Thanksgiving Dinner for Two on a $50 Budget

Spend the $50 where it shows

This priced list fits $50 at a regular US supermarket:

• Bone-in turkey breast, 2.5–3 lb (1.1–1.4 kg): ~$11
• Potatoes, 3 lb bag: ~$3
• Cranberries, 12 oz: ~$3
• Green beans, 1 lb: ~$3
• Butter, 1 lb: ~$5
• Loaf of sandwich bread: ~$3
• Onion and celery: ~$3
• Chicken broth, 32 oz: ~$3
• Poultry herb pack: ~$3
• Half-pint of cream or milk: ~$2
• Small pumpkin pie: ~$6

That's about $45, leaving room for tax. Flour, sugar, salt, pepper and oil come from the pantry.

• Protein options: bone-in turkey breast is the default because it looks and carves like Thanksgiving. Look for a split (half) breast; in the UK the whole bone-in breast is sold as a turkey crown. If the smallest you can find is 5–6 lb, roast it anyway. Allow about 2 hours, thaw it 2 days, and use the stuffing-mix shortcut to stay on budget. Turkey thighs or drumsticks (about 2 lb / 900 g) are cheaper and harder to dry out. A whole 4-lb (1.8 kg) chicken costs about $8 and roasts at the same temperature.
• Dessert options: a store-bought pie is cheaper than buying pumpkin, evaporated milk, spices and crust for two people. Bake your own only if you already have the spices. Where pumpkin pie is hard to find (UK, Australia), a store-bought apple pie or crumble fills the same slot.
• Shortcuts: boxed stuffing mix (~$2) replaces the bread, celery and herbs. Canned or jarred cranberry sauce (~$2) replaces the homemade sauce.

When to buy:

• 2–3 weeks out: buy the frozen turkey breast when stores run their holiday turkey sales. Pick up the butter and broth on the same trip, since they keep.
• Final week: potatoes and onion.
• Last 3 days: green beans and herbs.

Canadians cook this in October for their Thanksgiving; the plan is the same.

Work the clock backward from the turkey

The turkey is the only thing that can't be rushed, so it sets the schedule. A 2.5–3 lb breast needs about 60–90 minutes at 375°F (190°C) and 20 minutes of rest.

For dinner at 5:00, the turkey goes in by 3:00. With about 50 minutes of roasting left, start the stuffing; it shares the oven and can stay in while the turkey rests. Potatoes boil on the stove at the same time. The rest period is your gap for gravy and green beans, which both need the stovetop and take about 15 minutes.

The most common mistake is starting everything at once and running out of burners. In this order you never need more than two burners and one oven.

Do the day before: make the cranberry sauce (it thickens as it chills), cube and dry the bread, and chop the onion and celery. That's 30 minutes on Wednesday and leaves Thursday with only cooking.

How to tell each dish is done

• Turkey breast: an instant-read thermometer reads 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part, not touching bone. It climbs to 165°F (74°C) while resting. Timing alone is a guess; the thermometer is the one tool worth buying.
• Thighs, drumsticks or chicken legs: aim for 175°F (79°C), where dark meat turns tender.
• Potatoes: a fork slides into the biggest piece with no resistance, usually 15–20 minutes after the water boils.
• Stuffing: the center is moist and the top is golden and crisp at the edges.
• Cranberry sauce: most berries have popped and it coats a spoon. It looks runny hot and sets as it cools.
• Gravy: it coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn through it holds.
• Leftovers: into the fridge within 2 hours of serving, and eat them within 3–4 days.