A cheap Thanksgiving dinner does not have to feel like a compromise. This menu feeds eight people a full holiday meal, with turkey, gravy, five homemade sides, rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, and every homemade dish is priced ingredient by ingredient from our recipes.
The trick is a bone-in turkey breast instead of a whole bird, sides built on potatoes, bread and vegetables, and a slow cooker doing a lot of the work so the oven is never crowded.
The cheap Thanksgiving dinner menu
| Course | Dish | Serves | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | Slow Cooker Turkey Breast | 8 | $15.36 |
| Side | Crockpot Mashed Potatoes | 8 | $6.86 |
| Side | Crockpot Stuffing | 10 | $5.60 |
| Side | Green Bean Casserole from Scratch | 8 | $8.82 |
| Side | Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping | 10 | $7.32 |
| Bread | Dinner rolls, 12 pack | 8 | $2.98 |
| Side | Canned cranberry sauce, 2 cans | 8 | $3.06 |
| Dessert | Store-bought pumpkin pie | 8 | $5.98 |
Recipe costs come from our recipes, priced with average US grocery prices. Store-bought extras are typical prices. Your total will vary by store and region.
The five homemade dishes come to $43.96 together. Add rolls, cranberry sauce and a pie from the store and the whole cheap Thanksgiving dinner lands at about $55.98, or roughly $7 a person. The stuffing and sweet potato casserole each serve ten, so you will have leftovers too.
Why this menu costs so little
- A turkey breast replaces a whole turkey. It feeds eight with less waste and fits in a slow cooker.
- The sides lean on cheap staples like potatoes, sweet potatoes, bread, onions and green beans.
- Nothing is fancy or single use. Butter, broth, milk and dried herbs show up again and again.
- Rolls, cranberry sauce and pie are cheaper to buy than to make for most families, so we buy them.
Shop the week before Thanksgiving. Stores often discount turkey, potatoes, butter, canned pumpkin and baking staples to bring shoppers in.
Your Thanksgiving cooking timeline
With two slow cookers, this cheap Thanksgiving dinner barely needs the oven until the last hour. If you only have one slow cooker, make the mashed potatoes on the stove and use the slow cooker for the stuffing.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 2 days before | Make sure the turkey breast is thawing in the fridge. Cube the bread for the stuffing and leave it out to dry. |
| 1 day before | Assemble the sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole, without toppings, and refrigerate. |
| Morning | Start the turkey breast in the slow cooker. |
| 4 hours before | Start the crockpot stuffing in a second slow cooker. |
| 2 hours before | Boil and mash the potatoes, or start the crockpot mashed potatoes. |
| 1 hour before | Bake the sweet potato and green bean casseroles while the turkey rests. |
| Last 15 minutes | Make the gravy, warm the rolls and open the cranberry sauce. |
Check the turkey with a thermometer. The USDA safe minimum internal temperature chart lists 165°F for poultry and for stuffing, and that is what our recipes use.
Ways to make a cheap Thanksgiving dinner even cheaper
- Ask guests to bring one thing. Pie, rolls or drinks from a guest can take $10 or more off your total.
- Skip one side. Five sides plus rolls is plenty, and most families would not miss one.
- Swap the pecans for walnuts or oats in the sweet potato topping.
- Use frozen green beans instead of fresh if they are cheaper that week.
- Make your own cranberry sauce from a bag of fresh cranberries, sugar and water if canned costs more where you live.
Feeding more or fewer people
For four people, make half batches of the mashed potatoes, green beans and sweet potatoes and keep the full stuffing for leftovers. For twelve, add our crockpot mac and cheese, which feeds ten for under $10, and a second dozen rolls.
Want more side ideas? Our list of cheap Thanksgiving side dishes has every side priced per serving, and our grocery budget guide helps you plan the rest of November.
What to do with the leftovers
A cheap Thanksgiving dinner goes further when nothing goes to waste. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, as the USDA explains in its guide to leftovers and food safety. Then turn them into new meals:
- Turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce on the leftover rolls.
- Turkey soup with the leftover meat, broth and any extra vegetables.
- Mashed potato cakes, fried in a little butter until crisp.
- Stuffing waffles or stuffing topped with a fried egg for breakfast.
Frequently asked questions about a cheap Thanksgiving dinner
How much does Thanksgiving dinner for 8 cost?
This menu costs about $55.98, or roughly $7 a person, using average US grocery prices. Prices vary by store and region.
Is a turkey breast enough for 8 people?
Yes. A 5 to 6 pound bone-in turkey breast gives about eight servings, especially with five sides on the table.
What is the cheapest Thanksgiving main?
Turkey often goes on sale the week before Thanksgiving, which makes it one of the cheaper holiday mains. A bone-in breast keeps the total low for smaller groups.
Can I make this cheap Thanksgiving dinner ahead?
Yes. Both casseroles can be assembled a day ahead, and the bread for the stuffing can be dried two days ahead.
Made it? Tell us how it went