Turkey Takeout! 5 Places to Pre-Order your Thanksgiving Meal in New Jersey

Thanksgiving may be a day to relax with family and watch football but let's face it - it's also a heck of a lot of cooking, cleaning and organizing for the host. And if you're like most NJ families feeling pretty worn out from hurricanes and snow storms, why not get a little help in the cooking department this year? You could eat out but you could also set the table, do a little light cleaning and then pick up a fully cooked, delicious Thanksgiving meal at one of these local joints.

Whole Foods (various locations throughout NJ)

For an elegant meal from the pros, Whole Foods offers an array of organic and healthy choices. Whether you're hosting a small get together for 4 or a feast for 12, each store's website lists Thanksgiving packages by price. You can choose a turkey (or Tofurky!) or if you're game to tackle the bird on your own, Whole Foods offers side dish only bundles too. Succulent sides include traditional New England stuffing, green beans with almonds and cranberry orange relish. Herb-crusted turkeys come either fully cooked or oven ready. Vegetarians coming to dinner? The 'Field Roast En Croute Dinner' is completely vegan and comes with delicious butternut squash puree and mushroom gravy. Orders must be placed by November 20th. For more information on pricing and ordering from a nearby Whole Foods, visit their Thanksgiving webpage.

Delicious Orchards (Colts Neck, NJ)

So you've decided to cook the turkey, the stuffing and the rest of Thanksgiving dinner from scratch? Good for you! But if producing a fabulous dessert has you stressed, Delicious Orchards Country Food Market has some awesome homemade pies to complete your meal. They make their pumpkin and apple pies from scratch each and every morning. Bakery manager Donna Annunziata says these are no ordinary desserts: "We make our apple pie from fresh-peeled apples, no preservatives and tons of fruit inside. Our pumpkin pie is creamy and custard-like - perfect to pair with whipped cream. We sold over 40,000 pies for Thanksgiving last year!" You can also try out their apple tart pie topped with crumbly brown sugar goodness or order up a batch of their “single-serving” mini pies in assorted flavors. Pies are guaranteed to be in stock all of Thanksgiving week. For more information, please call 732-462-1989.

Costco (various locations throughout NJ)

If you're looking to invite the whole gang and then some, Costco has a feast fit for your crowd. A 14 pound turkey that can feed up to 16 guests along with traditional sides including maple-glazed sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing with sage and sweet cinnamon apple cobbler to finish out the meal will arrive right on your doorstep. You won't need to provide much but a bottle (or two) of wine. The fully-cooked dinner can be ordered online and ships frozen ahead of the holiday. The only "cooking" you'll need to do is to thaw and reheat the meal ahead of time. Now the only problem is finding enough space in the freezer! Please visit Costco's website to place your order online.

Morton Williams Marketplace (Jersey City, NJ)

Take one look at the prepared food counter at Morton Williams stocked with an impressive selection of deli meats and freshly made sushi and you'll see why it's a smart choice to let them do your Thanksgiving cooking. Start with pumpkin bisque soup before moving on to an antipasto or cheese platter before your main course of a Bell & Evans roasted turkey or an herb-crusted rack of lamb. Round out the meal with stuffed acorn squash or carrot soufflé and definitely save room for their famous Brooklyn Blackout Cake or a classic slice of pumpkin pie. Visit Morton William's online ordering page by November 19th to customize your Thanksgiving meal.

The Cinnamon Snail (Red Bank, NJ and Hoboken, NJ)

This organic, vegan food truck has a cult-like following in New Jersey and New York and it's pretty darn easy to see why. From Korean BBQ seitan to fresh fig pancakes, even hardcore carnivores won't miss the meat after tracking down the truck's daily location via Facebook or Twitter. The Cinnamon Snail is also known for their vegan holiday dinners. Owner and chef Adam Sobel is very enthusiastic about the menu this year: "Our food is just really nourishing, hearty vegetarian food. Everything is really delicious but our Thanksgiving style donuts are extremely popular - especially the white chocolate-glazed pumpkin." Place your order by November 19th and pick up your freshly prepared meal in Hoboken or Red Bank on Thanksgiving Day to take straight home and enjoy. Choose from maple butternut squash soup, their popular truffle mac & 'cheese,' lemon mustard marinated kale or stuffed quinoa croquettes. Visit The Cinnamon Snail's Thanksgiving webpage to place your order.

Happy Thanksgiving!