To cook dinner or to not cook dinner? It is the query of comfort vs. price this Thanksgiving for a lot of Tennesseans and households throughout the nation.
Ordering Thanksgiving dinner to go is a rising pattern in america, in accordance with a 2024 Pop menu survey. The research discovered {that a} whopping 37% of customers reported that they plan to order takeout or supply from eating places for his or her Thanksgiving dinner.
Many big-box grocery chains in Tennessee, like Sam’s Membership and Publix, are promoting precooked vacation meal packages this 12 months. A number of chain eating places are additionally serving up and promoting all of the traditional Thanksgiving fixings.
In an financial system the place grocery prices proceed to be on the rise, is it cheaper to cook dinner Thanksgiving dinner at residence or buy the feast from a retailer in Tennessee?
Here is a value breakdown.
How a lot might it price to make Thanksgiving dinner at residence in Tennessee?
Every year, the College of Tennessee Extension, led by UT Division of Household and Client Sciences’ Professor Ann Berry, releases a research concerning the value of Thanksgiving dinner. The analysis staff appears to be like on the meal prices to feed a gaggle of 10 with a conventional turkey feast.
To search out the fee, consultants store at 14 big-box and native grocery shops throughout Tennessee. They shopped from Nov. 1 via Nov. 8 for a similar 22 substances at every retailer, then averaged the full price in any respect the shops.
This 12 months, the price of Thanksgiving dinner has crept up once more to $128.50, knowledge exhibits. Berry’s staff discovered {that a} conventional Thanksgiving dinner to feed 10 individuals in 2024 prices $12.80 per individual.
The place can you purchase a ready Thanksgiving meal in Tennessee?
These days, most grocers provide some type of Thanksgiving meal deal. To match costs to a home made Thanksgiving value, utilizing 2025 UT Extension research knowledge, to a extra handy different, solely ready heat-and-serve meal choices are included on this listing.
On a funds? The place to buy inexpensive Thanksgiving meal offers from Aldi, Walmart, Goal
Cracker Barrel Warmth n’ Serve
Thanksgiving Warmth & Serve Feast at Cracker Barrel feeds 8-10 individuals. This meal consists of two oven-roasted turkey breasts, candy potato casserole, inexperienced beans, mashed potatoes with cornbread dressing, gravy, cranberry relish and rolls, with pumpkin and pecan pies for dessert.
The meal package deal will run you round $164.99 to $184.99, however might differ relying on retailer location. This meal package deal is dearer than a home made meal, but it surely comes totally ready and able to heat up.
Honey Baked Ham
There’s a litany of vacation meal choices at Honey Baked Ham, probably the most similar to opponents being the three.5 lb Half Boneless Ham & Turkey Feast, which feeds as much as 15 individuals, in accordance with the restaurant. This meal features a 3.5 lb boneless ham and a 2.95 lb turkey breast (both roasted or smoked). The meal additionally consists of your selection of 4 of the frozen Warmth & Serve Aspect Dishes.
This meal package deal prices round $137.99, however might differ relying on the shop location. The meal package deal averages out to round $9.19 per individual. That is in comparison with the typical home made grocery price of $12.80 per visitor.
Amazon $25 Thanksgiving meal deal
Amazon has launched its 2025 Thanksgiving meal deal, that includes a Butterball frozen turkey. From Nov. 12 to 27, households can choose up a ready-to-assemble vacation unfold for simply $25, averaging about $5 per individual. The meal consists of:
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Butterball frozen turkey ($0.69 per pound)
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Reser’s homestyle stuffing
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Mashed potatoes and gravy
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Amazon Grocery crescent rolls
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Vacation pie from choose nationwide manufacturers
Observe that cooking is required for the Amazon deal. To feed 10 individuals, this feast will price $50, nonetheless lower than half the price of the typical grocery invoice for Thanksgiving within the Volunteer State.
Publix Full Turkey Dinner
One other heat-and-serve choice, Publix presents a full turkey dinner that feeds seven-10 individuals. This meal consists of among the traditional Thanksgiving sides, like stuffing and mashed potatoes, and prices round $76.99, relying in your retailer location.
Like different realtors, there are lots of meal packages accessible for buy.
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Absolutely cooked 10-12 lb. turkey,
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2.5 lbs of Publix Deli Outdated-Usual Cornbread Dressing
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2.5 lbs of Publix Deli Homestyle Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
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16 oz of Publix Deli Cranberry Orange Relish
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28 oz of Publix Deli Marshmallow Delight
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32 oz of Publix Deli Homestyle Gravy
Sam’s Membership Member’s Mark Thanksgiving Feast
The Sam’s Membership 2025 Member’s Mark Thanksgiving Feast could be prepared in two hours and feeds 10 individuals, in accordance with the grocery store. The nine-item meal deal, priced at $100, is out there now on-line, in membership, by way of Curbside Pickup or with $8 Specific Supply for Plus members. It consists of:
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Member’s Mark Smoked Turkey
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Member’s Mark Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
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Member’s Mark Macaroni and Cheese
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Member’s Mark Yeast Dinner Rolls
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Member’s Mark Pumpkin Pie
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Member’s Mark Inexperienced Beans with Cranberries and Sliced Almonds (new)
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Member’s Mark Garlic Herb Corn (new)
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Member’s Mark Harvest Salad (new)
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Member’s Mark Candy Potato Mash (improved)
So, is it cheaper to purchase or cook dinner Thanksgiving dinner?
In 2025, value comparisons present that it is cheaper to feed 10 individuals with a heat-and-serve meal equipment, fairly than looking for all of the Thanksgiving necessities on the grocery retailer.
This conclusion is by no means all-encompassing. Walmart, Aldi and Goal all promote ingredient kits to make Thanksgiving occur on a good funds. Plus, cooking at residence might yield extra meals than a store-bought different.
So, will you cook dinner or purchase in 2025?
Allison Kiehl covers trending and breaking information from Knoxville for the Tennessee Join Workforce. E-mail: allison.kiehl@knoxnews.com
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This text initially appeared on Knoxville Information Sentinel: How a lot does Thanksgiving dinner price? See grocery prices vs. ready