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One pre-cooked Rotisserie style chicken from the deli...$6 (You could also use a turkey breast, legs, or wings)
A box of stuffing...$1
A can of cranberry sauce...$1
A package of flavored rice...$1
One fruit pie (optional)...$2
Total: $11
Prepare the stuffing according to the directions. Spread under and inside of the rotisserie style chicken or turkey breast. Open the can of cranberry sauce and spread around the front of the bird. Prepare the flavored rice according to the instructions, and serve it with the bird. Cut a slice of fruit pie to eat alongside your meal...voila, an ample Thanksgiving meal for two that won't break the budget...
What are your Thanksgiving dinner recipes under $20?
My grocery had any size turkey for $5. with purchase of $30. So I could get a 20+ lb. turkey for less than OPs rotisserie.
Turkey-$5.
Gravy-$0
Stuffing from leftover bread, saved all year- $0. Celery, onion and poultry seasoning-$.50
Mashed potatoes with butter and milk-$2.50
Butternut squash, or sweet potatoes, with butter and brown sugar-$3.
Cranberry sauce (homemade or canned)-$2.
2# fresh green beans-$4.
1 bottle, white wine or Homemade or store bought, Pumpkin pie, $2.99
My grocery had any size turkey for $5. with purchase of $30. So I could get a 20+ lb. turkey for less than OPs rotisserie.
Turkey-$5.
Gravy-$0
Stuffing from leftover bread, saved all year- $0. Celery, onion and poultry seasoning-$.50
Mashed potatoes with butter and milk-$2.50
Butternut squash, or sweet potatoes, with butter and brown sugar-$3.
Cranberry sauce (homemade or canned)-$2.
2# fresh green beans-$4.
1 bottle, white wine or Homemade or store bought, Pumpkin pie, $2.99
$19.99
Wow, now that's frugal. Two questions. Which grocery store was offering turkey for $5, and where did you store the left over bread? Did you use stale baguettes? What did you use to season your stuffing?
Wow, now that's frugal. Two questions. Which grocery store was offering turkey for $5, and where did you store the left over bread? Did you use stale baguettes? What did you use to season your stuffing?
We have a store called BILO. They had this special on Honeysuckle Whites for Thursday-Sunday before Thanksgiving.
I don't do this for stuffing, but my friend does. It is the old fashioned way. She saves all her bread ends, and bread that goes stale, raisin bread, wheat bread, etc. all year, in the freezer. To make the stuffing, you tear up the bread into small pieces, mix it with poultry seasoning or sage, butter, broth, celery, onion, salt and pepper, and a bit of thyme. The bread is not dried, it is soft. Just mix with enough liquid to moisten. When you think about it, it doesn't really make sense to dry out bread, and then add liquid to moisten it, does it?
It does depend on when you shop. If you know ahead of time that you'll be cooking a meal that day and have some idea what you're going to serve, you can start buying months ahead. When poultry, frozen vegetables, canned food goes on sale, buy them then. Just about everything goes on sale sooner or later. Last minute can be a bit more difficult, but there are quite a few sales that week.
We have a store called BILO. They had this special on Honeysuckle Whites for Thursday-Sunday before Thanksgiving.
I don't do this for stuffing, but my friend does. It is the old fashioned way. She saves all her bread ends, and bread that goes stale, raisin bread wheat bread, etc. all year, in the freezer. To make the stuffing, you tear up the bread into small pieces, mix it with poultry seasoning or sage, butter, broth, celery, onion, salt and pepper, and a bit of thyme. The bread is not dried, it is soft. Just mix with enough liquid to moisten. When you think about it, it doesn't really make sense to dry out bread, and then add liquid to moisten it, does it?
In the south (I'm from Arkansas) we typically make cornbread dressing. So you make a pan of cornbread (do not use/make the sweet version of cornbread) which is typically dry and crumbly. The recipe below is pretty close to how my family makes our dressing except we use some of the pan drippings and we also boil the neck and use the meat from that as well though.
In the south (I'm from Arkansas) we typically make cornbread dressing. So you make a pan of cornbread (do not use/make the sweet version of cornbread) which is typically dry and crumbly. The recipe below is pretty close to how my family makes our dressing except we use some of the pan drippings and we also boil the neck and use the meat from that as well though.
I really need to try this sometime, but you know, people like what they are used to. We New Englanders don't do cornbread stuffing.
I'm from the South, too, but I tried the bread crumb stuff this year. It's actually not too bad. Not to mention, it's cheaper and easier than buying a bag of corn meal and eggs and baking cornbread. Eggs have gotten quite expensive, actually. Plus, I used chicken, so I didn't have any innards to throw into the broth. I agree, though, it is delicious. I've had it many times before, and I might just make a pan of corn bread stuffing and chicken liver to take for lunch next week. I do like the taste of it. The bread crumb stuff, though is a lot cheaper, and it honestly tastes okay.
My aim this year was to come out cheap, since I was only cooking for myself.
If all you've got in your pocket is $20, that's one thing. But if I spend more than $20 to put together a Thanksgiving dinner, that dinner doesn't cover just one meal. There are meals of leftovers and there are several things that I do with the turkey that isn't eaten during the big meal.
I'll end up with pans of frozen turkey enchiladas in the freezer for several more meals later on. A few turkey sandwiches on sourdough bread, turkey and gravy made into a cottage pie, smoked turkey salad, and several other family favorite dishes. All from one turkey, which admittedly costs over $20, all by itself, but that is going to provide a lot of meals.
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