hate to admit defeat, any recommendations for local grocers or caterers that provide the service of a completely cooked and dressed turkey? I may rally at the last minute, but having a plan B will help.

Places People Are Talking About:

Cantwells Market

Country Meat Market

Shalhoobs

What People Are Saying:

COMMENT 337085	2012-10-30 10:47 AM
Gelson's, Country Meat Store ( I think it is still there ) Von's. Ralphs, and your own oven and expertise if you start early in the morning and baste with sherry or wine, and melted butter every 40 minutes! Yay! Happy Thanksgiving :-)
COMMENT 337092	2012-10-30 10:58 AM
Call Shalhoobs. I think they do precooked Turkeys and they are great at telling you how much meat you will need. Even if they don't sell them precooked they will be able to tell you how much to cook for that many people and get you a great deal on the meat!
COMMENT 337096	2012-10-30 11:03 AM
I think Gelson's can supply your whole meal. It'll cost you, though.
SARAH	2012-10-30 11:09 AM
Country Catering and Meat Market in Goleta is the best for Thanksgiving. It is next door to Zodo"s.
COMMENT 337102	2012-10-30 11:10 AM
Try Cantwells market. Its really good!!!
COMMENT 337103	2012-10-30 11:10 AM
If you go to a website called allrecipies dot com, pull up roast turkey or mashed potatoes or whatever you're serving, it will not only give you recipies, each recipie will also let you put in the number of servings you need and modify the recipie for you so that you have enough. Of course, that's only if you really want to cook it all yourself.
COMMENT 337113	2012-10-30 11:22 AM
Cooking a turkey is among the easiest things to do. The day before, dry brine the turkey with salt (google it). The next day, pop it in the oven with the probe thermometer you bought using the money saved in buying an uncooked turkey and take it out at 160. Best part is the pan juice gravy that you miss out on buying a dry ass store turkey.
COMMENT 337115P	2012-10-30 11:24 AM
Come'on ! You can do it !! You know you can ! You wouldn't have agreed to host in the first place ! 25 people is not as big as it sounds. First, get on the horn and ask a few guests (if possible) to bring a few sides or desserts. Regardless, prepare your sides and desserts a few days before; pie gets better with rest. And most everything successfully freeze's and will thaw fresh if done within reasonable time. The important part is to Roast two (2) large breasts the day before, wrap crazy tight and refrigerate - Roast a large bird the day of. This will make the house smell great ! make sure to have enough gravy ! You can't miss ! Just start a few days before - easy peasy lemon squeezy -
COMMENT 337129	2012-10-30 11:42 AM
Call Dominos. That's what I do.
COMMENT 337130	2012-10-30 11:44 AM
Gelson's pre-cooked turkey(s) for 25 people will run you $120 - $160, depending on how much you get. $120 is 3/4 lb per person....$160 is 1 lb per person. Gelsons also does a complete turkey dinner, but for 25 people that will run you $370 or so. In summary, you can get frozen turkey for around $0.50 / lb, Gelson's pre-cooked turkey is about $6.45 / lb. That's almost a 1300% mark-up.
COMMENT 337137P	2012-10-30 11:55 AM
Happy to be veggie. Don't miss it and never feel guilty when I see those turkeys stuffed (har) into pens, wobbling because their breasts are unnaturally heavy and the poor animals are pumped full of hormones.
COMMENT 337138	2012-10-30 11:57 AM
Many restaurants also do catering on the side. Go sample some turkey dinners and ask about catering for T-day. They should be able to tell you how much you need to feed 25 people. But, with planning, you can do this yourself. When my family used to get together for big Thanksgivings, we spread out the load. Two gigantic turkeys, one in my aunt's oven, one in a single neighbor's oven (in exchange for an invite). Each household was in charge of bringing a side. The kids would run wild through the neighborhood while the men watched football and the women argued over how often to baste the turkey.
COMMENT 337140	2012-10-30 12:04 PM
Lazy Acres has everything you need. It 's delicious and if you have any vegans you can make them happy too!
COMMENT 337149	2012-10-30 12:25 PM
137P no one asked for your opinion on meat. 138 - that sounds like a great picture!! :) If you are planning to order a meal you might want to do it with enough time ahead - some places require as little as 24 hours but check around and make a list so you are prepared.
COMMENT 337150	2012-10-30 12:29 PM
Gelson's has never let us down. Great food and a fair price. Add a couple of your own homemade side dishes and Thanksgiving is covered. More important you will have the time to spend the day enjoying family and friends.
COMMENT 337165	2012-10-30 12:44 PM
Whole Foods, hands down. Best deal in town. Once you add up what it costs per person, you won't be disappointed and you have a wide range of choice with them. The food tastes home-made, because it is. Gelson's used to be great but got a turkey there one year that was so salty it was literally inedible (and this is a family that likes their salt!) They are also nearly twice the price as other stores. Whatever you decide, don't fret over not making it. Nobody will care, they will be happier to spend time with YOU than anything else. :)
REXOFSB	2012-10-30 01:16 PM
Stay away from the Ralphs complete dinner. What they don't tell you is that even though the turkey is precooked, you still have to reheat it in the oven. Some parts of the meal were actually still semi-frozen. I'd bet the other chain supermarket meals are similar. Perhaps Gelson's might be better because it's lots more expensive.
COMMENT 337209	2012-10-30 01:58 PM
OP, if you think you might be up to it try it the way I do it. Make as much ahead of time as you can. The homemade cranberry sauce can be made a month or two ahead, then frozen. The dressing, especially if it is a bread-based one, can be made up to a week ahead of time and refrigerated. Buy your salad greens and all the other ingredents the weekend before, wash and dry them, then cut or tear, and refrigerate, each in its own glass (canning) jar. Buy the green beans ahead of time and wash and also store in glass jars. Buy any olives if you use them for appetizers or bread and cheese, also the weekend before. Order your pie(s) from Simply Pies and save that trouble, or make them a week before. If you serve a soup, make it the week before. For gravy, I use last year's stock that I froze and de-fatted. It is made a couple of days before. But this first year, it is probably best to buy good canned chicken stock, a few turkey parts and make a good homemade stock, the use that to make your gravy with a flour/milk combination and fresh spices and herbs. Refrigerate, de-fat, and re-refrigerate until the Day. Then on T-Day, all you need to do is concentrate on the turkey. Prepare it as you wish--I rub it with garlic olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground white or black pepper, red wine, and several fresh minced herbs. Roast. Get help setting the table, greet your guests, have a great time. It can be done.
COMMENT 337217	2012-10-30 02:06 PM
Forgot to add: The night before, put the frozen cranberry sauce in the refrigerator to thaw. On T-Day morning, after the turkey is in, make the salad, set out the appetizers, put the cranberry sauce in a nice bowl, and do all other work you can. This shouldn't take more than an hour (at most). While the turkey is sitting after roasting steam the green beans (which should have been put in the steamer earlier in the day). Then might be a good time to make the mashed potatoes if you serve them. Since I don't, I don't know how far ahead they can be made. If the day before works, do it then. The dressing can be heated in the microwave as can the gravy, green beans, etc. The key is to think ahead, do as much as can be done ahead of time, then relax! Good luck!
COMMENT 337239	2012-10-30 02:53 PM
I found the Reynold's Oven Bags to be very good and cut own on time and always gave me a juicy turkey and less mess. The rest of the meal , veggies and potatoes, salad, dessert is not hard either. If necessary use boxed instant potatoes and the boxed crouton dressings.Wild rice is good but does take some time and not many really like it. I like to make my cranberry sauce with oranges, but most buy the cans. I also love fresh yams--easy to cook and very sweet. Better than canned. Enjoy
COMMENT 337399P	2012-10-31 07:30 AM
Gelson's all the way!
COMMENT 337406	2012-10-31 07:50 AM
I second Reynold's Oven bags. Best turkeys ever---and fast and no basting. I would cook one turkey the day before, refrigerate, and have on hand if the one you cook on Thanksgiving Day is not enough for 25 people. (Recall how good left-over turkey tastes just by microwaving with gravy the day after Thanksgiving.) Be sure to make gravy from both turkeys.
COMMENT 337454	2012-10-31 08:58 AM
The Goodland Kitchen Market in Old Town Goleta has a full ala carte selection of Thanksgiving goodies including turkey. They use local, traceable ingredients and make everything right there in Old Town on South Magnolia Ave.
COMMENT 337494P	2012-10-31 10:14 AM
Goodland is yummy--have not had their turkey, but all else purchased there has been very good.
COMMENT 337499	2012-10-31 10:18 AM
Stay away from the Von's or Albertson's partially cooked dinners. Ghastly! Individual meals from Gelsons or Lazy Acres have rave reviews. In SYValley El Rancho Mkt also has a good reputation.
DEE D	2012-10-31 10:41 AM
I add my voice to those saying you can do it yourself - I love turkey dinners, they are the best for entertaining, because you stuff the bird and put it in the oven - follow the instructions on the tag very closely- and you've got the turkey, stuffing and gravy already done! All you need is some mashed potatoes & veggies (with veggies, the fresher and more simply prepared the better.) It's about the best guaranteed crowd-pleaser meal ever. Buy fresh cranberries and follow the directions on the package - or google and try a variation. You can't go wrong!
SEEDLADY	2012-10-31 12:14 PM
If you really would like to cook, but feel intimidated by the size of the meal, simplify the meal and break it down into two or more days. Ask guest to bring either a salad, simple appetizer, wine or beverage, or a pie. Gather linens, wash glassware and tableware as needed. Simply-seasoned oven roasted veggies made a day or more ahead, are a refreshing change from overly-rich sides. The intense flavors will win over doubters. To reduce roasting time, cut up turkeys to breast and leg portions, wrap and store. Simmer carcass, giblets and wings, strain and reduce to make a rich broth. Cool, skim fat, and store. Meal Day morning, set the table, marshal beverages, chill appropriate wines. Plate the table butter and dish up condiments like pickles and olives. Get plenty of serving spoons and your carving tools ready. BBQ or oven roast the meat; while cooked meat is resting before carving, reheat foil wrapped veggies, breads, etc in the warm oven while you make the gravy. Hope you have a lovely day with all those friends and family!
COMMENT 337588	2012-10-31 01:35 PM
Whole Foods... been ordering Thanksgiving dinner there for 7 years at least..... never been disappointed. They have many choices.
COMMENT 337595	2012-10-31 01:52 PM
OP here. Thank you all for your recommendations; it is fascinating to see how many ways there are to screw in a lightbulb, so to speak. #130's comment on the mark-up, really resonates; but mostly, this all just makes me a little more excited for my favorite holiday to arrive. Thank to all!
CORKY	2012-10-31 02:56 PM
For 25? Forget dong it all yourself. Country Meat or a supermarket and bake homemade pies.
AUNTIE S.	2012-10-31 05:46 PM
Another vote for Country Meat Market (next to Zodo's) though most local grocery stores will provide a complete turkey dinner with dressing,potatoes, gravy veggies, etc.for not too expensive a price.
COMMENT 347367	2012-11-27 04:19 PM
I ordered 4 turkeys from Whole Foods thinking they would be delivered warm but they called and told me that they would be delivered cold! I have no way of warming 4 turkeys and I was not told this was the situation when I ordered them.