Thanksgiving is a time for family, tradition, and food. It's also a time when many people struggle to make ends meet financially. The holidays are a special time, and they can also be very expensive. Prices are going up and I want to share a way to serve a Thanksgiving dinner without spending a lot of money.
We can host Thanksgiving dinner on a budget. Whether that means for two or more, we can prepare Thanksgiving on a budget menu.
I'll share a Thanksgiving menu with prices to help make a budget friendly meal while still providing the same quality of food and atmosphere that your guests will enjoy. I am going to use the example of a Thanksgiving dinner for four people. You can easily make dishes for more people using my examples below. Just be sure to remember the cost difference for the amount of people you will be serving and also adding more to the recipes to make enough food for everyone.
Since we are planning a menu on a budget, I am not going to plan for possible leftovers. I am also not going to include the cost of salt, pepper, mustard or mayonnaise as these are items we usually have on hand at our home.
This menu will serve four people for one meal. Let's dig in.
- Turkey-6 pounds for $2.94 with an additional $25 purchase
- Mashed potatoes - $8.56 (Including items that will be used for other dishes too).
- Green bean casserole - $5.28
- Corn - $2.00
- Deviled eggs - $1.29
- Green onion - .50
- Stuffing - $2.00
- Rolls - $1.50
- Pumpkin pie - $3.99

Turkey
Turkey is a staple for many Thanksgiving meals. There are different options when buying turkey. There is the traditional turkey and another option are turkey breast fillets.
- Kroger turkey-With an additional $25 purchase, .49 a pound.
This would be a good option to choose because our meal plan will consist of purchasing items of at least $25. We will consider then a 6 pound turkey for 4 people which would be $2.94 with this deal.
Be sure to follow cooking instructions for your turkey.
Mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a staple side at many Thanksgiving meals.
- 4 large potatoes - 5 pound bag of Kroger Idaho potatoes for $3.49.
- pat of butter - Kroger butter sticks, 4 count $3.19. This will be used for other dishes too.
- splash of milk-$1.88 gallon of Kroger milk. This will be used for other dishes as well.
- salt to taste
This week at our local Kroger a 5 pound bag of Kroger Idaho potatoes is $3.49. Whereas one individual Kroger Jumbo Russet potato (14 ounce) is $1.29. Purchasing the bag of potatoes would be a better option cost wise for potatoes. You may only need a couple of small splashes of milk and a small amount of butter and salt and pepper to taste.
After peeling your potatoes and adding them to water in a saucepan, bring them to a boil over medium to high heat. Turn temperature down once boiling. Cook until potatoes are soft. Pour water out and add milk, butter and salt. Mash the potatoes.
Green bean casserole
This is one of my favorite side dishes to make. You can create this holiday dish in very little time.
- Kroger French Style Sliced green beans 14.5 ounce can-.75 each x 2 cans=$1.50.
- Kroger Cream of mushroom condensed soup 10.5 ounce can-.79.
- Kroger French fried onions 6 ounce can-2.99.
- ½ cup of milk
- Optional- onions, soy sauce, salt and pepper.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the green beans, soup and milk in a baking dish. Mix well. Bake for approximately twenty minutes. Five minutes before finished baking, add the French fried onions.
Corn
This simple side is a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal.
- Kroger frozen super sweet corn 12 ounces for $1.00 x 2 bags= $2.00
- Pat of butter
- salt and pepper to taste
In a saucepan combine the corn, butter and salt and pepper. Heat over low to medium heat until tender.

Deviled eggs
A yummy side.
- Kroger large 6 count eggs - $1.29.
- Green onion - .50
- Mustard - small amount
- Mayonnaise - small amount
Boil your eggs in water in a saucepan. Pour out water and let eggs cool. Then peel off the egg shells. Cut eggs in half and remove the yolks. In a bowl smash the yolks well with a fork. Add in mustard and mayonnaise mixing until smooth. Place your mixture into a plastic baggie and make a small hole in one of the bottom corners. Then neatly fill each egg. You can garnish your eggs with something such as green onion or leave them as they are.
Stuffing
There are a variety of things to add to stuffing. There is also a simple way of making it like using Stove Top Turkey stuffing mix.
- Stove Top Turkey stuffing mix -6 ounces. $2.00
- Butter
Follow directions on the Stove Top Turkey stuffing mix box to make. Some items you could also add to your stuffing if you have them on hand are: celery, onion and dried cranberries.
Rolls
To finish out your meal, you could add rolls.
Kroger White Brown and Serve Enriched Rolls, 12 count, $1.50
Serve your rolls warm or as is if they are already cooked.
Pumpkin pie
It is always nice to include a dessert to top off your Thanksgiving meal.
- Bakery Fresh Goodness Pumpkin Pie, 8 inch, $3.99.
Opting for a premade dessert at an affordable price will help save you not only money, but also time in the kitchen.
Conclusion
Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude and giving thanks. It's also the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with family over delicious food! A successful holiday meal can be as simple as gathering around your favorite table and enjoying good company. That being said, it doesn't have to break your budget either. If you plan ahead wisely this year by purchasing some inexpensive items--you will see that making a great dinner won’t cost so much money after all. I hope you are all blessed with a wonderful holiday.
Please share in the comments what your favorite Thanksgiving dish to make or eat is.
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