Don’t Cook Thanksgiving Dinner!
Order your turkey day meal to-go or opt to dine in. Either way, you’ll be celebrating with a much-deserved night off.
You just spent all day in the kitchen chopping veggies, making side dishes, and preparing a perfectly golden turkey for your family. The end result? A couple of thank you’s (if you’re lucky) and a kitchen full of dirty dishes. Sure, Thanksgiving is really about spending time with the people you love, but more often than not it consists of stressing out about getting an elaborate meal on the table.
If you’re hoping for a more relaxed holiday this year, simplify the prep and clean up by ordering a delicious feast to go. Or, if you’re itching for an outing, consider dining at a local restaurant with your family. Either way, that outsourcing will result in less stress and more laughs with those that you love.
True Food Kitchen
Known for healthy, quality dishes that have an abundance of flavor, True Food Kitchen offers a veggie-forward Thanksgiving menu. The Cherry Creek restaurant recently revamped their catering services and now offers pick-up or delivery, with package options that feed up to 12 people.
What to Order: Start light with charred cauliflower, herb hummus, and roasted Brussels sprouts. Then satisfy your seasonal cravings with a fall-inspired salad packed with butternut squash, fresh kale, toasted mulberry, and pomegranate.
For the main course, order a spaghetti squash casserole or ancient grain bowl topped with miso sesame glazed sweet potatoes, turmeric, charred onion, snow peas, portobello mushrooms, and avocado hemp seed. The restaurant is also offering chicken and veggie wraps and a variety of sides like sweet potato hash, sweet corn, and quinoa.
Finish with a squash pie, the perfect complement to a hearty Thanksgiving meal. Made with a graham cracker crust and topped with coconut whipped cream, the vegan and gluten-free dessert is perfect for those with dietary restrictions.
Order by November 24 to pick up on the same day. $160 for packages for 10 to 12 people.
Mondo Market
Need a ready-made meal for your family of two, four, six, or eight? Mondo Market, the gourmet market and chef’s counter at Stanley Marketplace, is offering full Thanksgiving meals including classic turkey, sides, and smoked hams. The Mondo team tucks turkey roasting and reheating instructions in each takeout package.
What to Order: Each meal comes with a turkey and traditional sides along with optional add-ons like maple glazed sweet potatoes, kale salad, beet salad, baguettes, and pumpkin and pecan pie options for dessert. Order cheese and charcuterie boards from the deli to round out your holiday meal.
If you’d rather indulge early in the day, the eatery is offering a take-and-bake holiday breakfast with menu items including quiche lorraine and croissants.
Order by Wednesday, November 10 for pickup on your choice of Tuesday, November 23 or Wednesday, November 24. $58 for two to three people, $125 for four to five people, $180 for six to eight people.
Urban Farmer
Enjoy dinner in an upscale, rustic setting at Urban Farmer. A holiday-specific prix fixe menu makes mealtime decision making easy. For $80, each adult gets to choose a first course, entree, and dessert. Kids 12 and under are given the same dining options for $30.
What to Order: The robust menu has something for every member of the family to enjoy. Starters include split pea soup, sweet potato gnocchi, and local greens garnished with shaved vegetables, apples, and quinoa with a drizzle of honey vinaigrette. Move on and make room for an entree, with plentiful choices like Colorado-raised turkey, prime rib, salmon, and steak. End the night pleasing your sweet tooth with carrot cake, pumpkin pie, or flourless chocolate cake.
Each group that dines in also receives a charcuterie board for the table, in addition to these side dishes: house-made cranberry sauce, smashed red potatoes, cornbread stuffing, oven roasted yams, and Brussels sprouts.
Urban Farmer is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Dinner From the Deli
Local grocery stores and market locations are also serving up prepared Thanksgiving feasts for any size get-together, from just you and the kids to the extended family (and maybe a few neighbors, too). Safeway stores bundled a traditional turkey with sides for six to eight people for $75. Although meal details and prices weren’t available at press time, King Soopers, Sprouts, and Whole Foods will also offer up prepared Thanksgiving dinner options.
On the south side of town? Tony’s Meats and Market offers a holiday menu full of heat-and-serve choices. Order just a turkey to feed 10 to 12 (starting at $70), add a side dish bundle with seven of the classics for $150 (feeds 10 to 12), or go a la carte with a list of sides and desserts. Order by noon on November 19, for pick-up on November 23 or 24. tonysmarket.com