Thanksgiving has a way of sneaking up on us. One minute we’re making plans, and the next we’re figuring out how to feed a house full of family and friends without spending the entire day in the kitchen or breaking the grocery budget. This year, Bentonville-based Sam’s Club is offering a little help with both.
Its 2026 Member’s Mark Thanksgiving meal includes 11 different menu items, serves up to 16 people for approximately $160 and can be prepared in about two hours. From turkey and ham to mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans and pumpkin pie, the meal is designed to make holiday hosting a little easier. But what makes this year’s offering especially interesting is how much thought went into creating it.
“Our members helped inspire this year’s meal,” explains Nick Scheidler, Vice President of Freezer, Deli and Cooler at Sam’s Club. “We start planning for Thanksgiving well before the previous holiday season is over and member feedback is a huge part of that process.” That feedback led to some new additions, including a charcuterie board, boneless carver ham and turkey gravy, along with larger portions of popular sides and two pumpkin pies.
Ashley Peoples, Senior Director of Product Development at Sam’s Club, helped oversee nearly a year of testing and refining. The team even brought approximately 100 members together for a summertime Thanksgiving tasting in Dallas. The gravy was a particular favorite, with testers comparing it to the kind their grandmothers used to make. But beyond getting the flavors right, the team was thinking about something else families could use a little more of during the holidays: time.
A traditional Thanksgiving meal prepared from scratch can take seven to nine hours, according to the company’s testing. By comparison, Sam’s Club designed its meal to be ready in approximately two hours. “My biggest advice is to make it easy on yourself,” Scheidler shares. “Hosting can be a lot.” Members can also order the entire meal with one click through the Sam’s Club website or app, with options for curbside pickup or delivery.
And while there will always be families who love spending Thanksgiving morning in the kitchen, preparing recipes passed down through generations, not everyone has the time or energy to do it all. Sometimes the best approach is a little bit of both. Maybe you purchase the turkey and sides but still make Grandma’s famous dressing or that one dessert everyone looks forward to each year. Taking a few shortcuts doesn’t mean giving up the traditions that make Thanksgiving special. It simply leaves a little more room to enjoy them.
For Peoples, the real value goes beyond the price tag or the convenience. “We’re helping people spend less time in the kitchen and more time with family. And on a day like Thanksgiving, that’s what really matters.”
Because at the end of the day, Thanksgiving isn’t about how many hours we spend cooking or whether every dish is homemade. It’s about the people gathered around the table.
Hickory smoked turkey and boneless carver ham. Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, green beans with dried cranberries and almonds (2 packages), macaroni and cheese (2 packages), sweet corn with garlic butter, cranberry crunch salad and yeast dinner rolls. Charcuterie entertainment tray. Two 12-inch pumpkin pies
Order at SamsClub.com/ThanksgivingMeal or through the Sam’s Club app. Pricing and availability may vary by club. Sam’s Club membership required.