Here’s the thing: The holidays are in full swing – Christmas is in only 14 days. If you’re still having Kitchen Nightmares (get out of here, Alton Brown) over Thanksgiving meal blunders, like Uncle Al’s semi-frozen turkey or Cousin Margo’s questionable cranberry surprise, or you found yourself wanting to order pizza during a holiday family Zoom call – not to fret. We’ve concocted the perfect recipe for a successful holiday dinner. The best part? You barely have to lift a finger. 😌

Your new (and improved) go-to holiday meal recipe:

Step 1: Put the roasting pan away + pick up your phone or go to your computer instead.

Step 2: Order a holiday dinner from Publix and then pick it up from your Publix Deli.

Step 3: Flip a coin with your spouse to decide on who gets the creamier side of the macaroni + then chow down on your share of the meal until your heart's content (and your belly’s full).

Our proof of deeming this recipe a winner is in the pudding – literally. Here’s what we experienced when ordering a holiday dinner from Publix and why you should #TryThis.

Getting stuffed on turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy + more | Photo by @thelaltoday

Experience:

Ordering a Publix Deli holiday dinner in Lakeland, FL

What we tried (with pricing):

This year I (Kaylee here 👋) decided to stow away my apron, and instead, ordered a Publix holiday dinner (this one feeds 7-10 people for only $50), over Thanksgiving. The kit included a fully-cooked Butterball turkey, homestyle mashed potatoes, old-fashioned stuffing, Publix gravy, marshmallow delight, and cranberry-orange relish.

Oh, and everything came with simple instructions for reheating and serving – all of which took about ~1 hour to do.

The ease of simply ordering a dinner that you know everyone will love is such a stress-reliever – and who couldn’t use that during the holidays, in 2020? From start to finish to leftovers (because yes, there’s enough food to where you’ll have leftovers), the entire process of ordering to eating is so simple, both for you and the cleanliness of your kitchen.

via GIPHY

What not to miss:

Perusing your Publix for other homemade goodies to take home. Because we just couldn’t resist...we also added on a side macaroni and cheese, a brie + fruit platter, another side of mashed potatoes, and a GreenWise sweet potato pie. We highly recommend the macaroni and cheese + the sweet potato pie (pumpkin, who?) 🥧

That being said, the marshmallow delight was next level. | Photo by @thelaltoday

Also, stay on the lookout for Publix’s famous BOGO wine specials 🥂 to pair your dishes off right.

What we’re still talking about:

If we’re being honest, we haven’t stopped talking about this experience – and could probably write poetry about it (“Publix Gravy, oh my Gravy”), but we’ll save you from our bad iambic pentameter + just give you the highlights:

Price: Okay...so did we mention the price for this meal is $50, and the meal can feed up to 10 people? This is price-equivalent to a DIY Thanksgiving, according to American Farm Bureau Federation.
Taste: We pinky-promise no one will know that this meal isn’t homemade, minus those you share with. Everything is fresh, delicious, + shareable, and the instructions for reheating are so, so simple.
The conversation: We couldn’t stop talking about this experience, and that included at the dinner table while we inhaled the meal. From joking about Kaylee's brother-in-law’s “expert turkey carving skills” to her toddler niece’s reaction to trying cranberry sauce for the first time, the meal created a whole new set of memories, without any of the cleanup or other-holiday stress that it would normally take to cook a whole meal.

A holiday dinner fit for a king (or 7-10 of them) | Photo by @thelaltoday

How you can experience this:

To give your taste buds a trip they’ll remember forever, go to Publix.com + choose the holiday dinner that suits you best. These options include holiday dinners (with ham + turkey options), decadent desserts, deli platters + more. 😋

After you’ve picked your meal kit, add it to your shopping list and grab all the other goodies you know you’ll need (like whipped cream for your pie).

Next, proceed to checkout, where you’ll be given an option to pay either at the store or ahead of time.

Mac + cheese + a Christmas tree...what more could one need? | Photo by @thelaltoday

Finally, schedule your pick up time and store location.

#ProTip: Make sure to order ahead of time (about 48 hours in advance) so that you can ensure your pick-up goes smoothly.

Things to know if you go:

Experience: Ordering a Publix Holiday Dinner
Price: Varies depending on which holiday dinner you purchase
Website: https://www.publix.com/shop-online/in-store-pickup/holiday-meals/ccb35230-5906-4620-9a3e-ca6d71ae0918
Address: Location varies: Find your nearest Publix
Hours: Time for pick up varies depending on which Publix location you choose. After scheduling your meal, 48-hours ahead of time, pick-up + reheating a meal will take you about 1-2 hours in total. Clean up time is about 5 minutes.
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