In the rush to prepare Thanksgiving, items like meat thermometers, whipped cream, and turkey legs often find their way onto last-minute DoorDash orders. Alongside these, missing ingredients and tools, such as turkeys and gravy, signal that a mishap might have occurred during your initial dinner planning. It’s wise to review your list of tools and ingredients well before the holiday to streamline the cooking process.
Experiencing the pre-Thanksgiving grocery store chaos, as many can attest, is no small feat. DoorDash’s analysis of last-minute orders on Thanksgiving Eve and Day reveals what’s typically sought, allowing you to act proactively and sidestep the rush. (DoorDash notes that Thanksgiving Eve is their busiest delivery day, with orders soaring nearly 90% above average.)
To sidestep the last-minute dash to the store or a delivery service, familiarize yourself with the most commonly overlooked items on the Thanksgiving shopping list. This way, you can ensure everything is in place for the grand feast.
While the turkey might be the star, a host of side dishes and pies await preparation or ordering. It’s not uncommon for ingredients to be forgotten until halfway through a recipe. A preemptive check of your pantry a week or two before the event ensures you’re ready to cook and bake without a hitch.
DoorDash’s data highlights some top ingredients that often go missing: sage (up 1,900%), nutmeg (up 1,400%), peanut oil for turkey frying (up 1,300%), vanilla extract (up 790%), brown sugar (up 400%), and more. Remember, brown sugar can be substituted with a mix of white sugar and molasses.
Thanksgiving is a time for special cooking tools, so whether you’re hunting for a baster or realizing you’re out of aluminum foil, you might need to call for backup. Pre-holiday checks of these frequently forgotten items are crucial to ensure they’re in working order and ready for action.
Organize these tools in a bin or basket to keep them handy during your Thanksgiving preparations.
Among the most requested tools are meat thermometers (up 2,960% in orders), heat bags (up 2,400%), trays and platters (up 2,100%), graters (up 1,400%), peelers (up 1,400%), cake pans (up 1,200%), rolling pins (up 820%), aluminum foil (up 720%), measuring cups (up 560%), can openers (up 470%), and kitchen knives (up 440%).
Even with the best planning, mishaps can occur. That’s why last-minute orders for takeout and alternative dishes are common. The most popular last-minute replacements include turkey legs (up 900%), whole turkeys (up 820%), gravy (up 630%), bakery pies (up 510%), and ham (up 180%).
DoorDash’s findings also indicate that Thanksgiving Eve is the peak night for restaurant takeout, with over 5 million orders placed in 2024. Comfort foods like cheeseburgers, tacos, sandwiches, and pizzas topped the list. It seems that cooking the night before Thanksgiving is a task most prefer to avoid.
