We Tasted All of the Target Thanksgiving Sides—These Are the Four We're Adding to Our Menu

We all love Target for its seemingly endless array of products for the home, wardrobe and kitchen and its reasonable prices. And that low-price promise extends to food, too. This year, in response to the slow economic times, Target's offering customers everything they need for a traditional four-person Thanksgiving for just $25.

Target’s selling 10-pound frozen turkeys, potatoes for mashing or roasting and green beans from their in-house Good & Gather line, as well as Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup (a must-have for a classic green bean casserole), Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, Stove Top stuffing mix, and Heinz Gravy. You’ll also find several bagged salad options, a vegetable appetizer tray and mac and cheese from Good & Gather to add to your Thanksgiving menu.

To help you sort out what you should pick up on your pre-Thanksgiving Target run, we taste-tested the store's Thanksgiving sides. These are the four we're adding to our feast this year.

Related: My Chef-Husband Taught Me the Best Way to Make Green Bean Casserole 

1. Bruce’s Yams Cut Sweet Potatoes in Syrup $2.19

First up, sweet potatoes. These canned sweet potatoes from Bruce’s Yams cost around two bucks for two and a half servings. This can be a super fast heat-and-serve side dish or you can use it as a shortcut ingredient for your favorite sweet potato-based recipes.

I tend to be more of a roasted or mashed sweet potato fan, so I was skeptical of the boiled chunks and syrup I found inside my can. That said, the potatoes tasted surprisingly fresh. The syrup was a bit too sweet for me, but if you’re a fan of a marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole, these make a quick and easy substitute that will hit your sweet tooth (you could even add your own melty marshmallows in the oven).

If smooth potatoes are more your speed, you could puree the entire can of sweet potatoes in a blender. Thanks to the syrup, this is also a good choice for making sweet potato pie.

Related: 70+ Stellar Sweet Potato Recipes

2. Good & Gather Mac and Cheese $4.79

Mac and cheese is a Thanksgiving must-have in many families, and it’s especially traditional in the South. A good Thanksgiving mac and cheese should be rich, creamy and gooey with no shortage of melty sauce. Target’s Good & Gather Mac and Cheese comes in a 20-ounce package with 2.5 servings per container. It’s ready in the microwave in about 5 minutes.

This mac and cheese does not disappoint. The elbow pasta is generously coated in the thick cheese sauce, and the noodles don’t get overcooked or mushy in the microwave. This is definitely a great Thanksgiving side, but you might want to buy a few packages to have around for quick weeknight dinners.

Related: Patti LaBelle's Easy Mac and Cheese is Practically Perfect

3. Good & Gather Bagged Salad Kits $3.99

It can be nice to add a pop of color and crunch to your Thanksgiving menu with a fresh salad. Good & Gather has several ready-to-go bagged salads that save you some chopping.

The Sweet Kale Salad would be especially at home on a Thanksgiving menu. The ultra-crunchy mix of broccoli, green cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and of course, kale are perfect for the season. The kit comes with pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries and a light, just-sweet-enough poppy seed dressing.

Related: 101 Best Thanksgiving Sides

4. The Little Potato Co. A Little Savory Herb Fresh Potatoes

Target sells microwave-ready potatoes from its own Good & Gather brand as well as The Little Potato Co. These packages make cooking potatoes really quick and easy. Just stick the container in the microwave for five to six minutes, then toss them with the included seasoning mix.

My little creamer potatoes cooked perfectly in five minutes, plus a few moments standing on the counter to cool. The seasoning pack had plenty of dried herbs, garlic, and onion to coat the potatoes, but I added a little salt and a drizzle of olive oil to bring everything together. You could also use melted butter instead of oil, which would also be delicious.

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