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Lifestyle

How to Prepare Thanksgiving Dinner Using Only Trader Joe’s Pre-Made Dishes

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Georgetown chapter.

If you know me, then you know that cooking is not my favorite or best hobby, but I do occasionally get the bug to step into the kitchen and attempt to make something. This Thanksgiving, I thought I would try cooking, but I realized I couldn’t do it all on my own. So I thought I would see if it is possible to make a traditional Thanksgiving meal using only foods from Trader Joe’s, and to my happy surprise, you totally can.

Turkey

trader joe's thanksgiving meat chocolate
Claire Hayes

You can’t really have Thanksgiving without turkey, and luckily Trader Joe’s has turkey breast that is pre-cooked and ready to serve.

Stuffing

Trader Joe's pepper parsley
Claire Hayes

My favorite part of Thanksgiving is the stuffing, but I have no idea how to cook it. Luckily, you can buy this stuffing mix to give you a hand. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try this super easy recipe

Brussels Sprouts

Trader Joe's beef pork
Claire Hayes

Since there has to be something that’s green on the table for Thanksgiving, my family usually goes for Brussels sprouts and the prepared ones from Trader Joe’s come with a bit of a twist.

Mashed Potatoes

trader joe's thanksgiving mashed potatoes milk
Claire Hayes

Like turkey, you seriously can’t have a proper Thanksgiving feast without mashed potatoes, and these ones are not only easy to make but also have a ton of flavor. 

Gravy

Trader Joe's chicken bacon
Claire Hayes

Sometimes making gravy can be difficult, so I suggest trying this Trader Joe’s product to relieve some stress in the kitchen.

Cranberry Sauce

trader joe's thanksgiving jam marmalade
Claire Hayes

If you’re feeling like you need a bit more color on your plate, then I suggest grabbing Trader Joe’s cranberry sauce, which you can totally use even when it’s not Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Pie

Trader Joe's cheesecake sweet
Claire Hayes

Just in case you haven’t eaten enough, there’s always dessert. Pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving classic that you can count on to push your stomach from feeling slightly sick to needing-to-unbutton-your-pants sick

Claire Hayes

Georgetown '19