Publix Thanksgiving / Holiday Heat & Serve Turkey Dinner Review
Author’s note: Not a paid review! Not sponsored. I have no affiliation with Publix. These are my own salty opinions. I apologize for any sloppy writing in this review — the turkey coma from my leftovers is strong, y’all!
Mistakes were made.
Last year, I tried Cracker Barrel’s Heat ‘n Serve Thanksgiving Dinner (read my review here), and this year I’m doing a similar pre-cooked holiday turkey meal from Publix.
I give this meal 3.89 out of 5 stars. But, I give the pick-up process and preparation a dismal 1 out of 5 stars. It was a truly awful process — a deal-breaker, in fact. It made me cry. You can scroll down if you want to read about that right away. Otherwise, let’s talk about what you get in this meal.
What’s in the Publix Holiday Meal?
I ordered the “Publix Complete Turkey Dinner,” which serves “7-10 people”, and includes:
- Fully Cooked 10-12 Pound Turkey (mine was 11.56 pounds)
- Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing (2.5 pounds)
- Homestyle Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes (2.5 pounds)
- Cranberry Orange Relish (1 pound)
- Marshmallow Delight (28 ounces)
- Homestyle Gravy (1 pound)
Publix has several meal options at various price points, but this one cost $69.99.
What doesn’t come in the meal?
Notably, this so-called “Complete” meal does NOT come with bread. Or a dessert. You can add desserts (and more side items), but there isn’t an option to “add on” a bread of any kind. Obviously, you can pick up something in the Publix Bakery while you are there. Here are some of the bread items available in the bakery when I picked up my meal:
Of course, shelves tend to get a bit bare in the rush before Thanksgiving. I decided not to risk it, and bought some frozen Sister Shubert Dinner Rolls.
Side Dishes
On the Publix website, you have the option to add-on side items, desserts, appetizers, and more. The list of holiday sides includes:
- Broccoli Au Gratin
- Corn Casserole
- Cream Spinach
- Green Bean Casserole
- Scalloped Potatoes Mornay with Leeks
- Three Cheese Pasta Salad
- Sweet Plantains
- Rice and Pigeon Peas
- Sweet Potato Casserole
The sides are available as “Large” or “Small,” and you can also add on more of the same items already in the meal, like another mashed potato, gravy, or relish.
For my meal, I added a large side of Broccoli Au Gratin, Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole, and Scalloped Potatoes. So, four extra sides.
Desserts
The add-on desserts selection includes:
- Pumpkin Pie
- Buttermilk Pie (I wrote a review of this already; you can read it here)
- Apple Pie
- Pecan Pie
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Pie
And some other stuff, like cookie platters. But honestly, you can just order anything from the Publix Bakery instead of the holiday list, and then pick it up at the same time.
What’s the total price?
I added on a Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Pie, so my order total with the Publix turkey meal ($69.99), 4 large (added) sides ($12.99 each), and pie ($10.99) was $132.94.
If you add the $4.69 I spent on my Sister Shubert frozen dinner rolls, the total-total is $137.63. (This is still dramatically cheaper than my Thanksgiving Cracker Barrel meal, especially after all my add-on items. However, my Publix meal price is with only one pie, instead of the three Cracker Barrel pies. And the Publix sides are somewhat smaller. And there’s less meat, once removed from the bones.)
When can you order it?
A nice thing about the Publix meal options is that the Thanksgiving version can be ordered from November 1-26. That’s a conveniently wide window of time, which allows for early celebrations, too. Or maybe just folks who love a good turkey dinner, like I do. I ordered my meal on the Publix website about 10 days in advance, and received a confirmation email of my order, pick-up time, and total price. Smooth and easy ordering.
The pick-up was a disaster….
However, when I got to the store (on the correct day and on time!), Publix did not have my order. I had the order email on my phone (AND a pick-up reminder they had sent me that morning), and the Publix employees confirmed that I had done it correctly and I was at the right store at the right time, but that they simply did not have the order.
Unfortunately, it got worse. Not only did they not have my order, they also didn’t have the food/items to create an order for me. This was November 1, so well before the Thanksgiving rush, and I had ordered 10 days in advance. So there was no reason not to have it.
The employee who helped me was apologetic (and I felt terrible for him!), but he was only able to scrape something together for me by running around the store, from the back storage area to the Deli, and then back again, for more than 45 minutes, trying to unearth the correct items and put my Thanksgiving dinner together. There was a lot of back and forth and negotiating, as he said he couldn’t find this or that, and would I take this instead, or did my meal actually come with that? I had to show him the order on my phone with the items the meal should include repeatedly as we went through this process. The Deli workers did not seem to know what was supposed to go in this meal. If you purchase this meal kit, I recommend printing out your order and bringing it with you as a hard-copy.
Some stuff was missing.
When the dust cleared, he was unable to provide the two packages of Marshmallow Delight (it’s like an Ambrosia Salad!) that come standard with my meal. We haggled a little over an alternative, which sent him around the store again, trying to locate the other side item to replace it (I asked for the Three Cheese Pasta Side; he couldn’t find one in the store). I was offered an extra cranberry sauce (it’s half the size of the missing items, and I don’t need another one); I declined. I finally asked if he could just take off one of the add-on casseroles from the order total, to make up for the two Ambrosia Salads. Eventually, that’s what happened. I left the store a full hour after I arrived, with my frozen dinner rolls melted and my milk warm. Bah.
When I got home, I realized — somewhere in the kerfuffle — I had not received my Broccoli Au Gratin side item. It wasn’t on my receipt, so I guess it just never made it into my meal box. There were too many moving parts for me to realize it wasn’t there until it was too late. Argh.
The “heating” was another disaster….
But wait, there’s more. When I got home, I realized absolutely every item in my “Heat and Serve” meal was, in fact, FROZEN. Not “slightly frozen,” but a solid frozen block. It was like the Snow Queen Elsa had got there first. I should probably just “Let it Go….”
Anyway. The turkey was frozen solid. The sides were all frozen (except for the gravy and cranberry sauce). Worse, the thawing instructions for the turkey required 3-4 DAYS of thaw time for the weight. All of the frozen sides I received stated on the package that they must be fully thawed (under refrigeration) before heating.
I had planned to “Heat and Serve” my meal immediately, and serve it in less than 2 hours, so this was horrifying. This is NOT the “Heat and Serve” product the Publix website advertises! This is NOT something you can prepare even 24 hours in advance. This requires DAYS of advance planning and thawing. I actually cried a little. For a special event like Thanksgiving, this is devastating.
Not supposed to be frozen!
The “Heat and Serve” instructions from the Publix website describes a heating time that ranges from about 135 to 15 minutes, depending on the item. So, there weren’t any instructions for preparing frozen items, and no indication that several days of thawing would be necessary in order to cook any of it. Based on that, I believe this order was supposed to be sold to me thawed, not frozen.
Not ideal for “planners.”
If you are reading this review, I’m guessing you are the kind of person (like me!) who wants to plan everything and know everything in advance. Thanksgiving is one of those events that requires EXTRA planning and EXTRA knowing. A small deviation creates a major set-back. A big deviation is a disaster. This was a beyond a big deviation.
Preparation and Heating
Since thawing my turkey for 4 days was not an option, I put it in the oven immediately at 325 degrees. I couldn’t insert the included pop-up thermometer, because the bird was frozen rock-solid. I did manage to add this later, after it had cooked for a couple hours. Altogether, it took more than 4.5 hours to heat my turkey all the way through. Obviously, dinner was very late.
For the sides, I thawed them as much as I could, and then scraped the frozen blocks into oven-safe dishes. The instructions on the packages said to fully thaw before baking, but I didn’t have that luxury, so I put them in the oven for 1.5 hours covered with lids or aluminum foil, and then another 20 minutes uncovered.
As a side note, I was able to fit all of these items in my standard-sized oven together at the same time, including a large disposable roasting pan for the turkey.
The Turkey
Ok, so this is a “fully cooked” frozen Butterball turkey. For whatever reason, I thought I was getting a Publix Deli cooked turkey (like a deli rotisserie chicken, maybe) that was chilled and packaged prior to pickup. But, no. Just a standard frozen Butterball. Just a typical mass-produced turkey. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good turkey (albeit, made with Caramel Color, Sodium Phosphate, and Sodium Diacetate…more about the ingredients later). I just thought I was getting a meal actually cooked by the Publix Deli.
Anyway. Even with the disaster of having to cook this turkey fully frozen, with no thawing, it came out pretty decent. The skin was crisp and beautifully browned, and the meat inside was flavorful. It may have been slightly drier than it should have been due to the cooking method, but it was still reasonably tender and delicious. Although not bland, there isn’t any distinct seasoning I can pin-point, just a general savory-salty turkey taste.
On a happy note, my finished turkey held together like a champ when transferring from the roasting pan to a serving platter. I don’t think I’ve ever had a whole turkey that looked so picture-perfect. It’s pretty! I should just enjoy this, and not be suspicious.
The Sides
Overall, the sides had excellent, rich flavors and quasi-homemade appearance, once served. I took all of mine out of the black plastic trays they came in and put them in oven-safe casserole dishes before baking. This improved the appearance greatly.
However, I can totally see the appeal of these resealable, oven-ready trays. It would have been a lot faster (and easier to store afterwards), if I had kept the casseroles in the plastic trays. You may have seen the many recent news stories about the dangerous contamination in black plastic. I’m avoiding black plastic food containers after reading this article, FYI.
Publix Corn Casserole
The Corn Casserole was my least favorite. It was overwhelmingly sweet — more like a dessert — and had a sticky consistency. The corn kernels were pleasantly chewy, but it just had very little flavor outside of “sugary.” I prefer more savory corn casseroles, with restrained sweetness.
The Publix Corn Casserole also had a sticky, gummy texture that was disappointing. It wasn’t creamy or fluffy, just thick and sticky. I ate a few spoonfulls, out of obligation, but it was not something I would ever want to eat again. Sorry-not-sorry.
Publix Green Bean Casserole
The Green Bean Casserole had enjoyably meaty green beans that tasted nicer than typical canned ones. They were soft and fully cooked (I hate it when they are crunchy and raw!), but thick and textural. Although not a major player, the sauce was creamy and thick with a light flavor. I was delighted to see real mushrooms, heavy cream, and sherry in the ingredients.
There were not enough “french-fried onions” on top of my casserole, which bummed me out. That’s the best part! If you decide to buy this casserole, adding a handful (or two? or three???) of your own french-fried onions to the top may be worthwhile.
Publix Scalloped Potatoes Mornay with Leeks.
If you’re a lover of strong flavors, you may prefer the Scalloped Potatoes Mornay with Leeks. Although mostly creamy sauce with few potatoes, there is a fantastic deep, smokey, bacon-y, and cheesy taste to this dish. I relished it. The “red skin potatoes” are just the right balance of soft and crisp.
I did not quite understand the enormous volume of thick cream sauce compared to potatoes, but I liked the sauce flavor so much, I used it as a second “gravy” on my turkey and stuffing. Yum. There is asiago cheese, swiss cheese, cream cheese, and heavy cream in the ingredients.
Publix Cornbread Dressing
The Cornbread Dressing seemed too soggy at first, but it grew on me. If you want it a little crisper, you can spread it out in a bigger roasting pan and bake it a bit more before serving. This stuffing has a delicious rich broth flavor and savory-sweet corn taste.
I loved the crisp carrot chunks, although this was VERY surprising — I’ve never seen a bread dressing that featured carrots so prominently! There also seem to be onion bits and finely chopped celery hidden in here. But the carrots are the MVP.
Publix Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
Sadly (and surprisingly!) the Homestyle Mashed Potatoes were my second-least-favorite side item. They have a good, but uncomfortably strong taste — like “Movie Theater Butter” flavor. I did not like the texture. It was unpleasantly gummy —almost sticky. These are made with Yukon Gold Potatoes.
They’re not at all thin, and I was happy to see the ingredients do include sour cream and heavy cream. They just don’t have the fluffy-buttery-creamy texture I’m used to. It’s probably just a personal preference. Mine were tasty without added salt. The gravy seemed to improve the gummy texture.
Publix Gravy
Speaking of GRAVY, this is thick gravy! Mine was SO thick, I could almost scoop it with a fork. It’s almost sticky-thick. I liked this brown gravy better than Cracker Barrel’s turkey gravy, which was more of a thin, almost clear consistency. Publix’ version is creamy and opaque with a rich flavor. However, I also didn’t find this Publix gravy to have as much of a homemade taste as the other sides. The second ingredient (after “water”) is “modified food starch,” which bummed me out. More about the ingredients later.
Publix Cranberry Orange Relish
And last, but not least, the Cranberry Orange Relish. Oh my. This stuff is fantastic! I would buy this again, as a stand-alone item. It has a tongue-tingling tart-sweet flavor, and a crisp texture. It’s nothing like a canned cranberry sauce. I wouldn’t describe the berries as fully raw, but they are also not entirely cooked. This is heaven.
The flavor is deep and slightly citrusy, with enough sugary-syrupy sweetness to round it out. A little bit of this tangy relish goes a loooong way! I was disappointed to see potassium sorbate (preservative) in the ingredients, however.
Dessert
I added a Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Pie to my order. The pie is tiny, and it came sealed in shrink wrap inside a box. This doesn’t appear to be an item that is prepared fresh in the Publix Bakery, but rather shipped to the stores. I really wanted to love this pie — I’ve been dreaming about it since I saw it in stores last year, and I couldn’t wait to try it.
Unfortunately, my pie tasted old. It just wasn’t a fresh-tasting product. It tasted like what it was — something that had been sitting, sealed in plastic, on a shelf for a while. Can’t blame the pie for being who he is!
I did love the rich flavor. It’s a deep caramelly — and vaguely “boozy” taste (from the bourbon flavoring) — with hints of dark chocolate. The pie custard seems to have a prominent flour base with a thick, sticky texture. I was glad mine wasn’t sickeningly sweet, although it still packs a sugary punch.
The layer directly underneath the walnuts is tiny, firm, dark chocolate chips. These were tasty, although not a big player in the overall pie.
About half the walnuts were bitter, and this bummed me out. They tasted like they had gone rancid. They also weren’t crisply sugar-coated, but rather just sticky and flaccid. (If you’re looking for an alternative, you might enjoy my review of Costco’s Pecan Pie.)
For $12.99 (non-sale price), this tiny pie is a disappointment. If I’d paid half that, I might not be as upset. But, either way, I wouldn’t buy it again. Nope.
Ingredients in Publix Holiday Turkey Dinner
Here are the ingredients from the labels:
Publix Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Pie Ingredients
Publix Cranberry Orange Relish Ingredients
Publix Cornbread Dressing Ingredients
Publix Corn Casserole Ingredients
Publix Green Bean Casserole Ingredients
Publix Homestyle Mashed Potatoes Ingredients
Publix Homestyle Gravy Ingredients
Publix Scalloped Potatoes Ingredients Label
Butterball Fully Cooked Whole Turkey Ingredients
Nutrition Facts in Pre-Cooked Publix Turkey Meal
Here are the Nutrition Facts labels for the separate items (if not already pictured above, under Ingredients):
Publix Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Pie Nutrition Facts
Publix Cranberry Orange Relish Nutrition Facts
Publix Homestyle Gravy Nutrition Facts
Butterball Fully Cooked Whole Turkey Nutrition Facts
Dramatic Conclusion
Compared to other pre-cooked Thanksgiving or holiday meals on the market, Publix offers a lot of variety in side dishes and customization. Although I don’t consider this a “complete” meal (despite the title!), it offers a fair value, even after adding on extra sides, bread, and dessert options.
If the pick-up and prep process had been smooth, I might consider this Publix heat-and-serve holiday meal a second time. But, it wasn’t. It was awful. And, big holiday events are not something I am willing to gamble on. If I choose a pre-cooked meal, it is because I am trying to reduce stress, and increase the reliability of the outcome. And unfortunately, this purchase only increased my stress, and delayed my meal event by hours. Boo.
The End.
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