(BPT) – If you’re like most of us, it happens every year.
You plan your Thanksgiving dinner days or weeks ahead of time, pulling recipes, making lists, shopping for the best deals on all your ingredients and plotting how and when you’ll be preparing your menu items. The trouble starts the day of the big event. You’re on a roll with all your plans when you suddenly discover you’ve run out of a key ingredient — or you forgot to buy it at all. Now that already hectic time becomes even more hectic as you try to figure out how to make everyone’s favorite dishes without disappointing anyone.
Not to worry. As a helpful reminder, Meijer has identified some of the ingredients you’re most likely to forget for your Thanksgiving feast. Consider this list of the “Forgotten Five” menu items commonly purchased at the 11th hour at Meijer on the holiday.
* The turkey itself. Whether Americans procrastinate until the last minute or they’re so preoccupied they forget to buy the quintessential main dish, Meijer consistently sells tens of thousands of turkeys on the big day itself. This year, we expect customers to visit us to purchase a whopping 850,000 turkeys they will roast, grill, deep fry or otherwise make delicious as the star of the show at their holiday dinners.
* We say potato. Ah, the savory, buttery goodness of a mountain of mashed potatoes. America’s love affair with the timeless comfort food will send cooks to Meijer this Thanksgiving to buy some 1.8 million pounds of the versatile red, white or yellow spuds.
* Better get the butter. A pound of butter may sound like plenty enough when you’re shopping a week before Thanksgiving. It’s not. In addition to the dairy-licious slabs of goodness you’ll need just to slather on rolls, corn and mashed potatoes, you’ll also want plenty to use in your recipes — and for leftovers later. That high demand helps explain why Meijer sells 22 percent more butter on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year.
* Yam I am. You may prefer them mashed, buttered and salted or whipped up with marshmallow and spices to resemble a dessert more than a vegetable. Either way, the time-honored tubers are a must for those who value the tradition started with the Pilgrims and Native Americans. That’s why Meijer expects to purvey nearly 1 million pounds of the nutrient-packed canned variety this Thanksgiving as busy hosts zip in to stock up.
* Bring on the board games. You may be the hostess with the most-est when it comes to your menu, but don’t forget to think about how your guests will spend time after your fabulous feast. Most people like to relax after a big meal, making that the perfect time to break out a few fun board games that can be enjoyed by all ages. In the two weeks leading to Thanksgiving, sales of board games such as Jenga, Monopoly, Perfection, Speak Out and Pie Face are up 350 percent at Meijer.
When it comes to locating the last-minute supplies you need for a delicious and memorable Thanksgiving celebration, think of Meijer. Most of our stores are open 24 hours a day on every day but Christmas, and our Meijer Home Delivery app/web-based platform offers grocery delivery to your door via Shipt. Learn more at Meijer.com.