I only buy fresh turkeys never frozen so never have to thaw. I do not brine because I think it ruins the texture. I put garlic butter and rosemary under the skin and an onion amd rosemary in the cavity. Most of my guests like white meat but i and a few others like dark so I buy a 15 pound turkey and also make a breast ( I have about 30 people ). I make a stuffing that it’s easy ( no meat) that people love. Roasted veggie and baked potatoes. My sister in law brings a salad. We get bakery pies for desert. And I have kitchen help from a staffing agency with cutting the turkey and getting the other stuff on the buffet. I love Thanksgiving!
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I can’t say that I actually know but I would think any packages thanksgiving meal is going to be more than Turkey and a couple sides. So if there is a nice variety of meat +sides and maybe a pie or something I think $25 or a bit more per person is a good deal.
You aren’t actually just paying for just food you are paying for food and the saving of time and energy shopping and preparing the meal!
You can bring either some wine or beer from Michigan or some Vernors! 
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Are you driving anywhere near Lansing
Or Ann Arbor?
We actually are going through both Lansing and Ann Arbor but the weekend before thanksgiving.
Kid lives on the east coast, will need to find something near them.
If there is a Wegmans near your child, they have plenty of catering offerings and are pretty excellent.
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Sigh… after 30 years in Colorado, we still miss our Wegman’s in NY. It was ahead of its time.
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I miss Wegmans too. 
It was our local grocery store growing up (member of the Cookie Club!) so imagine my culture shock when I went away to college. Wish it would move westward, not just south. 
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Now you’re talkin’!
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Wegmans is the best. That’s the single thing I miss most about living in central NY!
We also buy a fresh turkey from a local farm, I dry brine, stuff compound butter between the breast and the skin, and then slow roast. So good!
I’m also a make ahead person.
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Question about fresh turkeys…. how long do they last from kill to cook? I’ve just always felt better with frozen, though thawing is a pain.
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Yes there is a wegmans. Will look into that. Thanks!
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My H breaks apart the turkey the day before, slow cooks the legs and thighs, then refrigerates overnight. The breast gets roasted at a higher temp for a much shorter period closer to serving, and the legs/thighs get a quick reheat in the hot oven. It all gets reassembled nicely on a platter and no one seems to notice it isn’t an intact bird. It is so nice to have each part treated the way it should be done, rather than trying to roast the whole thing at once.
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The best part of living in Texas is HEB. They have Texas smoked precooked turkey. Put it in the oven frozen and it’s ready in 1.5 hours. They do the same with brisket, which adds a nice twist to Thanksgiving.
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Our Costco oftentimes has smoked precooked turkeys. That’s my go to turkey strategy! If there are none, I grill a turkey using the 3-flip method I found online ages ago. No ungodly heat from hours of having the oven on! And no lingering turkey smell for days after thanksgiving. 
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Oh, that heat from the oven! We’d have to turn off our heat and sometimes crack a window with everyone standing in the kitchen. Last year was great!
Costco has a Smoked Turkey breast that is pretty good. We bought it one year and it was very tasty. It was not frozen either, just chilled and could be served hot or cold. I believe we just carved it and brought it instead of having to defrost a whole turkey and smoke it and all that it entailed. It was a bit more than if we bought cheaper frozen turkey but it was nice to give it a try.
If we were trying to figure out what to do when driving a long distance and everyone working, that might be an option. Having a nice tenderloin or a boneless leg of lamb is also nice and fairly easy to do after arriving.
I like Paula Deen’s method of roasting—you put the seasoned roast in and cook it for like an hour and then turn off the oven. You then turn it on again like two hours before serving, heat for an hour and then remove it, let it sit for 20 minutes and then carve. It has always turned out perfect—moist and medium rare to medium.
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Details, details. If I could get hubby to do this, I’d be ecstatic.
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Are you asking for details of packing it?
Yes, correct. There are enough drippings to cover all that meat in a container? (My husband does the turkey so I never pay attention to how much juice there is.
I’m not sure I understand your concern? I have always bought a fresh turkey from my local butcher. I pick it up the day before, but the label usually indicates it is good for about a week. They are vacuum sealed and I much prefer not have to worry about thawing. That is where I worry about food safety. It thawing in my fridge for days on end, possibly dripping juice. And then, as someone said above, what if it is not fully thawed in time etc.
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