Thanksgiving Dinner For Under $30

Is it possible to make a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for under $30? Yes! This meal plan is designed for those looking to do Thanksgiving dinner on a tight budget – while eating most of the traditional holiday favorites.

A few weeks ago, I purchased a frozen turkey breast at ALDI for about $10.00. The meat was delicious. And it made me wonder if I could create a Thanksgiving dinner on a tight budget – about $30.00.

Spoiler alert: It is possible.

Note: $30.00 is an estimate based on current grocery prices. You may end up paying more or less than $30.00 depending on your location and where you shop.

To make the most out of this meal plan, first read the tips, below, that detail important information about cooking a Thanksgiving meal on a budget (shopping tips, cooking tips, etc.)

Then scroll down for detailed recipes and instructions for preparing the menu items.

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Tips For Thanksgiving On A Budget

• Simplify your menu: To keep this Thanksgiving spread under $30.00, we’re keeping the menu simple. The more menu items you have, the more you’ll spend. So instead of serving Thanksgiving with 10 side dishes, we’re going to keep it simple with turkey and a few sides: mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberries, and corn muffins.
• Shop discount: The most basic, most fundamental tip for budget cooking is to shop where your money goes the furthest. Depending on where you live, that may be a regular supermarket, ALDI or a salvage grocery store.
• Shop sales: Many Thanksgiving essentials go on sale before Thanksgiving. You don’t have to look too hard to find these sales in your regular supermarket. Last year, I found Jiffy corn muffin mix for $.79/box. This year I found gravy packets at ALDI for $.29/each.
• Avoid the extras: Sure, extras like wine, a fancy appetizer and multiple desserts are great. But if you’re trying to do Thanksgiving on a budget, you’ll need to avoid the extra items that add cost to your menu.

Another Option For Keeping Costs Down: Make It A Potluck

This particular menu will keep your homemade Thanksgiving meal under $30.00, roughly.

But if you are hosting a gathering and want to enjoy the full array of sides (like stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, pie, etc.), consider asking your guests to bring a dish to share.

Here’s the deal: Many people enjoy bringing a dish to share, so don’t be afraid to ask. A Thanksgiving potluck (or friendsgiving) is a great opportunity to make one fun/festive/fancy dish to share with a group.

Thanksgiving For Under $30.00: The Details

Alright! Let’s dive in. This Thanksgiving spread will feed 5 to 6 people:

• Turkey: Instead of buying a full size turkey, purchase a frozen turkey breast. I recently purchased one at ALDI for about $10.00. I love this slow cooker turkey breast recipe because it’s simple and affordable. All the extras you need is a packet of onion soup mix – but you could easily substitute a mix of salt, pepper, and onion powder.
  • Save the liquid in the slow cooker as a base for homemade gravy.
  • Cost: About $11.00
• Mashed potatoes: Mashed potatoes are an essential part of Thanksgiving dinner. Thankfully, they’re very affordable. Potatoes are generally cheaper pound for pound if you purchase a 5 lb. bag instead of purchasing individual potatoes. Look for Yukon gold or Russet potatoes, both of which yield good mashed potatoes.
  • Keep it simple by adding butter and milk to the mashed potatoes. Add a pinch of salt and some garlic powder for more flavor.
  • Cost: Assuming you’re using 5 or 6 large Russet potatoes purchased in a 5 lb. bag, 1/2 stick of butter, and 1/3 cup whole milk, the cost is roughly $4.00. 
• Gravy: You can make really good gravy using the liquid left in the pan or slow cooker, seasoned and thickened with gravy packets.
  • Cost: ALDI has gravy packets currently on sale for $.29. Use 2, for a total cost of $.58.
• Stuffing: There are probably 1 million stuffing recipes on the internet. Generally speaking, stuffing isn’t a super expensive recipe, since we’re dealing with dried bread, butter, and broth as a base. For this cheap Thanksgiving spread, I’m recommending buying a few boxes boxed stuffing, like Stove Top. Hear me out: There are easy and cheap ways to upgrade boxed stuffing, by adding applesauce, caramelized onions or fresh herbs, for example.
  • Cost: Purchase 2 boxes of Stove Top (roughly $2.00/box) or ALDI brand stuffing (currently $.95/box pre-Thanksgiving). Follow package instructions, or add a stick of butter, some chicken broth, and your choice of add-ins (add another $2.00). Total cost is about $5.00.

• Cranberries: Cranberries are another quintessential Thanksgiving menu item. No need to get too fancy with your cranberries: Purchase a bag of fresh cranberries and follow the instructions on the tag or follow this recipe.
  • Cost: Look for pre-Thanksgiving sales on 12-ounce bags of fresh cranberries (about $3.00). Total cost: About $3.50.
• Corn muffins: No, these aren’t totally homemade but none of your guests will complain about warm corn muffins slathered with butter and honey.
  • Cost: $.79/box plus additional ingredients (egg + milk) = Approximately $1.50.

• Pumpkin pie: Current ALDI prices for pumpkin pie ingredients are: Canned pumpkin ($1.15), Evaporated milk ($.95); Other prices: Jiffy pie crust mix ($.95). Eggs + sugar + vanilla (varies).
  • Cost: Approximately $4.00 + extra for whipped cream

Total cost: $29.58

*This doesn’t account for basic cooking ingredients (spices), butter for the corn muffins, whipped cream, and tax.

Super Cheap Thanksgiving Sides

If you’d like to add more Thanksgiving sides without spending a lot of money, consider these simple recipes:

• Buttery baked carrots
• Honey roasted carrots
• Buttered cabbage
• Creamed corn
• Roasted sweet potatoes

So is it possible to cook Thanksgiving dinner for under $30? Yes, it is. Follow this guide and you’re on your way to throwing a delicious gathering even if you’re on a tight budget.