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Thanksgiving on a Budget

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I mentioned earlier this week that I’m hosting my first Thanksgiving since having kiddos. My Dad is coming to town so it will be a small group: 3 adults and 2 kids. Even though there won’t be a lot of us, I still want to have a “traditional” Thanksgiving with all the regular fix’ ins. The problem, of course, is that this can get pretty pricey in a hurry! Yes, turkey is on sale (I snagged mine for .79/lb!!!), but when you are buying a ton of food the cost jumps up pretty quickly.

To try to keep costs low I decided to plan a reasonable menu and stick to it. I often find that I can go overboard with planning enough food to feed an army, so I thought this would help keep things within check.

BUT, when husband saw the menu he instantly objected. Tell me what you think:

Thanksgiving Menu:

  • Turkey
  • Stuffing
  • Sweet potato casserole
  • Mashed potatoes and gravy
  • Rolls
  • Cranberry Sauce

Anything jump out at you???

Husband brought up that there are no veggies (potatoes don’t count!) One of his favorite side dishes is green bean casserole and he voted we add it to the menu. But one more side dish feels a little over the top. So what could we remove???

Enter: The Great Potato Debate

We have two kinds of potatoes on the menu (sweet and mashed). The obvious choice is to cut one of them. Sweet potato casserole is probably my favorite part of the entire meal. But you can’t have thanksgiving without the mashed potatoes, can you? I mean, what are you going to drown in gravy and eat with your turkey??

What would you do?

I’d like to keep the side-dishes to a minimum but I’m really thinking I might just have to keep both potato dishes AND add the green bean casserole. Maybe just make smaller portions of everything??

Also – have you been watching your local store sales recently? Dang, there are some good deals right now! If you have a Fry’s grocer in your area, I’ve been killing it with some amazing deals on canned foods lately! I try to rely mostly on fresh foods for dinner, but it sure does help to have a stocked pantry in lean times and the deals right now are so amazing they’re not to be passed up! I got a ton of varieties of Green Giant canned veggies (39 cents each), chicken broth (39 cent), beef broth (39 cent), cream of chicken soup (50 cent), boxed stuffing (50 cents) and I’m sure more that I’m now forgetting. Such low prices!

To try to save money I made my Thanksgiving grocery list a couple weeks ago and I’ve been buying items as they come on sale (like brown sugar and pecans this week). Whatever hasn’t gone on sale and is still needed I’ll grab next week. Hopefully it shouldn’t be too costly. This is my first year doing Thanksgiving since blogging away my debt, and it has definitely changed perspective. Instead of just going to the store and buying everything I need in a single trip, I’ve been strategizing and scouring sales, and trying to still buy everything I need, but to get it to stay within my budget. It hasn’t been too hard with all the killer sales, but it’s definitely required some extra forethought so I could break up the purchases across a few weeks’ time.

I’ll also end up being able to save some money on dessert. A friend has invited us over but we’ve opted to do our own dinner (partly because I’d like to have our first “family” Thanksgiving, and partly because their dinner is during the toddlers’ nap times), but we’ve decided to go over to their house for dessert. So, instead of being tempted to make and/or buy 2-3 different dessert options, I’m going to be able to stick with one and simply take it to my friends’ house. They’ll have additional options there so there were still be plenty of variety.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? How do you keep costs down on Thanksgiving food? What would you say about our menu (keep both potatoes? Cut something from the menu?)


29 Comments

  • Reply Christine |

    Does your father absolutely have to have mashed potatoes? If not, I’d skip them because you can make them with dinner any other day for your family. Sweet potato casserole is more involved and so I’d make that instead for Thanksgiving. The reason I ask about your father is he is your guest and if he always loves mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving I would want to have that available to him….and maybe buy only a couple potatoes and whip up a very small batch (not costly at all).

  • Reply Sandra |

    My suggestion — Add the green bean casserole your husband likes and cut the mashed potatoes. You can serve the gravy on the dressing. A congealed salad is cool tasting and lightens up the overstuffed feeling (maybe black cherry jello with canned black cherries and crushed pineapple and Coca-Cola 1/4 cup subbed for the ice). You could serve fresh asparagus sprayed with olive oil Pam and wrapped with proscuitto or bacon around the center then broiled. That’s a lighter green veggie. Also, have you considered letting the girls help you make gingerbread muffins to serve as snacks or for dessert after your meal and before you go to your friends house.

    • Reply Ashley |

      Mmmm, love these recipe ideas!! Also, the girls have been quite fascinated with helping in the kitchen lately, so I bet they would love that!

  • Reply Den |

    I had to laugh – green bean casserole is one of the few things my husband asks for while I can’t stand it …. and since he rarely requests anything I make sure to include it on the Thanksgiving menu – since I’m thankful for him!

    I say include both kinds of potatoes and the green beans – it’s a holiday! Sounds like you’ve gotten some great grocery deals in advance so I wouldn’t sweat it….and you’ll eat good leftovers for a few days.

    I make most of my side dishes the day before to cut down on the kitchen craziness on Thursday. Green bean casserole is so easy to make ahead and pop into the oven an hour in advance. Same thing with the potatoes, stuffing and cranberries…..

    Have fun!

  • Reply DJC |

    I agree – some more veg dishes. They are quite easy to do, can be set aside in a slow cooker to keep warm on the day and reheat well with leftover turkey. Some ideas – slow cooked collards; steamed and buttered brussels sprouts; roasted carrots and parsnips; steamed and buttered Savoy cabbage; red cabbage with apple and cider vinegar.

    If you make them not too rich, they are a nice counterpoint to the meat and carbs of the rest of the meal, and add plenty of color.

  • Reply Mary from SC |

    Hi Ashley – it all sounds delicious. Since you will be cooking for only 3 adults and two children, it will be hard to do portion control anyway. Why not take the opportunity since you will probably have plenty of food to invite a few extra people that may be alone on Thanksgiving…singles, newly divorced…it didn’t take long with us seeing people that are quietly spending the day alone. We have invited a college student new to the area with no family nearby and a co-worker of my husband that is on contract work and away from his family. And in the great big scheme of things…enjoy both potatoes, make that green bean casserole and enjoy every last bite with thanksgiving in your heart. Happy Thanksgiving to your family from SC.

    • Reply Ashley |

      I’ve thought about this, but I worry about the seating since we don’t have a big table. We do have an outdoor table (which I got for free from the curb on bulk pick-up day. Yes, I was that person taking someone else’s trash), so I could bring it inside if needed. I do have a good Mom-friend who may be planning to stay in town with her little family (they’re from Phoenix, so may be going home, too). I may ask her if they want to come over (“they” is 2 adults & a toddler).

      • Reply Mary from SC |

        🙂 I am sure if you invite them, it will not matter what the table looks like – cover it with a cloth, sheet, or make it the kids table and cover it with brown butcher paper and let the kids draw on it. Whatever you do, don’t stress over the “stuff” and just enjoy the moments and memories being made.

  • Reply Cheryl |

    You only have one more person for dinner (your dad). It is the holidays and now everything is on sale so keep the potatoes and add the green bean casserole. If I am going to cook all that food, I want leftovers for at least Friday or longer. Please don’t make only enough mashed potatoes for your dad, Aldi has 10lb potatoes on sale this week for around $2.00 and you can use the extra the following week. I know you are watching your spending but please don’t be cheap. Cheryl

    • Reply Ashley |

      Wow, that’s a great price! I’ve heard about Aldi’s, but we don’t have any in our area (sad face). I do, however, already have a bag of potatoes in my pantry so that shouldn’t be a problem cost-wise.

  • Reply Juhli |

    That us a very carb heavy menu and a lot for 3 adults IMO. You can always make mashed potatoes to have with leftover gravy and turkey another day. Or skip the dressing since you have rolls. Scaling it back and including more veggies will make your prep easier too.

  • Reply Christy |

    Our menu is the same, minus the mashed potatoes and add the green bean casserole and a pecan pie. (It is the same every year!) I make gravy and we eat it on the dressing and turkey. Any leftovers can be refrigerated/frozen so there is really no waste. If you really want mashed potatoes and gravy, there is nothing stopping you from having both.

  • Reply Kris |

    I can’t see why not add the green beans. Potatoes are super cheap everywhere and can be used for leftovers.

  • Reply paris013 |

    Skip the rolls! You can’t NOT have mashed potatoes AND sweet potatoes. They are totally different. Stuffing can easily take the place of rolls.

    • Reply Ashley |

      I totally agree about the potatoes. My only argument in favor of the rolls is that they make the perfect day-after-Thanksgiving sandwiches!!! I could also make my own so they’d end up being basically free (I already own all the ingredients)

    • Reply Kerstin |

      I totally agree. Rolls are BORING! Potatoes are much better vehicles for butter! 🙂 But I do know they mop up gravy well. Honestly, just add the green beans if you love them and and some rolls. It’s not a lot of savings to take out one of the side dishes. Besides you can always freeze what you don’t what you don’t eat and have Thanksgiving in the middle of February which is one of my favorite things!

  • Reply Tammy |

    Add the green bean casserole. It’s a holiday! It will add a few minutes of prep time and a few dollars to the bottom line. Enjoy the holiday and embrace the leftovers!

  • Reply Susan |

    Both mashed potatoes and green bean casserole freeze very well (no crispy french onions before freezing though).

    I think the recipe to freeze would be the green bean casserole. Make the full recipe which I think serves 6-8. Freeze one half of it and put the other half into a smaller casserole dish and refrigerate. Before baking, sprinkle with the crispy french onions. If baking from frozen state, cover with foil and bake about 45 minutes, remove foil, add crispy onions and bake 15 more minutes.

    It is entirely doable to make a small recipe of mashed potatoes, or you can make a full recipe and freeze half.

    I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

    • Reply Ashley |

      Great idea!! I love having things in the freezer that are easy to heat up whenever I’m drawing blanks on dinner (or sides). Thanks for the tip!

  • Reply Jen From Boston |

    We never had sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. Instead, we had acorn squash. I think what you do is you cut the sqash in half, season the meat with salt and pepper, then roast it in the oven with butter/olive oil. When done, you scoop out the meat and mash it up and serve with butter. You can also season it more once mashed with maple syrup or brown sugar and a touch of nutmeg. I’m sure you can find a better recipe on the web. I’m just winging it from many years ago when I tried making acorn squash 😉

    It has the same type of flavor as sweet potatos but it’s a vegetable. You can also use butternut squash which would yield more.

    I don’t know about the bean casserole. I don’t think I’ve ever had it, and my family has green beans on Christmas (the beans are slathered in butter, onions, sour cream, and paprika nom nom nom).

    I would keep the mashed potatos. The turkey gravy goes sooooo well with mashed potatos!!!

    • Reply Ashley |

      yum! I love doing butternut squash with similar seasonings to how you mentioned, but cubed and baked. I’ve never tried mashing it, but that’s a great idea to try to healthify things a little!

  • Reply Jen From Boston |

    I would skip the rolls. You can use regular bread for the day after sandwiches.

    Also, if you have a slow cooker you could use that to make the mashed potatos or squash. It could help reduce stress if you can just drop the potatos in with a little bit of water, and set it and forget it until it’s time to mash them up!

  • Reply Julene |

    The cost of green bean casserole is very low and if that’s something he wants I say make it all. The cost of potatoes is low too and both can be taken in a lunch at a later date. Enjoy the day!

  • Reply Maureen |

    I would add the green bean casserole and still make all the potatoes. I don’t like sweet potatoes, so that would go for me, but sounds like it is a special favorite. Also, potatoes reheat well as leftovers and keep easily for days. I have even frozen them with some butter and salt/pepper and reheated a month later. They reheat/freeze well.

  • Reply Cecilia@thesingledollar |

    I think the key point here is “leftovers.” Adding another side dish or two is totally fine as long as you’re prepared to eat everything for a few days in various combinations. 🙂

  • Reply Shauna |

    I’d keep the menu like you have it already. And if you have time make extra and freeze it. I know I have been watching sales and picking things up here and there to save money. My menu for 10 people is looking almost exactly like yours, just butternut squash instead of the green bean casserole. Our turkeys just went on sale for .48 a pound so I’m planning on cooking a large turkey to have lots of leftovers to freeze, meat is never on sale that cheap. Since you already have the potatoes I don’t see any benefit in not making them. And save money and make the rolls with the girls, they will love it and like you said you already have the ingredients on hand.

    • Reply Ashley |

      Wow, .79/lb. is the cheapest for turkey in our area. At .48/lb I’d be tempted to buy enough to fill up my whole freezer and have turkey for the next year!!! : )

  • Reply adam |

    budget-wise, who cares. this is one of those very small deals overall. Might save you $5, I’m sure there are bigger levers you can pull in your budgeting to save more.

    One option on the potatoes: keep the sweet potatoes and change the mashed potatoes to Cauliflower faux-tatoes with cheese/bacon etc. I’m sure you can find a recipe online, but essentially, you cook a bunch of cauliflower until it’s soft, then whip it with the mixer just like you would mashed potatoes – add a little sour cream or milk/cream, salt/pepper/garlic, bacon bits, cheese. Very similar to mashed potatoes, much healthier, and you can sneak in a vegetable!

    but in my house we will have mashed potatoes for thanksgiving.

So, what do you think ?