For many of us, the main challenge of Thanksgiving is the pressure involved in marshaling an epic meal for two or 20. And how all the planning, shopping, and cooking can get in the way of the fun and of the "solemn, reverent and grateful acknowledgement, as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People" that Abraham Lincoln intended in setting forth his 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation that established the annual celebration of the holiday.

For those who would like to focus on giving thanks without the hours in front of a hot stove, I've compiled a list of prepared holiday food options that many local businesses are offering. These "Thanksgiving helps" available for pre-order include everything from a single pie, to a parade of sides, to an entire turkey with all the trimmings. With many gluten-free and vegetarian options, they are generally table ready except for the heating. They sound delicious! And there are enough prepared options to know that at Thanksgiving what we really have to feel grateful for is: leftovers.

Arbor Farms Market
Has Michigan turkeys to cook, and a selection of prepared sides and desserts.
Order by Nov. 20. Call: 734-996-8111

• Sides (from $4.99 to $8.99 per pound) include: Spiced cranberry sauce, pear and cranberry stuffing, kale gratin, corn pudding, wild rice stuffing (gluten free), maple glazed carrots, brussels sprouts with shallots, creamy parsnip puree, buttermilk mashed potatoes, savory lentil loaf
• Pies (from $13.99 to $16.99): Achatz pumpkin and pecan pies, Big City pumpkin (available vegan also), and pumpkin roulade

Bona Sera Cafe (in Ypsilanti)
The Bona Sera ladies have everything from antipasti platters to porchetta to pie to add to your Thanksgiving feast.
To order call: 734-340-6335
Order by Saturday, Nov. 17 for pickup on Nov. 20 or 21

Sizes/prices of sides are listed this way:
Single order price/half pan price (serves 8-10)/full pan price (serves 10-20).

• Antipasti platters with local cheeses, roasted veggies, nuts and cured meats: Small ($65), Medium ($125), Large ($195)

• Sides

Mac and cheese with pork cracklins or breadcrumbs ($6.50/$48/$60)
Cornbread with sage butter and honey ($2.50/$15.95/$31.95)
Roasted Delicata squash: half pan ($24.95)
Fresh cranberry orange relish ($6.75 a pint)
Turkey Gravy ($5.75 a pint)
Gluten free gravy made with tapioca starch ($6.75 a pint)
Porchetta available by the pound ($18 a pound)
Sweet potato casserole with homemade  marshmallows (Half pan $ 29.95)
Italian broccoli casserole (Half pan $24.75)
Mashed potatoes with calder butter and creme (Half pan $22.95)

• Stuffings

Traditional sausage stuffing ($7.95 per pint) OR Rice stuffing ($ 5.95 per pint)

• Soups

Squash and apple soup ($6 per pint); Potato caraway soup ($6 per pint); Roast cauliflower and gruyere cheese soup ($7 per pint)

• Salads

Signature salads with Senna Prairie Farms lettuces ($3.75 per person) including:
Fruity Goat; Greek; I'm not Bitter; Sesame Peanut Noodle
Salad dressings...choose from lusty lemon, vixen vanilla grapefruit, creamy parmesan, cranberry balsamic. (8-ounce salad dressing: $6.79 each)

• Desserts

Pumpkin custards: individual custards with Calder whipped cream and pumpkin brittle ($4.25 each); Salted caramel gelato ($10 a pint); Our famous Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (9 servings $29.95); Rachel's pies, apple or pumpkin ($22 each)

EAT Catering and Carry-out Thanksgiving Sides
The folks at EAT are offering a lineup of scrumptious sides to go with your Thanksgiving dinner:
To order call: 734-213-7011 by 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17.
Or email: info@eatannarbor.com
Pick up your order at the kitchen on Packard from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21.Options include:

• Wild mushroom and hazelnut soup: wild mushrooms simmered in a sherry-infused stock, then puréed with toasted hazelnuts. $6 per pint
  
• Roasted butternut squash and apple soup: pureed with a bit of cream. $6 per pint
  
• Creamed swiss chard: sautéed with leeks in a white wine cream reduction. $4.50 per half-pint
  
• Sautéed brussel sprouts: brussel sprout chiffonade with garlic and white wine. $5 per pint
  
• Roasted delicata squash: with a cider glaze and toasted pecans. $5 per pint
  
• Tahini sweet potato salad: roasted sweet potato, scallions, and cilantro in a lemon-garlic tahini dressing. $6 per pint
  
• Roasted new potatoes: tossed with romesco (a smoky, spanish hazelnut sauce). $6 per pint
  
• Potato and celery root gratin: thinly sliced celery root and yukon gold potatoes baked with cream and dried herbs. $5 per serving
  
• Sausage bread stuffing: with sage, toasted walnuts, dried cherries, and caramelized onions. $4.50 per pint
  
• Real cranberry sauce: with cinnamon and citrus zest. $3 per half-pint
  
• Blake’s favorite pies: apple or sweet potato-ginger in a classic lard crust. $20 per pie
  

Harvest Kitchen
Has all-local and mostly organic options for traditional, vegetarian and gluten-free Thanksgiving sides.
Order online
OR call 734-395-7782 OR email: info@harvest-kitchen.com
Pick up/delivery will be Monday-Wednesday of the week of Thanksgiving
Choices include:

• Cornbread stuffing vegetarian or vegan, replete with crunchy homemade cornbread-crumbs plenty of fresh, local vegetables, savory sage and other herbs, 9- by 13-inch pan ($25; half pan $15)
  
• Gravy, chicken or veg ($5 pint)
  
• Cranberry sauce ($7 pint) Our Cranberry Sauce is extremely posh. Enjoy the sweetness of Michigan cranberries zested up with some citrus, nuts, candied ginger, and more.
  
• Baked Mac, bacon OR veggie OR vegan 9x13 pan ($25; half pan $15) Perfect as an alternative to mashed potatoes or for any kids (or kids-at-heart) at the table.
  
• Guilt-Free Greens, vegan or with chicken stock (half pan $15). We’ll be picking up the freshest local kale, collards, and other leafy greens and cooking them briefly with onions and garlic.
  
• Roasted Root Vegetables (half pan $15). Straight-from-the-farm root vegetables tossed with olive oil and garlic cloves, slowly roasted until sweet and caramelized.
  
• Pies: Pumpkin/squash or Old Fashioned Apple ($20)
  
• Tarts: Lemon or Chocolate ($17)
  

Locavorious
Locavorious is offering a "Locavore Thanksgiving Bundle" for $25, including locally grown, frozen whole cranberries, roasted pie pumpkin puree, sweet corn and another locally grown goodie for making an appetizer. They say: "The bundle will come with a recipe sheet for cooking up these local goodies into the Thanksgiving classics, and it will include a coupon for $10 off of our winter-time CSA."

People's Food Coop
To order call: 734-994-9174
Order by Nov. 17, pay at time of order.

PFC is offering Thanksgiving help for single people, small families and vegans with their single-serving holiday meal options which include:

• Thanksgiving meals in single serving portions, including turkey with cranberry sauce ($7.99) and vegan casserole ($9.99) options. Both choices come with mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy.
  
• Pies made from scratch, all 9-inch: apple ($14.99), pecan ($25.99), pumpkin spice ($12.99), vegan maple pecan ($12.99), vegan pumpkin ($14.99)
  

Plum Market
To order, consult the Holiday Catering Guide for Holiday Packages including:

• Signature Thanksgiving Dinner serving 8-10 ($239.95). Comes with pre-seasoned, oven ready turkey with mirepoix, gravy, cranberry sauce, harvest salad, mushroom bruschetta, sausage and chestnut stuffing, butternut squash, glazed sweet potatoes, creme fraiche mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and Zingerman's dinner rolls.

Local cook and blogger Hilary MacGilvray says, "Plum Market focuses on MI-based foods and purveyors, so you are guaranteed as local a feast as possible! They provide each dish in an oven-safe heavy-duty foil pan, with heating instructions. If you choose a raw turkey, it includes roasting tips, mire poix, and a little cup of their own poultry seasoning. (It isn't your standard generic mire poix, either. This includes cippolini onions, celery with bright green leaves, and organic carrots.) There are many options, too, including vegetarian and vegan meals. It really is, after 4 years, the easiest, most delicious Thanksgiving I can serve to my family and friends."

Produce Station
Call by Nov. 19 to order: 734-663-7010
Options include:
Fully cooked Thanskgiving feast for 6-8 people ($195) up to 10-12 people ($295) Sides including: butternut squash with peacns, garlic mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, traditional bread stuffing, apple and pecan vegetarian stuffing, cranberry sauce, mushroom and green bean casserole, autumn salad, buttern squas soup, holiday quiche, fresh fruit platter, cheese platter, vegetable platter, antipast platters, cheese balls, Zingerman's baked goods.

Tasty Bakery (Gluten-free desserts)
Tasty Bakery is offering gluten-free Pumpkin, Apple, and Pecan pies for Thanksgiving. They say: "All can be made dairy free or vegan and I will be using organic coconut crystals in place of sugar. We will also have some of our usuals for people to pick up for weekend eating."
To order: sign up at the Tasty Bakery stall at the Farmers Market OR email julie@tastysansgluten.com
Order by Sunday, Nov. 18
$25 for a nine-inch pie OR $7 for a small (tart size) pie. Pick up at the AA farmers' market on Wednesday, Nov. 21, between 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., or by special arrangement.

Whole Foods Market
Order online. Whole Foods Market is offering everything from appetizers (like gruyere and spinach stuffed mushrooms) to whole, pre-cooked or uncooked meat main dishes (like turkey, but also ham, lamb, beef and more) traditional sides, and sweet endings (like Achatz sweet potato pie). Even flowers!
For example:

• Organic family dinner for 6 ($159.99) http://shop.wholefoodsmarket.com/store/Dinner-Packages/ORGANIC-Family-Dinner-P6619C1607.aspx Comes with pre-roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, cranberries and stuffing.
  
• Vegan holiday dinner single serving ($15.99), with wild rice and quinoa casserole en croute, yams, greens, stuffing, gravy, and cranberries.
  
• Sides for 6 ($59.99), including mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans, turkey gravy, cranberry relish.
  

Zingerman's Roadhouse
To order consult the Thanksgiving buying guide and then Call 734-663-3663 at least 48 hours in advance.

The Roadhouse is offering many options - from pies and sides to the entire meal, including:

• Family Feast serving 8-10 ($345) and includes coffee spice smoked or whole roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh cranberry relish, cornbread stuffing, roasted vegetables, roadhouse bread, and pumpkin pie.
  
• You can also get just the turkey (whole serves 10-15 for $180, 2 breasts or 1 breast), or a Cornman Farms pasture raised standing rib roast of beef (half $125, full $225).
  
• A wide variety of individual sides including: traditional house-made sauerkraut, green salad, roasted vegetables, cornbread stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, turkey gravy (priced by the pint).
  
• Pies: chess, pecan, cran-walnut, pumpkin, apple, pumpkin cheesecake (priced from $19.95 to $30).

Kim Bayer is a freelance writer and culinary researcher. Email her at kimbayer at gmail dot com.