Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:William Sonoma. No one will know!

Everyone will know. More important, you will know that you took the coward's way out. Shameful. All to save yourself 5 minutes' work.

If you knew anything about cooking you would know that good gravy for 20+ people takes way longer than 5 minutes to cook. Heck, any good quality gravy in any quantity takes much longer than 5 minutes.

Of course it takes longer than five minutes to cook, my point is that it is five minutes work. It isn't like you can't do other stuff at the same time it is cooking.

I'm the OP--thanks for the (helpful) suggestions! I think I'll try the Trader Joe's version sometime soon with a rotisserie chicken. Only my parents are super fussy. I think the rest of my family (and it's just my kids & siblings & nephews & nieces) will be happy to have a meal they didn't have to prepare. I know I would be!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trader Joes has a good basic turkey gravy. I keep it as a stand by in case my real gravy doesn't work out.

+1 - I found out about it a few Tgivings ago when the Post included it in a list of store-bought Thanksgiving items that taste good.

Trader Joes gravy is terrible. A cheap jar of Heinz ids actually much better.

I'm terrible making gravy. I do Thanksgiving every year for ~20 and ask someone to make it while I finish the final preparations. It's worked so far.

The OP is hosting Thanksgiving for 25 people. All she is asking for is not to spend another 10 minutes in the kitchen at a time when the kitchen is crazy.

OP - I am sure everyone will be very appreciative of the meal that you are preparing.

Enjoy spending time with your guests.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:William Sonoma. No one will know!

Everyone will know. More important, you will know that you took the coward's way out. Shameful. All to save yourself 5 minutes' work.

If you knew anything about cooking you would know that good gravy for 20+ people takes way longer than 5 minutes to cook. Heck, any good quality gravy in any quantity takes much longer than 5 minutes.

OP, why don't you make a thick chicken stock gravy the weekend before Thanksgiving? Freeze it, and reheat in a pan before serving. As it heats, thin it out with the turkey drippings. It will taste wonderful, and be so much easier than trying to get the gravy to thicken while everyone is sitting there waiting to eat.

Anonymous wrote:Trader Joes has a good basic turkey gravy. I keep it as a stand by in case my real gravy doesn't work out.

+1 - I found out about it a few Tgivings ago when the Post included it in a list of store-bought Thanksgiving items that taste good.

Anonymous wrote:William Sonoma. No one will know!

Everyone will know. More important, you will know that you took the coward's way out. Shameful. All to save yourself 5 minutes' work.

William Sonoma. No one will know!

Trader Joes has a good basic turkey gravy. I keep it as a stand by in case my real gravy doesn't work out.

Man up and make the gravy.

Buy some in advance and taste for yourself. I'm the one who posted that I like the Whole Foods gravy, but people have individual preferences.
The PP who didn't like it said he/she didn't like an herb taste in it. Some herbs rub some people the wrong way. Or maybe PP wanted something more mainstream commercial.

Or, if making turkey gravy with pan drippings seems like too much of a drag, make a chicken liver/apple cider gravy in advance. Way easier. Google the recipe.

I would probably try a restaurant. I think Balduccis has a pretty good gravy but I would also consider a good restaurant like Black Salt.

I'm willing to make Thanksgiving dinner for 25, but I really really really don't want to deal with the gravy. I know it's not difficult to make, but I don't want to do it.

I was set to buy premade gravy from Whole Foods, based on what I'd read on the other DCUM turkey thread, but then I read a post from someone who didn't like that gravy at all. Is Whole Foods gravy really that bad? Does anyplace else offer something better--Wegman's? Balducci's? Trader Joe's? Safeway? HELP!