How to Fix a Thanksgiving Meal on a Budget

As much as we all enjoy having a huge crowd of guests over on Thanksgiving, it can get rather expensive feeding all those hungry people. For family members that live locally, it's not out of line to ask for a little help in preparing a Thanksgiving dinner. Those relatives certainly can bring covered side dishes, desserts, beverages and appetizers.

But about those out of town guests who bring nothing but hearty appetites and stay until the refrigerator is completely empty? Preparing a Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, but does require a little advance planning and perhaps a little more scratch cooking than what you are used to.

Planning a menu

The Pilgrims may have had a table loaded with dozens of entrees and side dishes, but all that food really isn't necessary. At our place, to use as an example, Thanksgiving dinner consists of a large turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots, apple sauce, green beans, cranberry jelly, and pumpkin pie. Whatever you choose to serve, the key to reducing costs is by keeping the menu simple and uncomplicated.

Shopping the sales

Once the menu has been planned out, it's time to watch the sales. Many local groceries will offer heavy discounts, called "loss leaders" on certain Thanksgiving food items in hopes of luring customers into the store. Watch for discounts on the food items that you will need for Thanksgiving, and begin stocking up. November is when canned green vegetables, canned applesauce, butter, canned milk, potatoes, and chicken goes on sale.

Why chicken? Most stuffing recipes call for two or three cans of chicken broth which gets pretty pricey. Instead of buying broth, stew a chicken instead and freeze the leftover broth for Thanksgiving stuffing. Use the chicken for casseroles and sandwiches.

Turkeys will also go on sale in November. Most grocery stores usually over some sort of promotion in which a customer buys a certain amount of groceries for a reduced price on the turkey. Wait to buy that turkey until it's time to make that huge grocery trip! Remember, most turkeys are frozen and will need at least three days to thaw before they can be cooked.

Cooking from scratch

Long before there were convenience foods, our Moms and Grandmothers were preparing Thanksgiving meals from scratch. Scratch cooking just isn't that hard and can save you lots of money when cooking for a crowd.

Of course, not all things are practical to cook from scratch, such as applesauce and cranberry sauce. However, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, homemade stuffing, green beans almondine, homemade gravy, and pumpkin pie (using Libby's terrific pumpkin pie recipe) are easy for even novice cooks. These side dishes can all be made using ingredients that most of us usually keep in the kitchen.

Beverages

Naturally, everyone gets a tumbler of ice water to go along with the meal. In addition to the water, the kids are served up a glass of sparkling cider which is available this time of year for about $1.50 a one liter bottle. For the adults, we buy a 2 liter bottle of St. Chapelle Soft Chenin Blanc which is a nice, inexpensive table wine. After dinner, we brew up a pot of decaf coffee.

Feeding a Thanksgiving crowd just doesn't have to be that expensive. By planning a simple meal, shopping the sales, and taking the time to cook a little more from scratch, you will be pleased to discover that a wonderful Thanksgiving feast can be prepared at a price that doesn't strain your wallet.