Stress Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favourite holidays.

There’s something so special about having a delicious and hearty meal with your loved ones, catching up, and laughing the night away. If you’re looking forward to getting together with friends or family this Thanksgiving, but aren’t excited about the long day of cooking ahead, keep reading to find some fantastic alternatives that will have you feeling absolutely stress-free for this weekends dinner!

Although I have yet to try this myself, I have been hearing nothing but raving reviews about the experience of going to a restaurant for a full Thanksgiving dinner set meal. For example, ARC Restaurant at Fairmont Waterfront is whipping up a four course dinner this Thanksgiving. You can let them do the cooking (and the dishes) for your family – now that’s something to be thankful for! They will be serving this special dinner Sunday, October 10 and Monday, October 11 from 6pm – 9pm.

Intrigued…?

Take a look at what their Thanksgiving menu will include:

FIRST COURSE
Nutty Squash Bisque | butternut squash, toasted pecans, nutmeg cream

SECOND COURSE
Arugula Salad | grilled pear, walnut, parmesan, aged balsamic, olive oil

MAIN COURSE
Traditional Roasted Turkey | brined and roasted breast and leg meat, herb bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, pan dripping gravy, cranberry sauce

DESSERT
Pumpkin Spiced Sticky Toffee Pudding | vanilla bean ice cream

Are you drooling yet? If you’re loving the idea of going out for Thanksgiving dinner to skip the castle of cooking all day, hosting, and cleaning up, here are other Vancouver restaurants that will also be providing a special Thanksgiving dinner menu: Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster BarCibo TrattoriaForageMaenamNotch8 Restaurant at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, & Sequoia Company of Restaurants.

Now while going out for Thanksgiving dinner does sound appealing, some of you may want to stay home this weekend but still skip the full day of cooking. A great resolution: order Thanksgiving To-Go!

Here are some options of Vancouver restaurants providing Thanksgiving takeout options, as explained by Vancouver Is Awesome:

Juke Fried Chicken


Image courtesy of Juke Fried Chicken

Juke’s crowd-favourite Turducken Feast makes its triumphant return to the menu exclusively for Thanksgiving to help folks feed their flock with its Turducken Meal Kit available from Friday, October 8 to Sunday, October 10. Each Turducken feast is gluten-free, feeds four hungry adults and includes a full turducken — a three-in-one showstopper of a centrepiece featuring roasted turkey, duck and chicken — and an array of sides with detailed written and video instructions from Juke Chef and Co-Owner Bryan Satterford on how to get it all to your table.  Packages can be picked up on Oct. 8-10. Early ordering is encouraged as there are only a very limited number of packages available, and they may sell out. Ordering is available now on Juke’s website.

Savoury City


Image courtesy of Savoury City

Offering an elevated take on a traditional Thanksgiving spread, the complete holiday meal packages feature an array of chef-prepared fall favourites that reflect the delicious bounty of the harvest season. Take-home Thanksgiving feasts include a pre-carved 10 lb. turkey, crowd-pleasing accompaniments, and an autumnal pumpkin pie for dessert.

All items are packaged in oven-safe containers and come with simple heating instructions. Designed to feed gatherings of up to six, Savoury City’s Thanksgiving To-Go dinners are priced at $275 and will be available to pick-up on-site at the caterer’s East Vancouver headquarters (3925 Fraser Street) on October 8 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on October 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Additional items are available to order to supplement your feast including gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pies. Beer and wine can also be purchased on an à-la-carte basis.

Forage


Image courtesy of Forage Vancouver

Forage is offering two options for take out, individual portions to go, or, a whole roast turkey and all the trimmings to serve 12-15 people. Pre-orders are now available online with pickup on October 9 and 10.

If you’re loving this idea, I would also highly recommend checking out Joey Shipyards for their Thanksgiving meal kit. Although they have already sold out for this Thanksgiving, set a reminder for yourself to check in mid September next year if you’d like to order your Thanksgiving meal from them!

I hope these Thanksgiving dinner options take a bit of stress off your plate this year! Wishing you all a wonderful long weekend.