I think it's weird to come to Thanksgiving and not offer to bring food to contribute.

I usually provide the pies for our dinner with my ILs who are a 4 hour drive away. In the past I've baked them and we drive down on Thanksgiving morning so it's fine. This year, we are going down earlier and I won't have a place to store the pies (SIL's small kitchen will already be packed with other preparations and we're staying at a hotel) so we'll just buy them at the grocery store. I do think the casserole request is strange (unless you have some really special recipe that everyone is dying to have at the dinner) mainly because it seems like you'd then need to take over oven space at the host's house when you get there).

OP, just pick something up at a store once you arrive. If they give you grief about it, just say "I thought people might not want to eat food that's been sitting in a car for 6 hours" and leave it at that. If they don't like what you bring, maybe next year they'll just ask you to bring something easy like drinks and dinner rolls. Besides, why are you so worried about whether you'll offend them? Why aren't they concerned about whether they're asking too much of you, the one who has to travel? They could've asked you what you preferred to bring given your travel arrangements, or they could've given you options rather that just assigning items to you. So just do whatever is easiest for you and your family.

Where is the destination, OP? I bet the DCUM collective can crowdsource you a good place to get a highly impressive casserole, locally.

Bring a dish to put it in, transfer, claim the credit and think of us.

We are traveling the same distance and volunteered to bring desserts. No biggie. I'd probably do a casserole that could freeze and pack it in a cooler. Or if you're traveling Wednesday, why not just bring your ingredients and the dish and make it there? You'll crowd 2' of counter top for 10 minutes - no biggie. If they're real asses, stop and get the milk, etc… on the way on (but surely they'll have it!).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd never ask anyone to bring food.

+1. Especially one coming from out of town!!

+1000. So rude!

In my family, this request would be normal. Everyone but me seems to have a selection of casserole dishes with covers and insulated bags.

Very odd. I'd never ask for guests near or far to bring anything. If they insisted, I'd suggest wine or "stop at the store on your way into town and grab some vanilla ice cream to go with the pie". If they offered to bake and bring something, or whatever, then great but if they're traveling a long distance I wouldn't dream of it.

We often host friends very informally and it's common among us to have someone say "great, dinner's at your house on Saturday. It's my turn to bring the salad." or say they're bringing dessert. But I wouldn't ask unless they offered, and vice versa.

No. That's very strange. It's not that hard to buy a pie and make a cassarole ahead of time. I woudln't want to eat anything that was sitting in the car for 6 hours either.

The pie - okay, sure you can bring that along, but the casserole sounds like a recipe for bacteria.

I'd offer to bake a loaf for cranberry bread instead - travels well.

Anonymous wrote:OP here, they are food snobs and I am afraid to pick it up from a local store for fear of offending them.

Call BIL and ask if you can contribute to the cost of the meal or in some other way (order flowers for a centerpiece)? He can then order a casserole from WF, or make it himself.

It is not something I would ask of you..but I do bring stuffing from DC to CT. I assemble it all in DC..minus the egg so I don't have to worry if it is warmish in the car. We add the egg and bake in CT. I also bring cake (for a bday celebration) and frost it there.

I think a pie would be fine but a casserole? Why don't you say something along the lines of 'of course we would be happy to bring a pie and a casserole! Since we are traveling we will have to pick it up pre made from a store near you, is there any place you recommend?'

What kind of casserole is part of thanksgiving anyway? It's already a heavy meal.

My parents fly to visit (1 hour flight but they arrive at the airport super early) for holidays, and they frequently travel with food -- hams, stuffing, side dishes, etc. If they bring side dishes or stuffing, they freeze it the night before and it's usually still partly frozen when they arrive.

I frequently take cakes and pies with me when I travel to their house for holidays. TSA usually jokes about confiscating the desserts, but it isn't that big of a deal.

That said, I would not ask someone other than my parents or inlaws to do that, and I only raise it in response to their 'what can i bring for dinner' question. If it's more than a 6 hour drive, in your shoes, I would decline the casserole or order from a whole foods or wegmans close to their house (depending on location).

Anonymous wrote:OP here, they are food snobs and I am afraid to pick it up from a local store for fear of offending them.

Well, they've already offended you by assigning you a price of admittance to their house for Thanksgiving.

More seriously, please do not worry about offending them in this way. It is not offensive to buy rather than cook at all!