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Plant Riverside District unveiled a gingerbread house display that visitors can walk through to get an up close look at the elfin fun.
Several Akron-area grocery stores and restaurants offer ready-made Christmas dinners to reduce holiday stress.Meal packages serve a wide range of group sizes, from individual portions to feasts for up to 24 people.Popular entree choices include ham, turkey and prime rib, accompanied by various sides, breads and desserts.Most establishments require pre-orders with deadlines ranging from Dec. 16 to a couple of days before Christmas.
Will you be hosting a big Christmas dinner but don’t want to spend all your time in the kitchen, amid all your other Christmas preparations?
Local grocery stores and restaurants can help take the pressure off with ready-made feasts that serve from one to 24 people.
Ham, turkey, chicken, prime rib and brisket are popular holiday entree offerings and side dish, bread and dessert choices are many. Extra sides and desserts can also be ordered at most establishments.
Here’s a sampling of Greater Akron spots that families can order from to help de-stress for the holidays.
● Hartville Kitchen: Heat-and-serve Christmas dinner meal packages for six to 24 people cost from $105 to $450. Entrees include ham, turkey or baked chicken in cream sauce. Sides are mashed potatoes or sweet potato casserole, green beans or corn, stuffing, gravy and dinner rolls. Desserts include freshly baked pies and iced, cutout cookies. Additional sides, entrees and desserts can be ordered separately. Orders will be taken until Dec. 19, or until the restaurant reaches capacity. Call 330-877-9353. Pickup is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 24 at 1015 Edison St. N.W., Hartville. See hartvillekitchen.com/holiday-dinners/christmas for more information.
● Acme: Acme spiral-sliced ham dinner for 10 people costs $99.99, also including seasoned green beans; choice of corn or carrot casserole; mashed potatoes with gravy or macaroni and cheese and apple pie, pumpkin pie or red velvet poinsettia cake for dessert. Upgrade to sliced rotisserie turkey breast for $10 more. Order by Dec. 17 for pickup by 6 p.m. Dec. 24. See acmestores.com.
● Giant Eagle/Market District: Turkey dinner bundles for six with mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey gravy and dinner rolls cost from $69 to $89. Other meals for six feature spiral-sliced ham with cheesy potato casserole, green beans almondine and dinner rolls ($69.99); prime rib with cheesy potato casserole, Brussels sprouts, Dijon horseradish sauce and dinner rolls ($169.99) and wood-fired lamb shank with mashed potatoes, green bean almondine, beef gravy and dinner rolls ($79.99). Holiday sides and desserts also sold a la carte. At Market District, dinner bundles for up to 12 include turkey, ham, prime rib or lamb shanks with sides. Order from Giant Eagle or Market District by Dec. 16; pick up in-store Dec. 21-24 or 27-31. See gianteagle.com.
● Heinen’s: A rib roast dinner for up to six with creamed spinach, au gratin potatoes and horseradish sauce costs $209.99, whole turkey dinner for 10 with mashed potatoes, crouton stuffing, Heinen’s cranberry relish and turkey gravy costs $159.99 and turkey breast dinner for five with mashed potatoes and crouton stuffing costs $74.99. Order by Dec. 19. See holiday dinners at shop.heinens.com/sm/pickup/rsid/19/holiday-specialties.
● Seven Grains: Cooked Christmas dinners made from scratch include uncured, no-nitrate spiral ham, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, organic gravy, sweet potatoes, savory stuffing, green beans or roasted brussels sprouts, dinner rolls, organic tossed salad and pumpkin or apple half-pie. Cost is $25.99 for a single meal or $95.99 for four. Order by Dec. 18. Pickup is 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 23 or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 24. See the monthly savings circular at sevengrains.com.
● Whole Foods: Dinners include a maple bourbon ham meal for eight ($159.99); prime rib meal for eight ($279.99); beef tenderloin meal for eight ($329.99); red wine-braised brisket meal for eight ($179.99); cider-brined smoked turkey breast meal for four ($124.99); classic roast turkey breast for four ($89.99), whole roast turkey for eight ($169.99) or whole roast turkey for 12 ($239.99); beef wellington meal for four ($179.99); braised lamb shank meal for four ($149.99). Holiday feast for 12 includes prime rib and ham ($449.99) and holiday extravaganza for 12 also includes appetizers ($599.99). All meals come with sides. Order at least 48 hours in advance for Christmas pickup by 5 p.m. Dec. 24. See wholefoodsmarket.com.
● Mustard Seed Market: Dinner entrees offered by the pound, including slow-roasted turkey breast, roasted pork tenderloin with sauerkraut, port-braised short ribs, beef lasagna, Greek-style cod, salmon with shrimp and crab, jumbo lump crab cakes and butternut squash ravioli lasagna with Italian sausage. Chef-made entree prices range from $15.99 to $38.99 per pound. Side dishes sold in 1- or 2-pound containers include classic buttered bread stuffing; mashed potatoes; whipped sweet potatoes; creamy parmesan polenta; scalloped potatoes; cornucopia beets, brussels and carrots; parmesan creamed spinach; cranberry orange relish; cranberries and cream salad and shrimp cavatelli. Baked goods are pies, pumpkin rolls, muffins, gingerbread cupcakes and cake squares, cookies and bark. Place orders for Christmas by Dec. 17. Call 330-666-7333 Ext. 207 in Montrose or 330-343-7333 Ext. 305 in Highland Square to order. See mustardseedmarket.com/holiday-pre-order.
● Buehler’s: Ham dinner for 12 includes mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, homestyle bread dressing, turkey gravy and 12 dinner rolls for $159.99. Ham dinner for two costs $35.99. Turkey dinner costs $35.99 for two, $79.99 for six or $159.99 for 12. Turkey sides include mashed potatoes, homestyle bread dressing, green bean casserole, turkey gravy and dinner rolls. Order at least 48 hours in advance. See buehlers.com.
● D’Agnese’s: The Akron restaurant offers take-and-bake Christmas and New Year’s Eve meals for four ($169) or 10 ($319). Meal includes filet mignon with red wine demiglace; chicken piccata; Romano-crusted Yukon gold potatoes; roasted vegetables; cavatelli primavera with tomato cream sauce; warm rolls; Christmas salad with pomegranates, tart cherries, spiced nuts, goat cheese and Dijon vinaigrette and fresh-filled cannoli or chocolate peppermint bread pudding. Pickup for Christmas is noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 23 or 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 24 at 566 White Pond Drive. New Year’s Eve pickup is noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 31. Call 234-678-3612. See dagneseswhitepond.com/events.
● Waterloo Restaurant and Catering: Dinners featuring sliced roasted turkey or sliced, glazed pit ham, candied sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, gravy, coleslaw, cheese ball and crackers, fresh-baked loaf of bread and pumpkin pie serve eight to 10 guests for $169. Side dish add-ons are also available. Call Waterloo Restaurant at 330-773-5158 to order by Dec. 23. Pick up by 4 p.m. Dec. 24 at 425 E. Waterloo Road, Akron.
● Bob Evans: Christmas to-go Farmhouse Feasts for four to 10 people are available for pickup through 7 p.m. Dec. 24. Choices include pot roast, slow-roasted turkey, hickory-smoked ham or both turkey and ham, with sides and dessert. The premium Farmhouse Feast for eight to 10 includes turkey, ham, bread and celery dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, green beans with ham, cranberry relish, macaroni and cheese, rolls, pumpkin pie, double-crust apple pie and pumpkin bread loaf for $164.99. See bobevans.com.
● Cracker Barrel: Holiday heat-and-serve dinners offered for four to six guests or eight to 10 guests. Larger ham feast includes cured ham, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, dressing, gravy, cranberry relish, apple streusel pie and pecan pie for $184.99. Holiday prime rib for four to six, which costs $149.99, includes prime rib au jus, horseradish sauce, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy and rolls. Pick up Christmas meals by noon Dec. 24. See crackerbarrel.com/holiday.
● City Barbeque: Small, medium and large holiday ham meals cost from $59.99 to $179.99, including two house-made sides and buns. Other options are small, medium and large turkey meals, also $59.99 to $179.99, and a large holiday brisket meal with a whole brisket for 20 to 24 people for $219.99. Sides include beans with brisket, brisket chili, collard greens with pork, corn pudding, creamy slaw, green beans with bacon, mac and cheese, potato salad and smashed potatoes with gravy. Pick up by Dec. 24 for Christmas. See citybbq.com.
● Blue Heron Brewery: Christmas take-and-bake for four ($159) or 10 ($295) includes filet mignon and chicken marsala, smoked gouda and chive scalloped potatoes, shrimp scampi with cheese tortellini and alfredo, roasted garlic and parmesan broccoli with lemon butter, salad with seasonal toppings, freshly baked bread and roasted garlic compound butter, house-made flourless chocolate peppermint tortes and red wine. Pickup from 2 to 7 p.m. Dec. 23 at 3227 Blue Heron Trace, Medina. See blueheronmedina.com/brewpub/events/ to order.
Other holiday fare
● Merriman Valley Pizza: House-made honey butter bread sold through Dec. 31 with a loaf-for-loaf charity match. With every $6 loaf of bread sold, the business will donate a loaf of bread to the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank. Call 234-716-1769 or see merrimanvalley.pizza. Pickup is at Merriman Valley Pizza, 640 W. Portage Trail, Akron. Customers also may buy a loaf of bread to donate and the shop will match the donation with another loaf.
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
Dining and Cooking