I was listening to a food feature on a local TV station this morning and the topic of Thanksgiving menus popped up. One interesting tidbit of information shared was that the average American household will spend about $50 for a Thanksgiving feast to feed up to ten people. Five bucks a person...that sounds iffy. I guess if you forego a fresh turkey and buy frozen, then, it might be doable. This list also assumes that you have bread, milk, sugar, spices, salt & pepper, flour coffee, tea, eggs, olive oil, you know, the basics in your pantry/refrigerator.
I perused the local supermarket and Costco circulars and with my coupon caddy in hand, I came up with this menu and shopping list:
Turkey with bread stuffing
Homemade gravy
Relish tray: Celery, radishes, spicy pickled vegetables
Whole steamed carrots with herb butter
Steamed green beans
Mashed potatoes
Roasted beets with goat cheese
Fresh cranberry/Clementine sauce
Apple Pie
Chocolate Chip cookies
Clementines
Apple cider
12 lb frozen turkey @ $.60/lb $7.20
Use the neck and giblets for making turkey stock for gravy and stuffing
**save the carcass for turkey stock for turkey pot pie
2 lbs butter $4.00 (coupon for $1.00 of 2)
1 lb for herbed butter for basting and carrots, mashed potatoes
2 sticks for Chocolate Chip cookies
3 lbs fresh carrots $1.25
The carrots will be used to flavor the turkey stock, stuffing, as well as a vegetable side dish.
Leftovers can be used for turkey pot pie
1 lb yellow onions $.50
These will be used to flavor the stock, stuffing and green beans.
2.5 lbs. fresh green beans $2.50
Vegetable side dish and leftovers can be used in turkey pot pie.
4 lbs of Yukon Gold Potatoes $3.50
Mashed potatoes and 1 lb potatoes for turkey pot pie
2.5 lbs large whole fresh beets $2.50
Roasted as a side dish
1 bag fresh cranberries $2.00
Homemade cranberry sauce
Clementines $6.00
For dessert and to use in cranberry sauce
1 bag celery hearts $1.00
For stock, stuffing, pot pie and as a part of relish dish for the table
1 bunch radishes $1.00
For relish tray
1 jar pickled vegetables $2.50
Goat cheese: $4.00
For topping the roasted beets
2 lbs farm fresh apples $2.00
Apple Crumb pie dessert
Chocolate Chips $2.00 (on sale 2/$4 and I have a $2.00 coupon)
Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert
1 box prepared pie crust (2 crusts included) $1.50 (on sale and coupon $1.00 off 2 boxes )
1 crust for Dutch apple pie and 1 crust of next day turkey pot pie
1 gallon local apple cider $5.00
We drink this cold as well as hot, spiced!
Bread for stuffing : Free! I have been saving the odds and ends of bread and freezing it for just this occasion! But if you need bread for stuffing, buy it day old for about $1, make your own cubes and dry it out in the oven or overnight.
Herbs: Sage, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil...Free! I have an herb garden and I still have fresh herbs growing, as well as a stash of herbs that I have dried.
Bonus! I had a vegetable garden this summer and an abundance of green beans, some of which I froze and others I pickled...these will be added to the relish tray!
Total: $47.45 AND I factored in leftovers for Turkey Pot Pie that should feed 4-6 people!
I also have a $15.00 "rewards" coupon which I can use for a $50 purchase! If I buy a fresh turkey instead of frozen or some extras of the sale and coupon items like butter, pie crusts and cranberries for the next holiday meal, I can reduce my frugal Thanksgiving expense down to around $35.00!!!! So...with some foresight, menu planning and thrift, I can serve a great bargain meal and have enough to buy another turkey and pop it in the freezer for Christmas!
Or with the extra $$, I could buy a nice bit of Plonk...from Costco...maybe a nice Pinot Noir!
What I find really neat about this little experiment is that the quality of food is high. I don't have to purchase a lot of pre-packaged or prepared items and I'll be able to offer my family most of our traditional, Thanksgiving favorites.
Happy Thanksgiving...count your blessings...Bon Appetit!
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