A Trader Joe's Thanksgiving Feast You Hardly Have To Cook

The stress of the Thanksgiving meal is almost unmatched — dedicated home chefs start planning months in advance to ensure perfection on the big day. Considering most grocery stores are not open on Thanksgiving, it certainly makes sense to plan ahead rather than wait until the last minute. However, this big meal doesn't have to be such a daunting task, especially living in the time of Trader Joe's. TJ's is known for dishes that require little to no prep work other than occasionally having to turn on your oven. As a result, even the most novice home chefs can create a swoon-worthy meal by shopping at TJ's for every important element of the feast. 

If you're wondering if Trader Joe's works for your Thanksgiving meal, I bought some of its fall favorites to find out. With the help of the Trader Joe's Thanksgiving Fearless Flyer, I've put together a guide to some of the best holiday items on Trader Joe's shelves. The menu includes snacks and appetizers, turkey, plenty of unexpectedly delicious side dishes, and an oh-so-sweet finish. Since Trader Joe's isn't open on Thanksgiving this year, I recommend getting to your local store sooner rather than later to stock up on everything in this guide. No defrosting or brining required; these items are all guaranteed to fill your holiday table with plenty of tasty bites and zero stress.

In the circus that is Thanksgiving, the turkey holds court in the center ring. Sourcing the bird is the easy part; what's difficult is cooking the turkey so the meat is moist and juicy, without woefully overcooking or undercooking any individual parts. A turkey is a hollow vessel surrounded by meat, making it a tough nut to crack when it comes to achieving perfection. With this in mind, the Trader Joe's brined bone-in fully cooked half turkey breast can be seen as a bit of a miracle. The turkey breast is about 2.5 pounds, and at $9.99 per pound, you can easily feed yourself and a few meat eaters for a reasonable price, with very little work on your end.

I followed the instructions for cooking this hunk of meat in the oven, which does require some basting throughout, and was both surprised and delighted with the results. The turkey breast is a finicky section of the bird — being all white meat, it's very easy to end up with a dry, chewy cut at the end of the roasting process. However, that wasn't the case here. The meat was shockingly tender throughout and filled with buttery, garlicky flavors. Leaving the bone certainly helped, as it provided flavor and helped the breast cook evenly. Dunked lovingly in Trader Joe's turkey flavored gravy, this is really the perfect bite. After one slice, I was already looking forward to plans for what to do with my turkey leftovers.

One of the best parts of the Thanksgiving cooking process is making gravy from all the leftover turkey drippings, so to opt for a store-bought turkey gravy seems almost sacrilegious. However, in the spirit of the heat and serve, I kept an open, optimistic mind about Trader Joe's Turkey Flavored Gravy. Considering this gravy is gluten-free, meaning it wasn't made using a traditional roux, it's really tasty. 

The consistency is thick without being gloopy, and it has a rich, meaty flavor that doesn't need any extra seasoning. Drizzled over just about every Thanksgiving side dish in this tasting, this gravy does its job. If you absolutely must make some edits to the gravy itself, a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper would not be unwelcome.

I didn't have high hopes for this particular side dish, but after it spent about two minutes in the microwave, my feelings changed. The aroma is delightful — savory and herbaceous — and it filled my kitchen with the smell of Thanksgiving on an otherwise normal Wednesday afternoon. The flavor is just as enjoyable as the aroma. The savory herb taste definitely comes through, and the apples and cranberries provide a hint of sweetness to balance out all the salt. 

The texture isn't ideal — microwaving rather than oven-baking it probably didn't help its cause. That said, this is a really great stuffing that takes just three minutes to heat and serve if you do decide to go the microwave route. Throw some crispy fried onions on top, and you've got yourself the perfect turkey side dish.

Cranberry sauce is the unsung hero of the Thanksgiving table. Everything from the turkey to the potatoes is loaded with salt and spice, and in desperate need of something tart or sour to cut through it all. This is where cranberry sauce comes to the rescue. That said, when choosing a cranberry sauce, it's crucial to find one that not only tastes good, but can really bring the noise when it comes to flavor. 

In that respect, Trader Joe's cranberry ginger chutney absolutely delivers. The flavor is deep and rich, with a tart and subtly sweet element and a warm spice seasoning from the ginger. I ended up putting a little of this sauce on every salty item throughout this tasting, and it really helped to balance out the flavor of the meal.

Mashed potatoes may be the more traditional potato side in the Thanksgiving spread, but I opted for Scallopini Potatoes to bring something a little more rich and luxurious than a standard mash. The potato gratin gets a nice crispy top after nearly an hour in the oven, and the potatoes are sliced thick enough that they cook through without falling apart. There's also a nice onion and garlic flavor throughout, and some salty, nutty notes from the provolone and Grana Padano cheeses. 

Despite this typically being a fairly hefty dish, I found the potato to cheese ratio to be balanced just right, with the cheesy, creamy element certainly present but not overwhelmingly so. A few bites of this was more than enough for me, so while the dish it comes in may look small, rest-assured you'll have plenty of this decadent side to go around.

The Thanksgiving table is so heavy with beige-colored foods, it's necessary to have something green to break up the monotony. And when it comes to frozen vegetable side dishes that come together in a flash, Trader Joe's absolutely comes through. For Thanksgiving, the Cheesy Creamy Greens & Veggies are an easy, breezy no-brainer. 

This kind of reminded me of a creamed spinach I would order at a steakhouse, but with a more exciting flavor and texture. There is spinach in here, but there are also plenty of Brussels sprouts and kale, which add a rich flavor and a touch of bitterness. Since everything is better with cheese, the ooey gooey cheese helps bring this together for a more cohesive dish, making this already thoughtful frozen side vegetable a decadent choice.

The build-your-own-salad bag is an amazing invention — everything is already pre-portioned in the bag for you, and all you have to do is build, toss, and serve. All the components of the Harvest Apple Salad Kit are ideal for a good Thanksgiving salad. The spring mix is fresh and crisp, the pecans have a good crunch, and the apple chips are a nice sweet and crunchy element to replace the standard crouton. The unexpected cheddar is a nice salty addition, and the apple vinaigrette offers just the right level of tart and sweet to tie everything together. 

If I wanted to upgrade this salad, I would swap out the apple chips for freshly diced apple instead, for a more pronounced crunch. Other than that, this is a delightful Thanksgiving salad to accompany the rest of the meal.

Some sort of roll or biscuit is crucial for the Thanksgiving table. Not only is it the ideal vehicle for butter (more on that next), but it is what you'll ultimately use to build the best possible sandwich with your second helping of food — turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce are all mandatory here. Rather than getting a pre-baked roll and calling it a day, I opted for the Cheesy Herby Biscuits, which take about 30 minutes to bake in the oven. These flaky biscuits are a great addition to the Thanksgiving table. 

They crisp up beautifully in the oven, with a nice golden brown base (no soggy bottoms here!) and a tender, flaky texture. Little cheese pockets are dotted throughout, providing a burst of saltiness in each herbaceous bite. Dipped in turkey gravy, used as your sandwich foundation, or simply served with butter, these are a serious upgrade to the standard dinner roll.

If you're going to have biscuits on the table, there's got to be butter to go with them. Plain, salted butter is certainly a welcome treat to spread on a roll or a biscuit, but butter infused with brown sugar and maple syrup is a proper upgrade to the standard. This butter is almost like a buttercream frosting — I wasn't sure if I should spread it on a biscuit or use it to frost a cupcake. 

As it turns out, the sweet spread on the salty, cheesy herb biscuits is a masterclass in flavor balance. If a standard roll is more your speed, this flavorful butter will undoubtedly turn things up a notch for some sweet and salty excitement, but be sure to set it out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so before dinner to let it soften and be fully spreadable by the time the biscuits are ready to serve.

I had really high hopes for this cheese — it looks wonderful with the little dots of dried cranberry sprinkled throughout, which give it the feel of a festive cheese. However, the flavor is a little disappointing. Stilton is supposed to have a strong taste, but this one is shockingly bland. Thankfully, the cranberries add a delightful sweet and sour note to the cheese, giving it a little more character. 

Overall, this looks a lot more exciting than it tastes. However, when paired with an herby cracker, it can make for a decent addition to the appetizer spread.

This is a cheese for the history books. Like any good brie, the flavor is buttery and rich and the texture is wonderfully creamy. The Calvados is a great addition, infusing a light sweetness to cut through all the richness in what is otherwise a fairly intense cheese. 

Spread on a cracker, this is a cheese I would go back to time and again, and would have to stop myself from eating too much of so as not to spoil my appetite for the dinner to come. This also made for a memorable topping for the Teeny Tiny Apple Pie, as well as an other-worldly bite alongside the cornbread stuffing.

As a salty snack queen, I am always surprised and delighted to get my hands on a bag of Trader Joe's seasonal chips and popcorn all year round. As far as the Thanksgiving options, I see both of these as great additions to the appetizer table and easy snacks that take absolutely zero time to prepare. The kettle chips are a wonder — incredibly crispy with notes of sage, rosemary, and a little bit of sweet cornbread that come through right away. It's a shame this is a seasonal snack, because if it was always available I would have a bag in my pantry at all times.

The popcorn, on the other hand, isn't quite as exciting. It's good popcorn to be sure, but it doesn't remind me of Thanksgiving stuffing in any way. It needs a hit of savory herbaceous flavor, like sage and thyme, to really get me in the Thanksgiving snacking spirit. Is this a well-seasoned, salty popcorn? Absolutely. Would I say it is even close to being reminiscent of Thanksgiving stuffing flavors? Not so much. An easy way to zhuzh this up is to sprinkle it with some of the Everything But the Leftovers seasoning blend.

Perhaps you don't want to prepare a whole meal for Thanksgiving and you'd prefer just the highlights. The Roasted Turkey and Sweet Potato Burrito, in its own way, ticks this box. Filled with turkey, sweet potatoes, rice, and cranberry salsa, this combines most of the flavor elements of the Thanksgiving feast wrapped up in a flour tortilla. The burrito has cooking instructions for the oven and the microwave, but because I am a firm believer that microwave burritos belong in the microwave, I went that route to heat this up. In retrospect, the oven is definitely the preferable method.

The flavor is good — it definitely tastes like Thanksgiving. The turkey is moist, the sweet potato is dominant, and the rice provides good heft. The cranberry salsa is the most memorable part of each bite, providing an acidic note to cut through all the salt. There's also a lot of cumin flavor that comes through, which ends up overpowering everything else after a few bites. 

While the overall flavor isn't bad, the texture could use some work. As a microwave burrito, having something crunchy like a tortilla chip or even shredded lettuce isn't exactly in the cards, but even cornbread croutons would give me what I'm looking for. In a pinch, this burrito delivers the Thanksgiving flavors without any of the labor, so try it if you're looking to experience the holiday with as little work as possible.

I'm almost always tasked with baking the desserts for my family Thanksgiving, and while I cherish every sugary, chocolatey, pumpkin-filled moment, it's a laborious task. Despite making multiple pies, I always find myself asking if there will be enough of each type. Trader Joe's has taken that question and answered it — yes, there will be enough pie because everyone will get their own. 

The Teeny Tiny Apple Pies come in a box of four, and not only are they adorable, but they're absolutely delicious. I wanted to see how well they stood up in both the microwave and the oven, and while the microwave is certainly the simplest route, I highly recommend the oven. Baking allows the crumble topping to crisp up just a bit, making for a good textural contrast to the soft pie. The best fall flavors are in each bite, with plenty of apple, brown sugar, and warm cinnamon throughout, plus a buttery crust to hold it all together.

Additionally, I took the advice of the Trader Joe's Thanksgiving Fearless Flyer and put a hefty slice of French Triple Creme Brie with Calvados on top, and was extremely pleased with the results. If you're more of a traditionalist when it comes to apple pie, a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream will more than get the job done, but if you're feeling adventurous, I highly recommend the cheese route. You won't be disappointed.

This may not seem like something that really fits in with the Thanksgiving meal itself, but I have such an affinity for Trader Joe's spice blends that I couldn't help but try it out. Sprinkled over roasted potatoes, stuffing, or even your favorite Trader Joe's canned good, this is really just an herbaceous, salty punch up for virtually anything on the Thanksgiving table. 

Plus, once the foods of the Thanksgiving harvest have long left Trader Joe's store shelves and are nothing but a delicious memory, this seasoning blend will help inject those familiar flavors into your meals with ease.

Thanksgiving can be a stressful holiday, so having bottles of wine at the ready is a smart plan of action. However, because Trader Joe's has taken the stress out of the meal with all these ready-to-eat treats, I opted for a non-alcoholic beverage to complement the meal instead. The Sparkling Honeycrisp Apple Juice Beverage is a fantastic alternative to sparkling wine or cider on the Thanksgiving table. 

The apple flavor is crisp and juicy, and the bubbles are both refreshing and elegant. If I was served this in a Champagne flute, I would be positively thrilled. That said, if you can't imagine having your Thanksgiving meal without a proper tipple, you could doctor this up with a splash of gin and a squeeze of lemon, and have yourself an apple gin fizz.

To put this guide together, I went through the Trader Joe's Thanksgiving Fearless Flyer to pick out the items that sounded best-suited for a zero stress Thanksgiving feast. I also perused the aisles at my local Trader Joe's a few times to find items that weren't included in the flyer, but still felt like a good addition to the table. I prepared each item according to the packaging instructions, and I also tried to incorporate as many dishes with one another as possible, i.e., trying the cornbread stuffing on its own, but then as a complete bite with turkey and gravy and a little bit of cranberry sauce. A special thank you to my friend Dan who tasted each item alongside me for a well-respected second opinion, and who let me use his kitchen to prepare the majority of the dishes.