Will your Thanksgiving dinner be served up by grandma this year, or by the package delivery guy? We ask because sales of fully prepared Thanksgiving meals packed on dry ice and delivered to your door ready for reheating are on the rise. But are they any good? Liz Crenshaw has put them to a tasty test.

Mail order meals for Thanksgiving, it doesn't quite conjure up a Norman Rockwell painting of the Holiday, but it's becoming more popular. But can a mail order feast satisfy your Thanksgiving needs? The only way to find out is to buy 'em and then taste test 'em.

THANKSGIVING DINNER'S READY, IF YOU CAN OPEN A BOX. WE ORDERED FOUR MAIL ORDER THANKSGIVING DINNERS FROM FOUR DIFFERENT WEBSITES.

THIS WHOLE ROAST TURKEY FEAST FROM HONEYBAKED SERVES 12. THE ENTIRE MEAL PLUS SHIPPING COST $85.90 OR $7.16 PER SERVING.

THIS IS THE HICKORY SMOKED WHOLE TURKEY DINNER FROM PFAELZER BROTHERS. WITH SHIPPING IT COST $154.90 AND SERVES 10 AT $15.49 PER SERVING.

HERE'S THE TIMESAVING TURKEY FEAST FROM HARRY AND DAVID. WITH SHIPPING IT COST $112.90 AND SERVES 4 PEOPLE FOR $28.23 PER SERVING.

AND THIS IS THE DINNER FOR TWO FROM GOURMET STATION. WITH FREE SHIPPING IT COST $89.99 OR $45 PER PERSON.

SO WE SENT OUR MAIL ORDER THANKSGIVING MEALS TO L'ACADEMIE DE CUISINE IN GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND. EVERYTHING ARRIVED COLD AND COOKED

CHEF PATRICE OLIVAN, AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE SCHOOL, REHEATED ALL OUR DINNERS ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS, HE DID HAVE TO MIX THE STUFFING FROM HARRY AND DAVID. THEN IT WAS TASTE TEST TIME. WE USED FOUR L'ACADEMIE DE CUISINE STUDENTS WHO DID NOT KNOW WHICH BRAND THEY WERE EATING

BRAD WALKER TASTED THE HONEYBAKED DINNER.

Brad Walker, Cuisine Student
It wasn't awful.

Crenshaw
HOWEVER, BRAD SAYS THE TURKEY WAS ON THE DRY SIDE, THE SWEET POTATOES WERE VERY SWEET, AND THE GRAVY HAD TOO MUCH BACON-GARLICY FLAVOR. WALKER GIVES IT 2 AND A HALF OUT OF FOUR STARS. SO WOULD HE SERVE IT TO HIS FAMILY?

Walker
Sure. Why not? No. I love my family and, No? No? No? Probably not.

Crenshaw
DANNA ANDREWS SAMPLED THE PFAELZER BROTHERS MEAL.

Danna Andrewa, Cuisine Student
I thought the turkey was actually pretty good.

Crenshaw
BUT DANNA THOUGHT THE SWEET POTATO AND STUFFING WERE BOTH TOO SWEET, AND THE THE BROCCOLI-CHEESE-RICE CASSEROLE VERY SALTY. SHE GIVES IT 2 AND A HALF STARS. BUT WOULD SHE SERVE IT?

Andrewa
Uhh, yeah, I'd be okay with it.

Crenshaw
You'd be okay with it?

Andrewa
I might apologize for the stuffing.

Crenshaw
CAMILLE DIERKSHEIDE TRIED THE HARRY-AND-DAVID TIMESAVING TURKEY FEAST TRIED THE HARRY-AND-DAVID TIMESAVING TURKEY FEAST.

Camille Dierksheide, Cuisine Student
It was turkey but it tasted more like a ham to me.

Crenshaw
CAMILLE THOUGHT THE STUFFING WAS DRY AND FLAVORLESS, BUT SHE DID LIKE THE CRANBERRIES. STILL SHE AWARDS ONLY ONE AND A HALF STARS,

If you served this to your family on Thanksgiving, would you be proud of it?

Dierksheide
Umm, I'd probably be run out of town.

Crenshaw
FINALLY, JASON BYRNE TASTED THE GOURMET STATION DINNER FOR TWO.

Jason Byrne, Cuisine Student
The turkey was a touch dry, and the herbs on top I didn't really taste.

Crenshaw
JASON SAID THE STUFFING HAD NO TEXTURE, THE CHEESY BROCCOLI WAS UNAPPETIZING, THE CRANBERRIES TASTED OF COCONUT, AND THE CHEESECAKE WAS SOGGY. PLUS THE SOUP TASTED CANNED. HIS VERDICT, ONE STAR.

Byrne
My family wouldn't let me serve this to them.

Crenshaw
No?

Byrne No.

Crenshaw
SO THE CONCLUSION FROM OUR UNSCIENTIFIC SAMPLING IS THIS, MAIL ORDER MEALS FOR THANKSGIVING, CERTAINLY CONVENIENT, BUT YOU PROBABLY WON'T CALL IT CUISINE.

Airdate: 11/13/06