Turkey, sides, pies — delivered or served. What Thanksgiving catering packages include, how much to order per guest, delivery and reheating, and the ordering deadlines that matter.
Thanksgiving catering has quietly become one of the busiest weeks of the year for caterers: families who want the dinner without the cooking, offices hosting a team lunch the week before, and hosts feeding thirty relatives in a kitchen built for four. This guide explains what packages include, how to size the order and the deadlines you should not miss.
Three ways to cater Thanksgiving
1. Full-dinner package for pickup or delivery
A complete menu — turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, two or three vegetables, rolls and pie — delivered chilled or warm with reheating instructions. The most popular format for families. Packages are usually sized for 8–10 or 12–15 guests and can be combined.
2. À la carte sides and mains
Order the turkey (or ham, prime rib, a vegan main) and the sides you do not want to cook, and make the rest yourself. Ideal when a family recipe must appear on the table but nobody wants to roast a twenty-pound bird.
3. On-site service
The caterer delivers, sets up a buffet, serves and cleans up — common for large family gatherings, community dinners and office Thanksgiving lunches. Staffing is billed by the hour; book early, because staff availability is the constraint on the holiday itself.
How much to order
- Turkey: plan about 1.25 pounds of whole turkey per guest (bone-in), or roughly half a pound of cooked, carved meat per guest. For leftovers, go to 1.5 pounds per guest.
- Stuffing and mashed potatoes: about three-quarters of a cup of each per guest.
- Gravy: a third of a cup per guest.
- Vegetable sides: half a cup per side per guest; plan two or three sides.
- Cranberry sauce: a quarter cup per guest.
- Rolls: one and a half per guest.
- Pie: one pie serves about eight; plan on a slice and a half per guest across two or three kinds.
Caterers will adjust for your crowd — teenagers, a long afternoon and football all push the numbers up.
Timing and deadlines
- Order deadlines for full-dinner packages often fall one to two weeks before Thanksgiving; the most popular caterers sell out earlier.
- Pickup is usually the day before or Thanksgiving morning; delivery windows are set in advance and are tight on the day.
- Reheating a full chilled dinner takes 90 minutes to two hours of oven time — plan the kitchen schedule, or order it delivered hot and timed to your meal.
- Office Thanksgiving lunches happen the week before — book those by late October.
Dietary and menu variations
Most caterers now offer a vegetarian or vegan main (stuffed squash, mushroom Wellington, lentil loaf), gluten-free stuffing and dairy-free sides on request. Regional and cultural menus are common too — Southern dressing and sweet potato pie, Latin pernil alongside the turkey, Cajun fried turkey, Italian-American antipasto to start. State what the table expects and the caterer will build around it.
What Thanksgiving catering costs
Pickup packages are priced per package (sized for a set number of guests) and are the most economical; à la carte items are priced per pound or per tray; on-site service adds staffing hours. Delivery on the holiday itself usually carries a premium. On Caterizi holiday menus show the total price with tax and what is included, so you can compare a package in Miami, Dallas, Atlanta or Chicago before the deadlines hit. For a broader look at the season, see our holiday party catering guide.
Checklist before you order
- Guest count, including kids and expected leftovers.
- Format: full package, à la carte or on-site service.
- Pickup or delivery, and the time window.
- Dietary needs and any must-have family dishes.
- Oven and refrigerator space for reheating and storage.
- Serving dishes and utensils — included, disposable or yours.
FAQ
Can I get Thanksgiving dinner delivered hot on the day?
Many caterers offer timed hot delivery on Thanksgiving Day with a premium and limited slots; book early.
How long does a catered dinner keep?
Chilled packages are typically good for two to three days refrigerated; follow the caterer’s instructions.
Is it cheaper than cooking?
Not usually on ingredients alone — but it replaces a full day of shopping, cooking and cleanup, and the quantities arrive right.
Do caterers do Friendsgiving and office lunches?
Yes — the week before Thanksgiving is peak for office and friends’ dinners; buffet service and family-style trays are the common formats.
Thanksgiving caterers book up fast — browse holiday menus or post your dinner now and compare quotes.
