# Anyone ever had the Thanksgiving dinner from Kroger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204 "2007-11-20T17:49:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/1 "2007-11-20T17:49:27Z")
Because that’s what my in-laws are serving and I want to know if I should be prepared to starve. It’s out of town, so I can’t take much by way of food, though suggestions for additions to brighten the meal that can handle overnight in a hotel room would be great. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/2 "2007-11-20T17:52:51Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] It’s out of town, so I can’t take much by way of food, though suggestions for additions to brighten the meal that can handle overnight in a hotel room would be great. [/QUOTE] Lots of liquor? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/3 "2007-11-20T17:54:38Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] Lots of liquor? [/QUOTE] 😃 I would never hear the end of it. Of course, since I’m a lightweight and would be asleep under the table after one drink, I wouldn’t hear the beginning of it, either! ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/4 "2007-11-20T18:20:25Z")
You may be surprised. The prepared dinners at Kroger’s (and Boston Market, btw) are actually pretty good. I’d take one of those over a homemade dinner made by someone who doesn’t really know what they are doing anytime. One note - if the turkey needs to be reheated, it needs to be done so as not to dry it out. It’s perfectly possible to mangle a decent takeout dinner by not following the storage/reheating instructions. There are lots of desserts you could bring that would overnight just fine in a hotel room. Bread or rolls would too, as long as they are fresh when you start out. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/5 "2007-11-20T18:38:15Z")
No Kroger’s in our area (left years and years ago), but I’m planning on stopping by the local Dierberg’s today to pick up their turkey & dressing. I’m going to my parent’s for Thanksgiving, but this is as good as leftovers, and I don’t have to cook! So, yeah, I suspect the Kroger’s dinner is likely to be as good. I’d recommend a dessert, too. They can be done ahead of time, and keep well. Since they’ll have likely picked up some pies at Kroger’s, I’d suggest something like brownies. I made Ina Garten’s last year and took 'em with us to KC for Thanksgiving at my brother’s in-laws, and they kept for a couple of days. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/6 "2007-11-20T18:44:38Z")
[QUOTE=romansperson] There are lots of desserts you could bring that would overnight just fine in a hotel room. Bread or rolls would too, as long as they are fresh when you start out. [/QUOTE] Most of the bready things I like would need warmed up to be really good, but maybe dessert of some sort. I think it’s something like a 6 hour drive. On preview: Yeah, brownies would probably be a great choice. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Maltese\_Bippy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@The\_Maltese\_Bippy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Maltese_Bippy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/7 "2007-11-20T18:59:52Z")
I’ve had the Safeway grocery dinner and it was exactly like the brochure pictured it, so it covered everything that was traditional in my house except that awful “ambrosia” whipped jello that Aunt Bessie always brought. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/8 "2007-11-20T19:03:04Z")
I got the prepared Thanksgiving dinner from Giant Foods supermarket about four years ago. It was passable. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/9 "2007-11-20T19:42:19Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] I got the prepared Thanksgiving dinner from Giant Foods supermarket about four years ago. It was passable. [/QUOTE] Same here, about 9 years back. The turkey was one of those prebasted Butterball thingies and it wasn’t browned at all, so we put it in the oven for an hour or so to brown it, but overall, MUCH easier than doing it from scratch. Not as good, but perfectly tolerable. We did do a couple of things from scratch, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/10 "2007-11-20T20:51:16Z")
Never tried Kroger. There is a local chain here in the upper Ohio Valley called Riesbeck’s and I got my dinner from them last year, and have ordered it this year. Plenty yummy! ``` From the quality of Kroger food around here, I would guess that there's would also be good ``` :Disclaimer: ``` Both my Mother and Father worked for Kroger, so take that as you may. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/11 "2007-11-20T21:03:33Z")
The Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving Day dinner is pretty good and they allow take out. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/12 "2007-11-20T21:11:59Z")
[QUOTE=Sweetums] Never tried Kroger. There is a local chain here in the upper Ohio Valley called Riesbeck’s and I got my dinner from them last year, and have ordered it this year. Plenty yummy! ``` From the quality of Kroger food around here, I would guess that there's would also be good ``` :Disclaimer: ``` Both my Mother and Father worked for Kroger, so take that as you may. ``` [/QUOTE] Where are you dude?? I used to live near Wheeling and Riesebeck’s was my mom and dad’s fave store. Anyway, as not to hijack, we had the Kroger’s turkey dinner at my MIL’s a couple years back and it wasn’t half bad. The stuffing was okay but the turkey…mmmm. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/13 "2007-11-20T22:56:44Z")
[QUOTE=Sweetums] Never tried Kroger. There is a local chain here in the upper Ohio Valley called Riesbeck’s and I got my dinner from them last year, and have ordered it this year. Plenty yummy! [/QUOTE] We have Riesbecks here, too. Good baked goods (baked goods baked). ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-had-the-thanksgiving-dinner-from-kroger/427204/14 "2007-11-20T23:31:09Z")
That’s what we did last year, for a couple of reasons. It was fine. It didn’t have any personal touches like “Mom always puts cinnamon in the pumpkin pie” or some such, but it was certainly passable.