‘This thing is so heavy’: Shopper finds Thanksgiving dinner for 8 people for $42 at Costco. Is it worth it?
If you’re sick of holiday cooking, good news: Costco’s new Thanksgiving meal kit has everything you need, all for approximately $40.
In his newest viral video, food influencer and TikToker Elliott Norris (@callmebelly) showed off the new kit and all of its contents. In the video, which is now at 5.2 million views, Norris puts together a veritable Costco feast.
A very modern Thanksgiving
“Thanksgiving dinner for $40 for eight people at Costco,” an AI voice reads out the text on screen. In the footage, Norris pulls said dinner out of a large horizontal refrigerated section in Costco. The meal itself is made up of several different food containers held together on a large tray with a clear plastic cover.
The video then cuts to Norris in a different part of the store, holding the dinner up to the camera so viewers can see it.
“$42 for the Thanksgiving kit,” he reiterates. “In my opinion, this is a really, really good deal.”
Norris gestures to the right side of the tray, where a long piece of turkey sits in an aluminum pan.
“This is a huge piece of turkey that’s seasoned,” he explains. “With stuffing at the bottom.”
He moves and points to the other side of the tray, explaining that it includes green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and butter. “This thing is so heavy,” Norris observes as he rotates the tray around. He notes that there are also two gravy packets hidden underneath the larger food containers.
“$42 bucks?” he emphasizes. “That’s pretty good.”
He sets the tray down in his cart and picks up another container, this time of macaroni and cheese. While it’s not included in the Thanksgiving meal, Norris expresses that he believes it to be a good deal.
“I got this $11 mac and cheese,” he states. “This is a lot of mac.” He hefts the container up and down a few times for emphasis before moving on to his next pick.
“And a giant bottle of wine,” the same AI voice states from the beginning. Onscreen, Norris holds up a bottle of Daou wine that takes up roughly half his torso.
Yuck or yum?
“That ain’t feeding no eight people,” the top comment said skeptically. Many commenters shared this user's sentiment.
“8 people whereeeeeeeeee!!!!!! boy get 3 of those!!!! Whoooooo,” someone else said. “I could neeevvverrrrrr pull this one tray for my family.”
Others disagreed with this assessment of Costco's convenient dinner.
“I bought that last year and it was amazing,” one person shared.
“That is a good deal, I spent 42 bucks at Taco Bell for six taco supremes and two Nacho belgrandes,” another user joked.
For some people, the draw of the deal was less about the financial benefit and more about avoiding the various mental tolls it takes to create a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
“I have cooked Thanksgiving every year for like 25 years,” a commenter stated. “That is an awesome deal!”
“Yes, thanks for the post. I was curious about their prices. Had surgery and there's no way I'm cooking this year,” another commenter admitted. “It's going to be a Costco Thanksgiving this year.”
What other Thanksgiving meals does Costco have?
Not only is Costco doing this $40 deal, but they also have another, even more extravagant Thanksgiving meal kit. At $230, Costco is offering an even larger Thanksgiving dinner by Fortune Fish and Gourmet.
According to a review by Terri Peters for Business Insider, this pricier kit is only $180 for members. While that’s still a steep hike, the meal includes more vegetables, mac and cheese, dinner rolls, and even two types of pie.
Peters notes at the end of her review that the window for ordering this more luxurious Thanksgiving offering may have closed.
“At the time of writing, I can no longer find the option to preorder the Fortune Fish and Gourmet Thanksgiving meal on Costco's website,” she states. “It may be sold out, but since the companies had a similar offer last year, I could see it being available again in 2025.”
@callmebelly so easy #thanksgiving #costco ♬ original sound - elliott
It’s competition, Charlie Brown!
If you’re worried about Costco selling out, rest assured that other stores have got you covered. According to an article by Anne D’Innocenzio of the Associated Press, most grocery stores are gunning for a piece of the Thanksgiving pie.
Walmart is offering a $55, 29-piece meal deal meant to serve eight people. Target, Aldi, and Meijer are all following in their footsteps, offering unique deals within the $20 to $60 range. Kroger is also advertising a series of deals that will create a Thanksgiving dinner for “under $4.85 per person.”
If “not cooking” was the selling point for you when it came to the Costco meals, then perhaps your alternative will not be in a grocery store at all. Golden Corral and Boston Market both offer family Thanksgiving dinners, complete with the traditional entrees and sides. Or, you could check out your favorite local restaurants for a prix fixe menu, if you feel like getting fancy.
The Daily Dot reached out to Norris via TikTok and Instagram direct message.
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