How to Cook A Cheap Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving is a time of year when we stop and appreciate what we have. It can also be a stressful time for those on a budget. Focus on the holiday rather than the food bill with some easy tips on how to save money when it comes to planning and cooking your family's feast.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a good inventory of your cabinets and pantry
• a willingness to tweak your favorite recipes

1. 

   Plan out your menu in advance. See what you already have around the house, for example staples like flour, sugar, kosher salt, dried spices. Check out your pantry for appropriate quantities of ingredients you need. The better you plan your shopping trip, the less money you will waste on buying items you may already have.

2. 

   Your turkey will most likely be the most expensive item you will need to buy, and if you are going to splurge on anything, splurge on the turkey. Look for the store brand that is organic and/or free-range. A good quality bird will help flavor other dishes. More and more grocery chains are able to provide high-quality organic foods at less-than-Whole-Foods prices, so take advantage and save. Also, check out local stores for specials on turkeys in the few weeks approaching the holiday.

3. 

   When it comes to your side dishes, think seasonal and local. If you have a farm to market option (like a farmers market or a farm stand), go with that. The produce will be fresher and better tasting. Buying what is in season is usually a lot cheaper than springing for the asparagus that is out of season. Look for brussel sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, leeks and swiss chard. There is a reason that the typical Thanksgiving dinner includes those vegetables, so look for fresh and local.

4. 

   Spring for fresh herbs if you don't already have what you need. The jars of dried herbs are usually quite pricey, and if you only need a few teaspoons of dried sage, it doesn't make sense to spend $6 on dried sage that will go stale before you use it again next Thanksgiving. Fresh, organic herbs may seem like a luxury, but if you use the entire package wisely, it will save you money overall. And really, if you are serious about cutting costs, skip the extra herbs. Salt and pepper are the only two seasonings you really need, if used correctly.

5. 

   Instead of buying a pre-made gravy or even a stock for your gravy, use what you already have. Make a stock from the turkey innards. Stocks are easy and you can use whatever ends of carrots, onions and celery you have left over from other dishes. Use flour to thicken the stock into gravy. Also, use that stock for a soup or to moisten your stuffing. It will taste better and you didn't buy anything extra.

6. 

   The few weeks before Thanksgiving, start saving the "ends" of loaves of breads for your stuffing. A typical family of four goes through a few loaves of bread a week, and most people skip the ends. Instead of tossing the end pieces, throw them in the freezer. Use the bread for your stuffing. Use the stock from you turkey to flavor it. For an extra zing of sweetness and moisture, add a chopped apple to the stuffing. And add fresh sage.

Tips & Warnings

• If you must use a vegetable that is out of season, you might be better off buying frozen. It's cheaper, and often more nutritious than something that has been picked weeks ago.
• Canned pumpkin for a pumpkin pie is the the cheapest choice, and it is already seasoned, so no need for extra herbs.
• The key to saving money is to use everything you have. When you are finished with your turkey dinner, save the bones and make a soup.
• You shouldn't try to save money by making something that your family may not care for. Just take your traditional recipes and see if you can simplify them or tweak them to use slightly different ingredients. Better yet, choose your menu based on dishes that can use some of the same base ingredients, like butter, carrots, onion, celery.

[maryellen1001]

on 11/17/2008 Great tips!