You Can Buy Your Entire Thanksgiving Dinner at Trader Joe's — Here's Your Shopping List

Dave Quinn

Tue, November 23, 2021 at 12:18 AM UTC

12 min read

We combed through the aisles for the best Trader Joe's Thanksgiving items, so you don't have to

Planning a Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful. However, as a Trader Joe's superfan, the grocery chain has everything you need to plan the perfect meal in one place.

Don't believe me? I went to my local Trader Joe's (Court Street, Brooklyn, for those curious) and checked every item off my list for the 12-person Thanksgiving dinner I'm hosting.

Here's what to buy, with additional options just in case. Note: I'm not listing basic ingredients like vegetables, turkey stock, eggs, butter, cream, sugar, flour, etc., but know they're all there, too. Obviously, the list can be amended based on how many people are coming to dinner at your house. There are even enough options if you're doing a Thanksgiving dinner for just one or two.

Ahead, a curated list of all the Trader Joe's Thanksgiving items you could possibly need — surely that's something to be thankful for!

Breakfast

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix: "You can have your (pan)cake and eat it too," as written on this box of deliciousness at Trader Joe's. A perfect way to kick off the Thanksgiving morning festivities is with this blend of rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour (so good, you won't miss the gluten). Add in Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and top with the brand's Organic Vermont Maple Syrup to up the decadence.

Cocktails

Sparkling Cranberry Flavored Juice Blend: This zingy but not-too-tart beverage makes an excellent mixer, but it can also be served solo for your sober guests. It's 100 percent juice and 100 percent delicious.

Sparkling Cranberry Ginger Beverage: Another alcohol-free offering, this "beer" — made with ginger juice, cranberry concentrate, carbonated water and sugar syrup — is incredibly refreshing. Serve it over ice with appetizers, or mix it with vodka for those looking for a punch.

Appetizers

Mushroom & Black Truffle Flatbread with Mozzarella Cheese: In my childhood, pizza bagels were a staple appetizer treat during Thanksgiving. Elevate the appetizer with this flatbread. A crispy crust, gooey cheese and savory mushroom flavor make for a satisfying treat.

Green Bean Casserole Bites: Skip the green bean casserole and go with these instead. Available in the freezer section in a pack of 10, these bite-size treats are the perfect sampling of the season.

Cranberry Chèvre Goat Cheese: There are plenty of recipes for baked bries stuffed with cranberries and wrapped in phyllo dough. However, who has the time to make those? Go with this log of fresh cranberry goat cheese instead. Soft, creamy, tangy goat's milk cheese, hand-rolled in sweet-tart, dried cranberries. What's not to love? Serve the 8 oz. chunk of cheese with crackers, or cut it up for dinner and serve it with a salad.

Unexpected Cheddar Cheese: If that cranberry goat cheese isn't your style, you can opt for a more traditional option. There's no going wrong with the Unexpected Cheddar Cheese — the absolute best cheese sold at Trader Joe's. It offers the taste of aged white cheddar with an "unexpected" hint of Parmesan. If you haven't tried it yet, this is a must. I always have my fridge stocked with it, and guests go wild for it.

Raisin Rosemary Crisps or Pistachio Pomegranate Crips: No cheese board is complete without these crispy, savory, sweet crackers. There are a few flavor varieties, but any option will do.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Seasoned Kettle Chips: Here's one way to prepare guests for what's to come. These Thanksgiving Stuffing Seasoned Kettle Chips offer all the herby aromatics and savory flavors of stuffing packed into a gluten-free, crispy snack. Plus, what's an easier appetizer to prepare than chips? Throw some in a bowl and call it a day!

Nuts About Rosemary Mix: Another simple appetizer offering, each canister offers a mix of crunchy roasted almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and pecans — all blended with a rosemary and sea salt seasoning and sprinkled with a dash of sugar. Here's a suggestion: Buy two because these go fast!

Caramelized Onion Dip: If there's one thing you get from this article, it's that Trader Joe's makes the best ready-made onion dip on the market. None of that "sour cream and onion soup" mess; this will have you regretting the years you served anything else. Pair it with any chip (I highly recommend Trader Joe's Ridge Cut Potato Chips with Sea Salt, which provides the perfect combo of texture and saltiness).

First Course

Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque: Starting with a soup? Try this pumpkin butternut squash bisque, which offers a rich yet delicate puree flavored with brown butter and sage. Yum!

Condensed Cream of Portabella Mushroom Soup: Serve this inherently autumnal treat — with its deep, savory umami notes — as a soup, or use it in a casserole dish.

Harvest Apple Salad Kit: Time is of the essence on Thanksgiving — don't waste it by making your own salad. Grab two of these premade 9.2 oz. bags to serve up a flavorful bowl everyone can enjoy. The base is a spring mix, with cheddar cheese shreds, apple cinnamon chips and pecans mixed in to up the flavor. Bringing it all together? A pouch of apple vinaigrette dressing.

Main Course

Trader Joe's Whole Turkeys: These always fresh, never frozen whole turkeys are famous for producing tender, juicy meat. The all-natural birds raised in large, open-air grow houses in the U.S. are never given any antibiotics or hormones and are vegetarian-fed. Ranging in weight from 12-16 lbs. or from 17-22 lbs., shoppers have options:

Brined Young Turkeys: Smoked in a sweet-savory brine to amp up the flavor. They may contain giblets.
Glatt Kosher Young Turkeys: Same as above but without the brining and giblets. Instead, they're soaked and salted with a kosher-certified method.
Free-Range Organic Young Turkeys: These birds have full access to the outdoors and are fed an organic, vegetarian diet. Not brined, they do contain giblets.

Brined Bone-in Half Turkey Breast: Don't have enough diners for a full turkey? Trader Joe's has a Brined Bone-in Half Turkey Breast that should do the trick.

Turkey and Stuffing En Croute: There's also a turkey Wellington if you're not doing a whole bird. Wrapped in cornbread stuffing and puff pastry, it's a perfect alternative. (Everyone knows Thanksgiving is all about the sides anyway!)

Breaded Turkey-Less Stuffed Roast with Gravy: For those who don't eat meat, try this! The vegan offering (made from mostly wheat gluten) is stuffed with wild rice, cranberries, celery and onions. Around it? A breaded coating mixed with herbs and red pepper flakes. Thaw it 24 hours before cooking, then serve with the included packet of gravy.

Sides

Brussels Sprouts Sauté Kit: Okay, this is the one vegetable I'll highlight. Trader Joe's sells beautiful stalks of fresh Brussels sprouts — but save some time with this ready-to-heat sauté kit, which features sliced Brussels sprouts, chopped hazelnuts and shaved Parmesan cheese with lemon garlic vinaigrette. Way easier, right?

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Pecans: Speaking of effortless, everything one would need to make a sweet potato casserole can be found in the Trader Joe's aisle. Try grabbing these creamy and buttery mashed sweet potatoes instead. It's way less prep time, and you can always add the mini marshmallows and brown sugar clumps later!

Four Cheese Scalloped Potatoes: As we talk through potatoes, these thinly sliced, savory potatoes are smothered in a rich cream sauce flavored with garlic, leeks and a mix of four different cheeses (Parmesan, Asiago, fontina and provolone). Yes, please!

Scallopini Potatoes: There's also TJ's Scallopini Potatoes, which features layers of thinly sliced white potatoes swimming in a sauce of four Italian cheeses, including provolone, Montasio, Grana Padano and fontal cheese.

Cornbread Stuffing: Want stuffing? You have more than one option here:

Cornbread Stuffing Mix: Made with a combination of lightly toasted white bread and cornbread and complemented by a blend of savory herbs, this stuffing is simple to prepare — just add butter and water — and always satisfies.
Cornbread Stuffing with Roasted Apples and Dried Cranberries: Available in the refrigerated section, this premade version adds roasted apples and dried cranberries to the mix. Each 17-oz. package yields about five servings.

Creamed Greens: One of the things I love the most about Trader Joe's is how they offer new twists on well-known dishes. In this take on creamed spinach, Brussels sprouts have become the flavor focal point, with kale filling out the "greens." Garlic and onion are added for a depth of flavor, and a Parmesan béchamel sauce takes the place of the cream. Find a 16-oz. tray in the frozen section. Pro tip: Top with Trader Joe's Gourmet Fried Onion Pieces.

Cranberry Sauce: Here's one section shoppers might want to skip in favor of that jiggly, can-shaped gelatin cranberry sauce (a personal favorite!). However, for those who want something fresher, Trader Joe's has a few to choose from:

Jarred Cranberry Sauce: This sweet, tart, spoonable sauce provides a pleasant counterpoint to more savory options. Made from cranberries, sugar and water, the slow-cooked sauce is offered in 12-oz. jars.
Fresh Cranberry Sauce: Not much complication here, just whole cranberries stirred and brought to a boil with water and sugar until they pop. Trader Joe's 16-ounce tubs are in the refrigerated section.
Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish: Here's a twist on the traditional cranberry sauce. The Cranberry Orange Relish comes uncooked with added Valencia oranges into the mix. Like the above, it's also sold in 16-oz. tubs in the refrigerated section.
Whole Cranberries: Some people like making cranberry sauce themselves. For those overachievers, a 12 oz. bag of organic tart berries can be found amid TJ's other produce offerings. Might we suggest using Bobby Flay's recipe?

Turkey Flavored Gravy: Creamy and savory, with Thanksgiving flavors of garlic, onion powder and other spices, this 17.6 oz. container is a life-saver. It'll make your meal sing. Heat over a saucepan.

Buttermilk Biscuits: This one is a no-brainer. Head to the refrigerated section and grab a roll of these flaky, buttery biscuits. They bake in no time and will soak up that gravy perfectly.

Sweet Pull-Apart Aloha Rolls: Not into baking? Try these light, fluffy, pull-apart rolls, which come in a pack of 12.

Pumpkin Seeds Ciabatta Rolls: Last bread option, I swear. These are extra good to have on hand if you like a leftover sandwich the next day. Pro tip: Toast them!

Apple Cider: A pitcher of apple cider perfectly complements any Thanksgiving spread. The Trader Joe's version is not from concentrate and has no preservatives or added ingredients: just fresh pressed apple juice!

Dessert

Apple Pie: The lattice-leaf crust screams fall, and the apples below are perfectly seasoned. Feeling sneaky? Toss the box and tell folks you made it yourself.

Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin pie can be hit or miss for me. Luckily, Trader Joe's pumpkin pie is always a hit. The perfect consistency, blend of spices and crust — you can't miss.

Make your own pies: Some people like to make their own pies, and obviously, Trader Joe's has you covered:

Organic Pumpkin: Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake or any other pumpkin desserts you might want to make will likely need canned pumpkin. It's available for sale in 15 oz. cans.
Pie Crusts: Every pie needs a buttery crust! The ones at TJ's bake super light and crispy, with a delicately sweet and faintly salty flavor. Plus, they're bigger than other store-bought crusts, so you'll get more to work with, especially if you're one of those fancy people who knows how to cut the excess trim for decoration. Find them in the freezer section.

Autumnal Pie Truffles: How's this for a twist on dessert? This Belgian-made candy collection consists of chocolate confections shaped like little pie slices and filled with traditional pie fillings. Choose from apple pie (caramel apple cinnamon filling in a milk and white chocolate shell topped with biscuit crumbs); pumpkin pie (cranberry ginger cinnamon filling in a milk and dark chocolate shell decorated with milk chocolate pieces); pecan caramel pie (salted caramel pecan filling in a milk and dark chocolate shell topped with caramelized pecan nuts); or silk mousse pie (chocolate and vanilla crème filling in a milk and white chocolate shell topped with brownie cookie crumbs).

Gingerbread Turkey Trot Cookie Decorating Kit: Introduced in 2015, this kid-friendly gift has become a staple for families looking to keep their kids busy during the day. The kit features four turkey-shaped gingerbread cookies with various decorating options (including tubes of premade orange and black icing, leaf-shaped sprinkles and colored candy beads). Trader Joe's says customers can use the finished cookies as name cards, which sounds super cute.

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Miscellaneous

Trader Joe's Seasonal Bouquets: Did you know TJ's has fresh bouquets? The flowers are gorgeous and will dress up any Thanksgiving dinner table. (For those not hosting their own dinner, these make an affordable and effective hosting gift).

Chew-Cuterie Assorted Doggie Treats: Have a guest coming with a dog? This assortment of dog biscuits will be perfect for your four-legged friends. Made with dog-friendly ingredients, they're shaped and flavored like prosciutto, salami, cheddar and provolone — all the meat and cheese fixings you'd find on a charcuterie board. Fun!

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