Feeding a campus-sized appetite: How Arizona Student Unions pulls off Thanksgiving To-Go

Arizona Student Unions is once again offering Thanksgiving To-Go dinners for people looking to lighten their load in the kitchen for the holiday. The popular program offers several options to the campus community and the public, from full family feasts to individual meals, à la carte options and baked goods.

The team behind the feast

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It takes a small army of culinary warriors and quartermasters from Arizona Dining to keep things running smoothly. 

"We have a master spreadsheet that tracks everything," said Emily Romero, assistant director of dining services. "We keep every detail of every order up-to-date, and we're checking and re-checking constantly. About 60% of our orders come from staff, faculty and students, and the rest are placed by the public."

Last year, Arizona Dining ordered more than 4,600 pounds of turkey, 1,600 pounds of potatoes and nearly 500 pounds of spinach. Romero said she wouldn't be surprised to beat that this time around.

Executive chef Lawrence Sanchez leads the team in the production kitchen located on the first floor of the Student Union Memorial Center. He said nearly everyone in the kitchen will work on the Thanksgiving dinners in addition to their day-to-day duties.

"We set it up as an assembly line for each part of the project," he said. "Once we start roasting the turkeys, we'll set up the area around the ovens to get them out, get them processed and wrapped individually and ready for their order. It's the same with other parts of the meals."

Arizona Dining launched the Thanksgiving To-Go program a decade ago, and Sanchez said each year the process becomes more refined.

"We learn as we go. Two years ago, we tried offering ham as an option, and it didn't go over very well, so we switched back to prime rib, and that's been more popular," he said.

A baked-in tradition

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Executive sous chef Manja Blackwood oversees the creation of the pies, pastries, cookies and other sweet treats offered through the Thanksgiving Bake Sale. She estimates her team will bake 400 pies.

"Our number-one seller is always the pumpkin pie, which is no surprise," she said. "For our big push, we start baking the Monday before Thanksgiving."

Pickup day precision

Pre-orders for all items opened Nov. 10, with pickup available Nov. 26. Distribution day requires the choreography and timing of a Broadway production, a great deal of patience, and coordination with several other university departments, notably the University of Arizona Police Department and Parking and Transportation Services. Most years, SUMC staffers hand out 250 to 375 orders either in the traffic circle on Mountain Avenue or in the On Deck Deli. The record stands at 390 in 2020.

"We have about four layers of coverage, both electronic and in person," Sanchez said. "We're constantly checking and re-checking orders on that day, in the office, in the kitchen and out on the street or in the On Deck Deli."

'Nothing goes to waste'

Even with the most precise planning, ordering and organization, just like a home-cooked feast, the Thanksgiving To-Go program inevitably produces leftovers. The menus of many campus dining establishments will reflect that fact in the weeks heading into winter break.

"We'll take the extra turkeys or other dishes, and we'll find ways to incorporate them into different meals," Sanchez said. "Nothing goes to waste. Nothing gets thrown away. We'll find an outlet for it."

Visit the program's website for more information or to place an order for a Thanksgiving To-Go dinner, individual meal, à la carte or bake sale item.

Orders for family meals, à la carte items and baked goods opened Nov. 10. Family meals start at $149 and can be purchased through 10 a.m. on Nov. 25, with pickup on Nov. 26 at the Student Union Memorial Center traffic circle or On Deck Deli. The annual Thanksgiving Bake Sale runs Nov. 24-26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, near On Deck Deli.

Individual meals became available Nov. 10 at Arizona Market, Highland Grocery and Global Market in the Student Union Memorial Center. Each $14.99 meal includes a choice of roasted turkey or vegetable Wellington, sides and a slice of pumpkin pie. À la carte items can be purchased through Nov. 22 and picked up Nov. 23 at the same locations and times as the family meals.