How To Get An Entire Thanksgiving Meal In One Costco Trip

If you’re looking for a one-stop shop when it comes to Thanksgiving, you could technically choose your usual grocery store. But it’s so much simpler to shop at Costco.

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At Costco, you can find supersized items that’ll feed a crowd on Thanksgiving, all at reasonable prices. And, thanks to the warehouse retailer’s reputation for delicious, quality items, you can ensure everything you’re picking up for this food-focused holiday is top-tier. If I was planning my Thanksgiving dinner, here’s everything I’d pick up at Costco in a single shopping trip to make the entire event a breeze.

Pick Up Affordable Premade Items in Costco’s Bakery

First things first: Costco makes both the beginning and end of your meal easy thanks to the wealth of standout bakery choices available in-store. I don’t want to spend time handmaking items that I can find in-store and know that they’ll be better quality than anything I can whip up myself, so I always pick up premade rolls and dessert.

Costco’s Kirkland Signature Butter Dinner Rolls are the perfect pick for Thanksgiving, and you’ll get 30 rolls for just $6. Prefer something a little fancier? Kirkland Signature’s 12-pack of Artisan Rolls are also excellent and offer a smaller but still crowd-sized pack for just under $7. You can also opt for a loaf instead of rolls if you prefer; I recommend Kirkland Signature’s Rustic Italian Bread for just under $7.

When it comes to dessert, Costco makes an incredible pie. It’s pretty much flawless, and I don’t want to waste time making a lesser pie days ahead of Thanksgiving. So, pick up one (or two) of the Kirkland Signature Pumpkin Pie, which feeds 12 for $6.80 and pairs with your favorite whipped cream, ice cream, or any other dessert accompaniment.

Don’t Forget the Turkey

You have a couple of options when it comes to a Thanksgiving turkey at Costco. If you want to stick with the classic — which is what I personally do — Butterball frozen whole turkeys appear in-warehouse in early November. Usually priced between $0.99 and $1.50 per pound depending on where you live (and grocery prices), these turkeys are exactly what you need for the centerpiece of your meal.

Alternatively, you can cut out a lot of effort and still get plenty of flavor if you opt for the Kirkland Signature Whole Smoked Turkey. This Costco item costs $5.66 per pound (about $66 on average, if you need about 11.5 pounds of meat) and is already fully cooked, having been smoked for 4 to 6 hours to amp up the flavor. It’s a shortcut, but a tasty one.

Fill Your Side Dishes With Fresh Produce

No matter what side dishes are on the menu for your Thanksgiving meal, Costco has the ingredients you need. And they’re reasonably priced in bulk, too. Below are some of the staples I’d add to my cart to get everything in a single Costco shopping trip — they cover stuffing (or dressing), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and even the gravy and cranberries.

The top Costco side dish ingredients are:

Kirkland Signature Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter, 4 16-ounce sticks for $10.20
Organic French Green Beans, 2 pounds for $9.07, or Del Monte Canned Cut Green Beans, 12 cans for $13.20
Fresh Gourmet Crispy Onions, 24 ounces for $6.23
Organic Gold Potatoes, 10 pounds for $9.07
Organic Precut Butternut Squash, 2 pounds for $7.93
Organic Carrots, 6 pounds for $6.23
Organic Celery Sticks, 2.5 pounds for $7.93
Organic Brussels Sprouts, 2 pounds for $7.93
Boudin Sourdough Stuffing, 32 ounces for $10.20 (or you can opt for Stove Top’s Turkey Stuffing Mix if your warehouse stocks it)
Kevin’s Turkey Gravy, 48 ounces for $11.34
Stonemill Kitchens Cranberry Sauce, $36 ounces for $7.93

Costco also has the toppings and other staples you might need — like halved pecans, condensed cream of mushroom soup, milk, chicken broth and stock and baking staples as well as seasonings — if you really need everything for your meal down to salt and pepper.

You Can Even Pick Up a Complete Thanksgiving Dinner (But Only Online)

If you don’t even want to exert the effort to browse the aisle of your local Costco (or do your shopping online), then there’s an even simpler solution. You can just add one thing to your cart: Costco’s Complete Gourmet Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner.

Available for pre-order now, this meal costs $199.99 (though it’s worth noting it’s currently discounted and is said to cost $269.99 at full price) and feeds 8 people in total. It’s ready to eat as soon as you bring it home, with just roasting required for the turkey and heating required for the sides. In the meal, you’ll get: