SEATTLE, Nov. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Although many families are scaling back or even cancelling their annual gatherings this year, the traditional Thanksgiving feast is more important than ever to families with kids. Not only will the holiday be different, so will the process of cooking Thanksgiving dinner.
“For the first time, many parents will be responsible for the entire meal without help from extended family members, which can be a very daunting task,” said Chef Laura Cookson of Dream Dinners, the nation’s first meal kit company. Dream Dinners, which operates 70 local kitchens in 22 states, pioneered the family meal kit concept nearly 20 years ago.
Dream Dinners is offering a Thanksgiving meal kit that features a French-cut turkey and side options including savory homestyle stuffing, sweet potatoes with brown sugar and pecans, mac’n’cheese, French onion green beans and mashed potatoes. Contact your local Dream Dinners kitchen for details and prices. A limited online menu also is available for delivery to areas of Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.
“Thanksgiving can be far more enjoyable and much less stressful when planning and preparation start early,” Cookson said. “There is a lot that can be done in the weeks and days leading up to the big event.” She suggests completing a few tasks every week, including:
- Plan your menu and your shopping list now. Ask family members for favorite recipes.
- Engage the whole family in selecting the menu and preparing the feast, which promotes togetherness and learning.
- Shop early and freeze items, as there may be food shortages because of COVID. Smaller turkeys may be especially hard to find.
- Make desserts and casseroles in advance and freeze them. Cranberry relish can be prepared and held in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- A day or two before Thanksgiving, boil potatoes and prepare vegetables, pre-measure seasonings and spices, and thaw the turkey, casseroles and desserts.
- Put the kids to work the night before setting the table and making bread dough.
- Don’t forget the fun. Set up a Zoom call with family that can’t be there in person. Use Dream Dinners Turkey Day Toolkit for fun activities to do with your family near and far.
Helpful family meal tips and recipes are available at https://dreamdinners.com/main.php?static=holidays and on Dream Dinners’ Facebook Video Page.
Meal kit sales this year are skyrocketing as parents discover their convenience. Dream Dinners’ kid-friendly kits are prepared from fresh ingredients, eliminating the hassles of planning, shopping and chopping. Consumers pick them up curbside or have them delivered. Dinners are frozen for safe storage; preparing and cooking them takes less than an hour.
Chef Cookson is available for Zoom and phone interviews. Contact Brad Ritter at Britter@bradritter.com or 740-815-1892 (mobile).
Sample meal kits are available on a limited basis for review.
Contact:
Ritter Communications, Brad Ritter
BRitter@bradritter.com
740.815.1892 (mobile)