I love Thanksgiving time. While many fear the lines and the crowds at the grocery stores, I love the atmosphere. There are so many foods to get excited about. I decided to pop my head into a Trader Joe’s this past Friday. I am presenting you 5 foods that you should be excited about getting at Trader Joe’s this Thanksgiving.

Turkey

Gotta start with the star of the show – the turkey. So what is the price of a turkey at Trader Joe’s?

Here is the breakdown for you. These prices are updated for the 2018 season.

Turkey Price Brined Fresh Turkeys $1.99/lb Kosher Fresh Turkeys $2.99/lb Organic Fresh Turkeys $3.49/lb

If a Kosher turkey is a must have for your holiday meal, Trader Joe’s is a great source. They have them each year. Most grocers I find don’t carry them. A Kosher turkey has been pre-salted. They also have to follow all the kosher laws in order to be labeled as a kosher turkey. This has to do with how the turkey is slaughtered.

Organic Free Range turkeys from Trader Joe’s.At $3.99 a pound, Trader Joe’s Organic turkeys are more money than at Whole Foods ($3.49 or $2.99 if prime member) or Costco ($2.99). But those turkeys aren’t labeled as being free range. So decide if that factor is worth the extra money for you.

The cheapest turkey you are going to get at Trader Joe’s is their brined fresh turkey. I personally prefer to do my own brining, but if you don’t have the time, this one might be worth considering.

Brussels Sprouts Stalks

The reason I went to Trader Joe’s was to pick up a big stalk of Brussels Sprouts. They typically have them for Thanksgiving at a good price as well ($3.99) – they were $5.99 at Whole Foods. I needed them to make a root vegetable dish that roasts under the turkey for a Friendsgiving we had.

Chardonnay Grape Juice

This is the ultimate non-alcoholic drink to have for the holidays. Great to serve the kids and great for the adults that don’t drink alcohol. The sparkling grape juice is made from the same grapes that make Chardonnay, except in this case the juice is not turned into wine. Grab a bottle now for Christmas and New Year’s. Sparkling juice gets no better than this.

Muraski Sweet Potatoes

For someone that isn’t so sure about sweet potatoes, this is the sweet potato you must get. It is white on the inside and is not as sweet as your more traditional orange potato. Murasaki sweet potatoes do have a nutty flavor that I adore. I love to steam them, then mash them. Add some butter and milk. The key ingredient is sauteed shallots. They go so well with these sweet potatoes. At my Friendsgiving, that was the most raved about dish.

Turkey Stock

I see so many recipes at Thanksgiving that call for chicken stock or broth. But it’s Thanksgiving. Forget that, give me turkey stock. A lot of stores only have it for the holiday season (like ALDI).

If you want the really good stuff, spring for the bone broth. This stuff is going to have the best flavor and you get the health benefits from the bones that is all the rage right now (and for good reasons).

What is your favorite thing to pick up at Trader Joe’s for Thanksgiving? Leave a comment below, letting us all know your favs.