This year I’m riffing on my usual $20 Thanksgiving by taking it up a notch and making everything “homemade.” This $30 Thanksgiving Dinner menu includes homemade bread, rolls, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes and more.
Frugal Thanksgiving Basics
Growing up, I used to ask my mom if we were “rich,” and her unwavering response was always, “We are rich with love.” Thanksgiving, the heartwarming holiday of togetherness and delicious food, shouldn’t require an extravagant budget. Over the past four years, I’ve been crafting budget-friendly Thanksgiving feasts on YouTube, with shopping trips to stores like Walmart, Aldi, and even Dollar Tree. With a dash of creativity, you can savor a bountiful Thanksgiving for as little as $20. Thanksgiving is a time for joy, and the cooking process can be an enjoyable part of the celebration with the right preparation.
Important Frugal Thanksgiving Tips
I’ve compiled my Top 8 Tips for a Fun and Frugal Thanksgiving in a downloadable PFD that you can grab here! One tip I want to cover here is that Turkey isn’t a non-negotiable at Thanksgiving. There are a myriad of reasons why you may not want to get the big bird but still want to celebrate with a delicious meal.
Don’t back yourself into a corner with a whole bird if it doesn’t work for you. There are lots of options that are delicious and will work for you and your family. In this specific menu plan I chose a chicken because I wasn’t able to find a turkey small enough to feed my family for a single meal (I didn’t need a lot of leftovers. Since I’m a food blogger I’m always cooking new things). I also didn’t want to spend over $20 on it. For last year’s $20 Thanksgiving video I made Turkey Breast. I wanted to try something new and it was awesome. In this recipe I used all the traditional turkey flavors but I was able to cook this chicken in just 90 minutes and for just $7. My family loves chicken so this was a win win!
Here are some other turkey alternatives:
- Turkey Breast – I’d use this recipe from Damn Delicious
- Slow cooker chicken and stuffing casserole
- Turkey roll ups – simply wrap stuffing in deli turkey and bake! Serve with gravy and cranberry sauce. This is a simple and delicious treat that is very inexpensive!
How to Get a Free Turkey
When I initially cooked this meal, Ibotta had not yet shared if they would be providing a free turkey and/or sides this year. But the best news is, you can get a free turkey through Ibotta this year!
If you’re unfamiliar with Ibotta, it’s a cash back app. In the app you can pick the store you plan to shop at and pick the offers you are interested in redeeming. Example: $.50 off Kraft salad dressings. Purchase that product, scan your receipt, and the cash back will be added to your balance. You can redeem your balance for cash straight to your bank account or gift cards.
Sign up at here using my referral link!
I try to use ibotta on items that I plant to purchase anyway and utilize it for any freebies they may offer. For the past 4 years, Ibotta has offered a thanksgiving promotion. This year, you can sign up to receive a free turkey, if you redeem 16 offers. Once you redeem your Turkey bonus, you can sign up for a second promotion, redeem 4 more offers and receive free instant mashed potatoes, gravy mix, jiffy corn muffin mix, and cranberry sauce. I’ve already started the promotion myself and I’m looking forward to picking up my freebies! Make sure to sign up today and get started!
If you need more information Ibotta has an entire page on exactly how it works here.
Thanksgiving Cooking Essentials
Everything you need for a Thanksgiving dinner can be found at my Amazon Store! I made an entire list of items I use for my Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve also listed them here:
Caraway Pans: There is no thanksgiving without pans to cook in! I’ve had my Caraway set for over a year now and they are as beautiful as the day I got them. They are the only set of non-stick pans I’ve ever had that have actually stayed non-stick for longer than 6 months. Not to mention they are absolutely beautiful! Check out their website here!
Silicone Whisks are key to working with non-stick cookware and making homemade gravy relies on a good silicone whisk!
A Turkey Carving Board is essential if you’re getting a turkey, turkey breast, or even chicken. The groove in this board collects the juices and ensures they don’t run absolutely everywhere!
An instant read thermometer is going to ensure your turkey isn’t either over or, even worse, under cooked. Even if there is a little popper in the bird, it’s better and safer to rely on a real thermometer.
If you make your own gravy, this gravy separator is a game changer. Pour in your drippings, and the separator does all the work! You pour all the good stuff into the pan and the fat stays floating on the top of the separator. It really does work! Get yours here!
And let’s not forget, where the gravy goes once it’s cooked up! A gravy boat is the most perfect way to serve a most perfect gravy! Get one here!
Maybe this is your reminder to get a new 13×9 pan? I have faith that you already have this trusty sized pan on hand, but just in case, I’ve put a link to a nice one here!
If you’re cooking a whole turkey, turkey breast, or chicken, a roasting pan is your best friend. For years, I bought the foil ones, BUT each year it leaked and caused major issues! I almost dropped the bird once because the thing collapsed. Everything in my life has been better since this addition to my kitchen. You can make your life better by purchasing one here!
I used to hand mash potatoes and you know what, they were LUMPY! I got a ricer and never looked back. A ricer makes the fluffiest and most delicious mashed potatoes I’ve EVER had. Seriously, it’s a game changer and worth a purchase! Buy one here!
The Shopping List:
When I purchased this meal, the total came to $32.80 at my local Walmart. I also purchased most of the pantry items I would need including the pantry items listed below. This shopping list does assume you have spices such as dried thyme, dried sage, dried parsley, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper on hand. There are also a few items I didn’t purchased that I used this consisted of 1 egg and butter. If you already have some of the pantry items on hand this can bring the cost down to $22.58. And, if you sign up for ibotta and get yourself a free turkey, this meal can cost as low as $15.58!
Alternative $20 Shopping List and Menu:
If you’re looking for a shopping list and menu that is a bit less work and a bit less money I have priced out a $20 Thanksgiving at Walmart (in NH). This list and menu is less intensive but still delicious! Choose this menu if you love Thanksgiving but you don’t love cooking quite as much!
Shopping List:
Whole Turkey: $13.72, Great Value turkey stuffing $.93, Cranberry sauce canned $1.98, Instant Mashed Potatoes.$.98, Eggs $2.78, Green Beans $.64, Jiffy pie crust .98, Apple Pie filing $2.17
Total = $24.18 Total Without Turkey: $10.46
Menu:
Appetizer: Deviled Eggs
Main and Sides: Turkey, homemade gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans
Dessert: Apple Pie
The Menu
Now, I know this is what you’ve been waiting for. WHAT are we actually going to cook with these items? Below is the menu I created based on this list of items. This menu comfortably feeds 5 and you can always purchase more food and double these recipes, if needed.
Appetizers
Cinnamon Apple Baked Brie made with homemade bread – I made my own bread because I like to and to save money BUT it’s not necessary. You can always buy some bread from the local grocery store and use it for this and to serve with the meal.
Main Dish
Turkey Roasted Chicken – While there are many options for your holiday meal, this chicken is absolutely amazing and you’ll be more than happy with it!
Sides
Pumpkin Shaped Rolls – This recipe is worth trying, if you love baking, and love impressing yourself! It’s a great, inexpensive way to make something fancy!
Homemade Stuffing – This is a simple recipe that has no fresh onion or celery. I do recommend adding these, if you have them but if not, this is perfectly delicious!
To prepare homemade stuffing, begin by slicing French bread into cubes. Toss the bread cubes with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, sage, and rosemary, and then roast them at 425°F for about 5 minutes until they become crispy. In a baking dish, combine the roasted bread cubes with two cups of chicken bouillon (as a substitute for fresh onion), a teaspoon of onion powder, and half a teaspoon of sage. Mix everything together, then dot the mixture with butter. Cover the dish and bake at 375°F for approximately 30 minutes, creating a simple and flavorful stuffing.
Mashed Potatoes – I made these with the russet potatoes and they were absolutely delicious! The ricer is really the key the the fluffiest mashed potato!
Homemade gravy – This is the recipe I follow to make the most perfect homemade gravy. I do recommend a gravy separator and gravy boat for serving. The gravy separator perfectly separates the fat from the drippings and the gravy boat lets you pour your gravy effortlessly.
I make Homemade Cranberry Sauce according to the Ocean Spray directions. Sometimes the kids add a little cinnamon or orange juice but nothing fancy!
And last but not least, air fried Brussels Spouts. These are unbelievably easy and so tasty! If you don’t have an air fryer, I recommend this one. I’ve had it for years and it still works great! Or you can always roast them or even microwave them according to package instructions.
Dessert
Homemade Apple Pie with Homemade Whipped Cream – I like to use the pie crust recipe and pie recipe from the Joy of Cooking. This is my absolute favorite “basic” cookbook and I recommend you grab a copy or ask for it for Christmas, if you don’t have it already!
But if you’re trying to make the recipe now and don’t have the joy of cooking here are the basics of what I did:
Homemade Apple Pie
For this delicious apple pie, start by peeling and slicing four apples for the filling. Additionally, thinly slice one apple to be used as a topping for baked Brie. Mix the apples with 3/4 cup of sugar, a couple of tablespoons of flour, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a teaspoon of salt. Let the apple mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes to meld the flavors. In a separate bowl for the pie crust, combine 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of salt, 3/4 cup of margarine (or a similar baking fat), and 2 and 1/2 cups of flour. Cut in six tablespoons of ice water to form a dough. Roll out half of the dough to line your pie plate, add the pie filling, and create a lattice crust using the remaining dough. Brush with cream, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 425°F for 30 minutes, followed by 30 minutes at 350°F until the filling is bubbly and jammy.
The Timing
Cooking a large meal like this relies heavily on proper timing. Good news is, turkey is just find sitting under some foil for a bit BUT you still want to make sure you have a plan. Stressing over timing during a special meal such as Thanksgiving is just no fun. I’ve listed out the timing I used for this particular meal below.
In this case, I cooked the entire meal in one day. However, I don’t recommend this method; It’s just a lot of work! If you can, there are specific items I recommend you start the day before. You can download my Fun and Frugal Thanksgiving Guide that includes a timing sheet that works backwards by hour from the time you plan to serve your dinner. I’m offering this guide free this holiday season so make sure to grab yours today!
10:00am – Start Bread
10:30am – Start Rolls
11:30am – Shape French bread
12:00pm – Shape rolls
12:30pm – Tie pumpkin rolls
12:45pm – Place French Bread in the oven/ Cranberry sauce /peel, slice, and boil potatoes
1:15pm – Bake pumpkin rolls
1:15pm – Place cranberry sauce in the fridge
1:30pm – Peel and slice apples (slice one really thin for the baked brie bites)
1:45pm – Prepare pie filling
1:50pm – Remove pumpkin rolls, remove strings, brush with butter, and top with stems
2:00pm – Dress and start baking chicken
2:30pm- Make pie crust
3:00pm – Prepare appetizers
3:15pm – Prepare stuffing
3:30pm – Eat appetizers/ Remove chicken from the oven (tent the chicken)/ Bake the pie, mashed potatoes, and stuffing
(This is when things start to get a little hectic! But you’ll be just fine as long as you have a plan!)
3:50pm – Make the gravy and Brussels sprouts
4:00pm – Carve the chicken and reduce heat for the pie
4:15pm – Serve and eat dinner
4:30pm – Remove the foil from the pie edges
4:45pm – Remove the pie from the oven
Later, when you’re hungry again – Make the homemade whipped cream and enjoy your pie!
I Hope You Love it!
I really hope you love this meal and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
FOR MORE EASY HOLIDAY RECIPES CHECK OUT THESE VIDEOS:
MORE HOLIDAY MAIN RECIPES TO TRY:
Watch me make all 3 recipes here:
Maria Ronan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Links on this site may include affiliate links to Amazon and its affiliate sites on which the owner of this website will make a referral commission. Thank you for supporting Meals With Maria! My videos and website are for entertainment purposes only. Any information related to food, food safety, cooking, recipes, etc. are my opinions only. Maria Ronan is not liable and/or responsible for any advice, services, or product you obtain through this video and website.
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