PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — It can take hours to set up for Thanksgiving: making sure the food is ready, the table is set, and the home is ready for guests.
To make people’s jobs a little easier, two local restaurants are putting food together for the holiday.
“We’re making Thanksgiving meals for just over 400 people this year,” said Amanda Pyle, owner and executive chef at The Cookery in Morton. “We do a family size, and then we also do a single-serve ready to go.”
Costing $18 for individual meals and $170 for families of 10, the meals include local Yordy turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, orange cranberry sauce, and buttered dinner rolls. Family meals also include a free pumpkin pie.
“When you think about everybody in the community that we’re…reaching out [to, and] getting some delicious Thanksgiving food for, it really not only makes you happy to be here, you have a good time while you’re here,” said Sous Chef at The Cookery Joe Gresham.
Over in Peoria, Hickory River Smokehouse is also lending a helping hand.
“This is about the 10th year we’ve done pre-paid pick-up orders,” said Mike Johnstone, co-owner and managing partner at the smokehouse.
Through the years offering Thanksgiving meals, Johnstone said there are some memories that last a lifetime.
“There are a few individuals that consistently purchase meals for other families, and a lot of times I’ll help them on the price on that kind of thing just because I know it’s being donated,” Johnstone said.
While both restaurants are currently booked, they both said they usually have leftovers just in case anybody needs a last-minute meal.
