Growing number of people give thanks for the restaurants, grocery stores that make Thanksgiving dinner for them

Thanksgiving dinner takes a lot of planning, shopping, prep, cooking and cleanup. For those who work full time, have a family and are already stressed with Christmas around the corner, the thought of all that labor can be daunting.

Bleuroot chef Maria Terry can help.

All it just takes is a phone call to the West Dundee restaurant and, voila, Thanksgiving dinner can be ready to pick up on Thursday.

“We put the menu out as soon as we start getting phone calls,” Bleuroot manager Nicki Lemley said. “Once you have anything she has made, you will come back for it and I’m not saying it because I work here.”

A premade dinner that includes turkey, a turkey breast or ham accompanied by sides that range from the traditional traditional sage apple dressing and mashed potatoes to more exotic options like brulé mashed sweet potatoes, bourbon-roasted Brussels sprouts, five-cheese mac and cheese with bacon, spinach and tomatoes, and garlic chili honey sweet potato with butternut squash.

Packages range in price from $125 to $250.

Bleuroot has offered Thanksgiving meals to-go for six of the seven years it’s been open, and accepts orders through the day before Thanksgiving, Lemley said.

But the restaurant is not alone in filling a growing demand for pre-made holiday meals, with everyone from Golden Corral to Jewel-Osco to Popeyes jumping on the bandwagon.

According to a 2023 online survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, 52% of baby boomer respondents said they planned to dine out or order in for their Thanksgiving meal. The numbers were even higher for Gen X at 54%, millennials at 59% and Gen Z at 63%.

Among the reasons cited were wanting to reduce stress, help local businesses and spend time with family and friends, the survey said.

Jimmy’s Charhouse manager Ryan Owen has seen the popularity of the Elgin restaurant’s take-out Thanksgiving dinners grow in recent years. The restaurant already offers family meals on a to-go basis daily, and Thanksgiving isn’t any different, he said.

Their packages come with a whole or half turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, salad and pumpkin pie at a cost of $175 to $350, Owen said. The turkey is ready to cut and ready to serve, he said.

“It’s very popular. We sell out within two weeks,” he said. “It’s very nice to see how helpful it is. The families come in and pick up a whole Thanksgiving meal for their families.”

They usually cap the number of orders they take at 100, Owen said. About 30 of those are from one customer, who orders more than two dozen half-turkey meals to give away to families in need, Owen said.  he said.

They’ll also be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a Thanksgiving dinner menu option costing $29.99.

Owen said he thinks the demand for the take-out meals is growing because the holidays get “busier and busier every year.” Choosing pre-made package gives a customer “everything you normally get in a traditional dinner without the six hours of preparation,” he said.

It’s a lifesaver for people like his mom, who used to slave away preparing a traditional meal every year, Owen said. “Now, it’s simple.”

Grocery stores are also offering to-go meals. Jewel-Osco sells a variety of Thanksgiving meals, including one they call the Ultimate Turkey Dinner, which comes with sides, a pie and rolls.

“These meals include different sides, depending on which one the customer chooses to purchase. Signature Thanksgiving meals have always been a holiday favorite,” said Mary Frances Trucco, a Jewel-Osco spokeswoman.

Customers can purchase the meals at any of the 189 Jewel-Osco store locations or online.

Among the other grocery stores and restaurants offering pre-ordered meals are:

• Moretti’s, 2300 Bushwood Drive, Elgin, and 1175 W. Lake St., Bartlett;
• Aliano’s Ristorante, 310 N. River St., East Dundee;
• Angelo Caputo Fresh Markets, 622 S. Randall Road, South Elgin;
• Whole Foods, 750 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg;
• Popeyes, 1616 Big Timber Road and 807 Randall Road in Elgin;
• Golden Corral, 601 S. Randall Road, Elgin, and 1591 S. Randall Road, Carpentersville.

If you missed the deadline to order your Thanksgiving meal to-go, these are some of the area restaurants that will be open Thursday and offering a traditional holiday meals:

• Jimmy’s Charhouse, 2290 Point Blvd., Elgin;
• Paul’s Family Restaurant, 1300 Lawrence Ave., Elgin;
• Villa Olivia, 401 W Lake St., Bartlett;
• Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, 1741 S. Randall Road, Algonquin;
• Buckinghams Steakhouse at the Grand Victoria Casino, 250 S. Grove Ave., Elgin;
• Moretti’s, 1175 W. Lake St., Bartlett;
• Golden Corral, 601 S. Randall Road, Elgin.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.