21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (2024)

Save time, save cash, and eat *really* well this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving food is the best. 🥧

But you don't need to spend tons of money and endless hours in the kitchen cooking a holiday spread. Here are some cheap and no-frills (but totally delicious!) recipes to get you started.

Adventures of a Nurse / Via adventuresofanurse.com

Roll up stuffing in slices of deli turkey, cover in homemade or store bought gravy, and pop them into the oven seam-side down in a baking dish.

Recipe: Turkey Stuffing Roll-Ups

Princess Pinky Girl / Via princesspinkygirl.com

Slice some brie cheese and roll it up in little triangles of crescent roll dough. Brush with melted butter and serve with cranberry sauce for dipping.

Recipe: Crescent Roll Brie Bites

3. Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet

21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (2)

Primavera Kitchen / Via primaverakitchen.com

All the best Thanksgiving flavors in a simple one-skillet recipe. Go the extra mile and toss some shredded Brussels sprouts into the mix.

Recipe: Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet

4. Cranberry Turkey Crescent Pizza

21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (3)

Smile Sandwich / Via smilesandwich.com

Instead of pizza dough, this Thanksgiving-ready pie calls for crescent roll dough. And in place of tomato sauce, it's topped with a mixture of pesto and cranberry sauce.

Recipe: Cranberry Turkey Crescent Pizza

5. Upgraded Mac 'n' Cheese With Bacon, Mushrooms, and Brie

Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed / Via tasty.co

No one needs to know the base of this loaded mac 'n' cheese came from a box.

Recipe: Upgraded Mac 'n' Cheese With Bacon, Mushrooms, and Brie

Plain Chicken / Via plainchicken.com

Pick up a pack of puff pastry dough, your favorite grocery-store spinach artichoke dip, and add some shredded Parmesan for extra cheesiness.

Recipe: Three-Ingredient Spinach Artichoke Pinwheels

7. Thanksgiving Grilled Cheese

21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (4)

Will Cook For Smiles / Via willcookforsmiles.com

The best thing since sliced bread might just be this turkey, cranberry, and brie sandwich melted between two pieces of bread. If you didn't make a Thanksgiving turkey, go ahead and use deli turkey or even rotisserie chicken.

Recipe: Thanksgiving Grilled Cheese

unsophisticook.com

Canned green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions is all you need to make this classic holiday side dish.

Recipe: Three-Ingredient Green Bean Casserole

Growing up Gabel / Via growingupgabel.com

If you don't have every ingredient on the list, don't worry. All you really need is deli turkey, cranberry sauce, your favorite kind of cheese, and your go-to condiment like mayo or mustard. Just be sure to brush these sliders with melted butter before baking.

Recipe: Baked Cranberry and Turkey Sliders

Savoring the Good / Via savoringthegood.com

Start with your favorite frozen turkey patties and them it on a bun with cranberry sauce, shredded Brussels sprouts, and some gravy for good measure.

Recipe: Thanksgiving Turkey Burgers

11. Thanksgiving Poutine

21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (5)

Savoring the Good / Via savoringthegood.com

Start with frozen sweet potato fries and top them with anything from extra turkey and cranberry sauce to gravy and stuffing.

Recipe: Thanksgiving Poutine

Eazy Peazy Mealz / Via eazypeazymealz.com

Not only is this recipe a cheaper alternative to roasting a whole bird, but it'll save you lots of oven space. Cooked in the air fryer, turkey legs get an incredibly crispy skin and super moist meat.

Recipe: Air Fryer Turkey Legs

13. Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs

21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (6)

Marisa Moore / Via marisamoore.com

Start with ground turkey meat and cornbread stuffing and you're half-way to these festive meatballs, the perfect party app or main dish.

Recipe: Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs

Plays Well With Butter / Via playswellwithbutter.com

Using cheap wine for sangria doesn't compromise the flavor. It's mixed with brandy, triple sec, orange juice, and lots of fruit for a delicious holiday co*cktail.

Recipe: Trader Joe's Two-Buck Chuck Sangria

Foodness Gracious / Via foodnessgracious.com

How do you take a humble can of White Claw and make it fancy? Spruce it up with a spritz of sparkling wine, some fresh grapefruit, and a sprig of rosemary. Voilà.

Recipe: Ruby Grapefruit and Rosemary White Claw co*cktails

The Live In Kitcen / Via theliveinkitchen.com, The Live in Kitchen / Via theliveinkitchen.com

Apple cider (hot or cold) + whiskey + ginger juice. It's as simple as that!

Recipe: Three-Ingredient Apple Cider co*cktails

Bubba Pie / Via bubbapie.com

If you're afraid of baking, this cake-pie hybrid will be a game changer. It starts with boxed yellow cake mix. If you want to make things even easier, grab some canned apple pie filling.

Recipe: Apple Pie Cake

18. No-Cook Pumpkin Fluff Dip

21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (7)

Tastefully Eclectic / Via tastefullyeclectic.com

Grab some canned pumpkin, instant vanilla pudding mix, and Cool Whip — and mix it all together. Just like that, dessert is served.

Recipe: No-Cook Pumpkin Fluff Dip

19. Four-Ingredient Apple Turnovers

21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (8)

Mom's Dish / Via momsdish.com

Puff pastry dough, sliced apples, egg, and sugar are the only ingredients required for these hand-held apple pies.

Recipe: Four-Ingredient Apple Turnovers

20. Three-Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies

21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (9)

Kleinworth and Co / Via kleinworthco.com

These cookies call for a secret ingredient: Cake mix! Yup, that's right. Spice cake mix, to be exact.

Recipe: Three-Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies

Sizzling Eats / Via sizzlingeats.com

Start with refrigerated pie dough cut into little circles — then press the pie dough into the wells of a muffin tin. Fill the dough with a mixture of pumpkin purée, milk, eggs, and pumpkin spice and bake until set.

Recipe: Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Pies

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    21 Cheap And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Actually Want To Make (2024)

    FAQs

    How to do Thanksgiving for cheap? ›

    17 more budget-friendly Thanksgiving recipes
    1. Roasted Vegan Thanksgiving Feast Platter. ...
    2. Roast Chicken and Shallots. ...
    3. Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprout, and Bread Stuffing with Apples. ...
    4. Easy "Boxes and Cans" Corn Casserole. ...
    5. Homemade Citrus Cranberry Sauce. ...
    6. Easy Mashed Potatoes. ...
    7. Vegan Mashed Potatoes. ...
    8. Crispy Sweet Potato Roast.

    What are the 12 most popular Thanksgiving dishes? ›

    Scroll through to take a look at our most popular Thanksgiving recipes.
    • 01 of 24. Perfect Turkey. ...
    • 02 of 24. Roasted Brussels Sprouts. ...
    • 03 of 24. Cranberry Sauce. ...
    • 04 of 24. Homemade Mac and Cheese. ...
    • 05 of 24. Sweet Potato Pie. ...
    • 06 of 24. Granny Kat's Pumpkin Roll. ...
    • 07 of 24. Slow Cooker Turkey Breast. ...
    • 08 of 24. Cream Corn Like No Other.
    Oct 26, 2023

    What are the 10 traditional Thanksgiving foods? ›

    Here are our favorite traditional Thanksgiving dishes that are delicious and easy to make.
    • Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Serves: Up to 4 people. ...
    • Stuffing. ...
    • Green Bean Casserole. ...
    • Sweet Potato Casserole. ...
    • Baked Corn. ...
    • Mac and cheese. ...
    • Peas & Water Chestnuts. ...
    • Fresh Rolls.
    Oct 28, 2021

    What are the top 20 Thanksgiving foods in America? ›

    Top 20 Thanksgiving Recipes
    • Apple Stuffing.
    • Homemade Buttermilk Cornbread.
    • Asparagus Bake.
    • Creamy Green Bean Casserole.
    • Cranberry Sauce.
    • Creamy Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes.
    • Turkey Gravy.
    • Apple Pie.

    What to do on Thanksgiving if you have no plans? ›

    What to Do on Thanksgiving Without Family
    1. Book a night at a local hotel. Anything you can do out of the ordinary will make the holiday feel special and not blah. ...
    2. Stay in your PJs all day. 0 Guilt. ...
    3. Don't make any plans. ...
    4. Play charades over Zoom. ...
    5. Help a neighbor. ...
    6. Spend the day writing letters. ...
    7. Friendsgiving, duh.
    Nov 20, 2020

    What is the cheapest meat for Thanksgiving? ›

    While turkey and stuffed chicken breasts often take centerstage at the holidays, chicken legs and thighs are the perfect alternative. They are both significantly cheaper at $1.92 per pound on average and much easier to not overcook.

    What is the most loved Thanksgiving dish? ›

    America's different regions can favor different local cuisines, and Thanksgiving dinner provides no exception. While turkey is the top selection in every region, side-dish challenger mashed potatoes are tied for first place in the Midwest (both winning 85% of matchups) and West (both winning 79%).

    What is the most loved Thanksgiving food? ›

    Popular Thanksgiving foods ranked
    1. Stuffing.
    2. Potatoes. ...
    3. Pies and other sweets. ...
    4. Other random foods. ...
    5. Rolls. Though rolls are certainly not a main dish, they are a key element of any Thanksgiving meal. ...
    6. Turkey. The classic entree for Thanksgiving is definitely a large turkey dish. ...
    Nov 10, 2023

    What is a traditional black Thanksgiving dinner? ›

    This is usually a mix of traditional Thanksgiving food and Black culture. You'll see the classic Thanksgiving dishes like turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing paired with collard greens, yams, mac and cheese, and other traditional Black dishes.

    What is the unhealthiest Thanksgiving food? ›

    Worst: Sausage Stuffing

    It's often made with fatty processed meat, butter or margarine, and refined bread or rice. It's a high-calorie food that packs a load of fat, carbs, and nitrates, which are cancer-causing. If you add dried cranberries, there's a good chance they're sweetened and add sugar to your stuffing.

    What do Californians eat for Thanksgiving? ›

    7 Signs You're Having a California Thanksgiving
    • GRILLED TURKEY IS THE CENTERPIECE. ...
    • SOURDOUGH SNEAKS IN SOMEWHERE. ...
    • VEGETABLE SIDES AREN'T GLOPPED IN MAYO. ...
    • GARLIC BREAD IS THE CARB OF CHOICE. ...
    • BRUSSELS SPROUTS PREVAIL OVER GREEN BEANS. ...
    • MAYBE YOU'LL SEE PECAN PIE, MAYBE YOU WON'T. ...
    • PINOT NOIR NEVER STOPS FLOWIN'.
    Nov 18, 2015

    What are 3 ways that you can save money on Thanksgiving dinner? ›

    But there are several things you can do to save money and still create a traditional Thanksgiving dinner everyone will love.
    • Plan a Budget. ...
    • Scale Back the Menu. ...
    • Start Shopping Early. ...
    • Use Coupons & Savings Apps. ...
    • Buy In-Season Produce. ...
    • Don't Go Overboard on Appetizers. ...
    • Keep Beverages Simple. ...
    • Have a Plan for Leftovers.

    How much should I budget for Thanksgiving dinner? ›

    Average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner in the U.S. 1990-2023. 2023 saw the average price for a Thanksgiving dinner decline to 61.17 U.S. dollars. In 2022, the average price for a complete Thanksgiving feast in the United States (U.S.) amounted to 64.05 U.S. dollars.

    Is it cheaper to go out for Thanksgiving? ›

    Dining out is more expensive this year compared with last year. Despite those rising costs, the fact that Thanksgiving's main course is more affordable means that 2023 may be the year to cook at home. That's opposite of 2022, when many economists said consumers may actually have saved money by going to a restaurant.

    How to do Thanksgiving in a small house? ›

    6 Thanksgiving tips for a small space
    1. Get an extendable dining table.
    2. Go for dining benches.
    3. Arrange a cozy seating area.
    4. Create an outdoor extension.
    5. Have a potluck-style dinner.
    6. Declutter your space.
    Mar 19, 2024

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