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Cooked Turkey
updated: Nov 22, 2010, 6:43 AM

Help, Edhat readers. I have volunteered to have my parents and a couple of relatives over for Thanksgiving and I don't really want to make the turkey from scratch.

Where is the best place to buy a turkey already cooked for Thanksgiving? My second choice would be to find one that is all ready to be put in the oven. (My family is ok with this, by the way, so I'm not trying to deceive anyone.) Thanks for the suggestions!

Places People Are Talking About:

Casa Esperanza	Country Catering	Gelson's
Honey Baked Store	Jack's Catering	Lazy Acres
Neon Carrot	Sly's	Trader Joe's
Whole Foods

What People Are Saying:

COMMENT 123224	2010-11-22 06:52 AM
Just watch out for the "already cooked" meals available at most supermarkets. What they don't tell you (as I found out last year) is that many of the food items are still pretty much frozen when you pick them up on Thanksgiving day, meaning that you're going to be doing as much actual cooking as if you'd started from scratch. Don't be afraid of cooking a turkey yourself--it really isn't all that hard, and your oven does most of the work!
COMMENT 123225	2010-11-22 07:00 AM
Country Meat Market next to Zodo's!!!
COMMENT 123229	2010-11-22 07:21 AM
Country Meat Market does a fine job. (Don't forget the scalloped potatoes - delish!)
COMMENT 123231	2010-11-22 07:33 AM
Sly's in Carp sells a complete turkey dinner to-go on Thanksgiving day
SEEDLADY	2010-11-22 07:47 AM
Hope you find what you're looking for! I find most supermarket sides have had too heavy a hand with salt and other seasonings, but I understand wanting someone else to do the work for a change! If it's a kitchen mess you're trying to avoid, and you can cook a chicken on the BBQ, you'll have no trouble doing a small 12-14 # turkey. The caveat is that you don't get gravy. But the flavor is sublime. A covered kettle or gas rig acts like a convection oven, so even if you keep the heat low (about 275) it cooks much faster than in a kitchen oven. No mess to deal with. I even cook the sweet potatoes, green beans in a foil packet, roast onions, etc. In SLO county, Neon Carrot is doing Sides Only, and they'd be delish! Not sure about nicely done turkeys, I know the major supermarkets will carry them. (Using the bread ovens??)
COMMENT 123236P	2010-11-22 07:53 AM
Whole Foods has a great deal, I think its around $85 for 6-8 people. Includes the turkey and all the trimmings. They were having a tasting the other week and it was excellent. It might be less than getting everything and making it from scratch and it wasn't frozen. I did this once with Gelsons and was disappointed. It was frozen and everything was too salty to taste any real flavor. Twice as much $ too.
COMMENT 123238P	2010-11-22 07:56 AM
Whole Foods, or as my son in Chicago refers to it, "Whole Paycheck," is great. They have super-delish everything, especially during the holidays.
COMMENT 123256	2010-11-22 08:42 AM
Casa Esperanza
COMMENT 123258	2010-11-22 08:46 AM
We have gone to Lazy Acres the last 2 yrs with great results. Tried Gelsons but their turkey was pressed so we switched. This year Trader Joes will be our choice
COMMENT 123283P	2010-11-22 09:25 AM
But see, $85 for 6-8 people is certainly NOT Whole Paycheck. Try getting that at Vons. You can't. And it wouldn't be half the quality, either. I think they get a bad rap. They carry upscale foods, but their basics (milk, eggs, etc under their 365 brand) are cheaper than the Vons and Albertson's prices. Does TJ's have a prepared meal though? I didn't think they did.
COMMENT 123284	2010-11-22 09:26 AM
Jacks Catering is a good choice. I think it is around $80 for 6-8 people. They catered a party I was at and it was excellent.
COMMENT 123296	2010-11-22 09:47 AM
Gelson's or Lazy Acres. LA had a tasting last week. Delicious!
COMMENT 123321	2010-11-22 11:22 AM
Baking a turkey is easy, especially in the Browning bags.Saves time, keeps all the juices and flavor in. Always flavorful and juicy without basting. Meat is tender and moist when done this way. Easy instructions.
COMMENT 123344	2010-11-22 12:51 PM
Honey Baked Store has Reopened for the Holidays and they do A very nice Turkey as well.
COMMENT 123368P	2010-11-22 01:53 PM
What are "Browning" bags?
COMMENT 123370P	2010-11-22 02:02 PM
123368P - I'm sure 123321 meant turkey-sized oven bags.
COMMENT 123462	2010-11-23 06:47 AM
Well, here in upstate New York we patronize Wegman's grocery store. All kinds of prepared meals, especially Thanksgiving--turkey, dressing, cranberry relish, mashed spuds, etc.
COMMENT 123467	2010-11-23 07:00 AM
I hear that Whole Foods has a great Thanksgiving meal. Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving.
COMMENT 123490	2010-11-23 08:18 AM
Country Meats on Calle Real in Goleta is excellent.
COMMENT 123521	2010-11-23 09:14 AM
No. 462: does Wegman's still make the fantastic German-style cheesecake I remember from my childhood? ... sigh ....
COMMENT 123526	2010-11-23 09:36 AM
Last year we got our turkey at Whole Paycheck. I chose to spend the cash, and it was A LOT, for an kosher, pre-cooked turkey. It was almost 100.00! I'm sorry but I forget how many pounds it was. We had 14 people with plenty left over. However, I felt really good about serving a turkey that had not been tortured (inhumane living conditions), Poisoned, (antibiotics, feed-through pesticides) and had a good turkey life. Its deplorable, the way most producers treat the animals we eat. We're so used to paying less because the animals are mass produced. A REAL chicken for example, raised properly and healthfully, SHOULD cost 20.00. I saw FOOD INC. and it has changed my life.
COMMENT 123527	2010-11-23 09:40 AM
I ordered a Diestel Farms turkey thru Whole Foods this year. It's raw, I'm going to cook it, but it was about $2.50 per lb. For a bird that is clean, well treated and absolutely delicious, I agree that it's worth the money. I got one last year and I've never had a better turkey. I don't think $2.50 per lb is out of line at all. But to the OP, they do a great pre-cooked turkey too and you can get organic and free range with that too.