{"id":271,"date":"2023-11-21T01:40:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T01:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/squarespace.joannawhiteart.com\/wp\/2023\/11\/21\/cracker-barrel-thanksgiving-heat-n-serve-meal-review\/"},"modified":"2025-03-28T18:19:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T22:19:59","slug":"cracker-barrel-thanksgiving-heat-n-serve-meal-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2023\/11\/21\/cracker-barrel-thanksgiving-heat-n-serve-meal-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving Turkey Feast Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"An<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Author\u2019s note: I have no affiliation with <\/em>Cracker Barrel<\/em><\/a>, and I was not compensated in any way for this review. This insanely long review was powered by copious quantities of coffee and PIE.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried this pre-made holiday heat and serve meal from Cracker Barrel.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Some of the dishes were horrible<\/em> disappointments, but others exceeded my expectations. Mostly, I was impressed by the volume of food, and the variety of options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cracker Barrel has several different take-home holiday meal options.<\/a> I selected the Thanksgiving Heat N\u2019 Serve Feast<\/a>. The base price of this meal is $154.99, but after taxes, gratuity, optional upcharges, and one add-on, my total was $210. The website description states: \u201cIncludes two Turkey Breasts, Dressing, Gravy, Cranberry Relish, Sweet Potato Casserole, two sides, Rolls, Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>This meal is supposed to serve 8-10, which is a low estimate. The food is packed cold and requires two hours to prep and heat before serving. The kit has to be used within 72 hours of picking it up from the restaurant, which is still a pretty generous window. More about the meal options and side items later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Comparing several pre-cooked holiday meal options? Check out my review of the Publix Heat and Serve Complete Turkey Thanksgiving Dinner<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cracker<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Be prepared with extra refrigerator space.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I picked up my meal inside the store (rather than curbside), and it was a quick and easy process. I had pre-paid, and I opted to pick mine up a few days before Thanksgiving, so there was no rush or line. The staff even carried the box of food to my car for me. I appreciated this, because it\u2019s heavy.<\/em> They packed everything neatly in a reinforced cardboard box with a lid and handles, which made it easier. Even so, I used all<\/em> my car\u2019s trunk space transporting this home.<\/strong> Be prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you are not cooking and serving this right away, you will need an ungodly amount of refrigerator space. As in, a nearly empty<\/em> refrigerator<\/strong>. Here are the entire contents of my box and bag. This is a ton of food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will also need aluminum foil, and I would recommend two roasting pans<\/strong> \u2014 one for the turkey breasts, and one for the dressing. More about that later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s in the box?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My meal kit came with two 5-pound, individually wrapped, and fully cooked turkey breasts. They arrive chilled, and take slightly over an hour to reheat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The side dishes are packed in aluminum pans with lids. Because I ordered the larger meal, I received two pans of each side dish<\/strong> automatically. Although you can heat and serve the sides directly in these pans, I opted to transfer mine to more attractive serving dishes before baking. This was a little tricky with the casseroles that have toppings on them, but I managed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Everything was packed and labeled very neatly, and nothing was leaking. The Cracker Barrel staff checked the box with me before I left the store and inventoried the items in front of me and asked me if I had any questions. They went to a lot of effort to make this a smooth and painless process for the customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In fact, I even found two plastic bags with about a dozen single-serve butters inside, which was a nice touch. More about the butters later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cracker<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I also found a glossy booklet with detailed instructions for preparing each item in my kit. Fortunately, everything cooks at the same<\/em> temperature (400 degrees), and I was able to fit everything in my oven that needed to be baked.<\/strong> Although Cracker Barrel estimated a 2 hour window for preparing the meal, the longest cook time is 70 minutes, so they factored prep time in this estimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Two<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The turkey breasts take the longest \u2014 an hour and ten minutes \u2014 so I put them in the oven first. They need to be unwrapped, placed in your own pan (I used a large disposable roasting pan), and tightly covered with aluminum foil. That\u2019s the only prep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The only bummer with the turkey breasts is that one of them had detached the entire top of the thick skin when I unwrapped it. Fortunately, it still cooked up pretty nicely. It just looked a little ugly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cooked<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the turkey ended up being one of the best parts of this feast, which is appropriate. Because the breasts are pre-cooked, they don\u2019t shrink much \u2014 you will get about 10 pounds of meat, even after cooking. This is a LOT of meat. I used my most enormous<\/em> turkey platter to serve the two breasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The turkey sliced perfectly, and it was tender and juicy inside.<\/strong> Although the seasoning isn\u2019t particularly zesty, the meat has a pleasing savory, almost smokey taste all the way through the center, and enough saltiness to satisfy most people (I salted mine, because I am a monster). The meat doesn\u2019t have a processed texture, but tastes very natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Looking for another turkey breast option? Here is my review of Costco’s Kirkland Oven Browned Turkey Breast.<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Uncooked<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d hazard the cornbread stuffing required the most prep work, which wasn\u2019t much at all.<\/strong> My kit came with two containers of broth and two pans of dry stuffing, which I mixed together in a bowl before pouring into my own roasting pan. It looked like WAY too much liquid for the stuffing, but I was determined to follow the directions, so I just rolled with it. The dry stuffing had thick slices of raw veggies, like celery, mixed in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, the cornbread dressing looks way better after cooking. I did<\/em> bake mine a little<\/em> longer than the directions recommended, because it seemed too soggy. It firmed up after I scooped it out into a bowl and let it steam out for a bit. The celery has a fresh taste (because it WAS fresh) \u2014 not soggy or too soft, but slightly crisp. This is pretty bland stuffing \u2014 only lightly seasoned \u2014but it has a pleasant taste and soft, fluffy texture, with a satisfying cornmeal undertone.<\/strong> When I served mine, I topped it with gravy and a dollop of butter to give it some extra richness. The butter improved the taste. Butter improves everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is about half the dressing in this 1.5 quart dish. There\u2019s a ton of cornbread stuffing included in this kit, so even your most enthusiastic stuffing-eaters will have met their match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of gravy, here\u2019s the \u201cturkey gravy.\u201d The instructions said to heat it in a pot on the stove. I wasn\u2019t a huge fan of the texture of this gravy \u2014 I prefer a more creamy, dark gravy \u2014 but it wasn\u2019t unpleasant.<\/strong> It has a medium thickness. This is a very pale gravy, almost clear, and tastes like it was thickened with corn starch, perhaps. As you can see, the gravy has bits of veggies and shreds of turkey in it. That\u2019s how it was packaged before I heated it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mashed<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The mashed potatoes are supposed to be microwaved, so I put mine in a 2-quart glass dish. There\u2019s no prep for the potatoes \u2014 you just scoop them out of the aluminum pans and into your own dish. These are THICK mashed potatoes! I like thick. There aren\u2019t any potato skins in here, but there are lots of tiny potato lumps\/bits. I didn\u2019t detect a sour cream tanginess \u2014 or a distinct butteriness \u2014 and I added a little salt to mine to improve the taste. Like most of the dishes in this meal kit, these mashed potatoes are on the \u201cslightly bland\u201d side, but still tasty. They don\u2019t taste fake or processed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cracker<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I opted to \u201cupgrade\u201d one of my side items to the Broccoli Cheddar Casserole. This was one of my main disappointments in this meal kit. The rice was hard and chewy \u2014 almost crunchy! And the broccoli was hard and raw tasting.<\/strong> I cooked my casserole longer<\/em> than the instructions recommended, and it was bubbling vigorously and crispy-browned on top, and piping hot all the way through. So, I held up my end of the bargain. I think someone at the Cracker Barrel store didn\u2019t cook this properly before packing it up for me. At least, I hope this was a fluke. I hope<\/em> people don\u2019t normally eat it this way. Yikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, the rice seemed to soften gradually and my leftovers the next day were more palatable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cheese sauce is creamy and generous, and the cracker bits are wonderfully crisp, crunchy, and flavorful. Out of all the items I received, however, this side dish tastes the most \u201cprocessed,\u201d due to the cheese sauce. I wouldn\u2019t select this option a second time, especially since I paid an extra $10 to \u201cupgrade.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sweet<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My second big disappointment was the Sweet Potato Casserole.<\/strong> Again, I hope<\/em> this is a fluke. I hope this isn\u2019t how Cracker Barrel usually serves this dish. Mine was extremely watery<\/strong>, even after baking uncovered for longer than recommended, and the sweet potatoes were not mashed<\/strong>, but rather chopped\/shredded into pieces that weren\u2019t soft enough. This casserole has a strong sweet taste, but an unpleasant aftertaste.<\/strong> A strange, sweet flavor that seems slightly \u201coff.\u201d Sorry, I don\u2019t know how to describe it. It wasn\u2019t nice at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s little to no spice taste. Not enough creaminess. The pecans are crispy and tasty, and there\u2019s a small amount of brown sugar \u2014 but floating in watery sadness. I couldn\u2019t bring myself to eat more than a couple bites of this casserole, and it was unappealing as leftovers, too. Unfortunately, you can\u2019t \u201copt out\u201d of this side item \u2014 it\u2019s one of the included options in the meal. This is a deal-breaker for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bread<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I felt optimistic when I saw the rolls are packed raw, and you bake them yourself. I was sure this would yield fresh, joyful results. I was wrong. These are strange, sad little rolls.<\/strong> Mine did not rise or change after baking, except to get a bit browner. They are oddly flat, tiny, and unpleasantly square. Although they have a \u201csweet\u201d taste, the texture is \u201ccoarse\u201d and not particularly soft.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Did I mention these are tiny rolls? They are tiny. I have never seen such miniscule rolls.<\/strong> Fortunately, you get a lot<\/em> of them, so everyone can have several. It just boggles my mind. I would rather have 10 good-sized, fluffy, yeasty rolls, than 2 dozen tiny, coarse ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As you can guess, these rolls taste worse the next day. They go stale in record time. If you do end up buying this meal, it may be worthwhile to purchase your own bake-and-serve rolls from your local grocery store instead of these. Just sayin\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Condiments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, the single-serve butter packets. I realized I could pop them open (a gentle squeeze from the sides) and collect the little butter lumps in a bowl. They actually looked kind of spiffy. Like elegant restaurant butter balls, but make it budget. I had enough to fill a small bowl, and they were easy to serve. 10\/10, would do this again with free butters!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cranberry<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The cranberry sauce tasted exactly like mainstream canned cranberry sauce. Full stop. I like canned cranberry sauce, so I\u2019m not mad. But, I still expected something\u2026 different. I guess. I was neither impressed nor particularly disappointed. Just meh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Desserts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Pecan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The pies exceeded my expectations.<\/strong> I got three: Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and I added an Apple Streusel Pie for an extra $12.99. The boxes said \u201cMade from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pecan pie has small, crispy pecans on top of a creamy-smooth, flavorful jelly-like base. The filling has a lovely deep brown-sugary taste. I loved that this pie was not overly sweet. It has a surprising lightness for a pecan pie. It is, however, very<\/em> soft. The crust is crisp, and salty. It\u2019s probably the saltiest pie crust I\u2019ve tasted, but I thought it was a great pairing with the sweet filling.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I noticed the Cracker Barrel ad showed this pie without a pie pan, so I tried gingerly removing the whole pie from the aluminum pan. It worked! The whole pie came out without breaking. It looks much nicer without the pan. If you decide to do this, make sure your pie is thoroughly chilled first, so that it isn\u2019t too crumbly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The pumpkin pie is, likewise, exceptionally smooth<\/em>. The pumpkin filling is dense enough to be satisfying, but light enough to be soft and tender. This is a sweet<\/em> pie, sweeter than average. I was impressed by how richly spiced the pie flavor is \u2014 it has strong notes of cinnamon. This is one of the more flavorful pumpkin pies I\u2019ve eaten.<\/strong> Like the pecan pie, the crust is salty<\/em>. I loved this. I\u2019d also describe the crust as slightly flakey, yet somehow soft. It has a light, pleasant taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Apple<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I added on an Apple Streusel pie for an extra $12.99. I\u2019m glad I did, because this ended up being my favorite of the three pies. I loved that the apples still have their skins on them, and they are delightfully crisp and soft at the same time. The streusel crumbles have a wonderful buttery flavor<\/strong> and just the right amount of sweetness. I will say that this pie has almost no \u201capple pie spice,\u201d which surprised me. Also, this pie didn\u2019t serve as well as the other two \u2014 the crust tended to stick to the bottom of the pan, and it was tough to get the slices out intact. My taste buds do not care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dramatic Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Altogether, this meal was a good value.<\/strong> It provided enormous dinners for at least<\/em> 10 people, and for me, days of leftovers. Notably, the turkey is high quality, and plentiful. Compared to other holiday meal kits on the market, this one offered more quantity<\/em> for the price, and there was more variety<\/em> of side dish choices and dessert choices. A true \u201cfeast.\u201d The overall food quality was \u201cgood.\u201d Minus the few disappointments, it provided a satisfying holiday meal. The items were packed with care, and easy-to-follow instructions were included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would I buy one of Cracker Barrel\u2019s holiday meals again?<\/strong> I probably would, IF I could select a different choice than the Sweet Potato Casserole, and if there were better rolls provided. I wouldn\u2019t upgrade a second time to the Broccoli and Cheddar Casserole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t a meal I would rave about, but it was enjoyable. A solid choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The End.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Ha ha. Just kidding. Here’s some more (potentially redundant) information:)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Options for the Cracker Barrel Holiday Heat n\u2019 Serve Turkey Meal Kit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite aspects of Cracker Barrel\u2019s meal offerings is how many options there are and how much food you get. I had a choice of 12 different side options, and 5 different add-on desserts.<\/strong> Some of the options come with an upcharge, unfortunately. There\u2019s no bread selection \u2014 you get the rolls that come with the meal, but you can buy additional<\/em> breads like biscuits or muffins. I also appreciated how wide the date range was for pick-up \u2014 I had from November 18 to 25, which allowed me several days before and a couple days after Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The side options for this meal include:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n