Thanksgiving for $5

 In the next week, I thought I would give ideas on what you can do for your Thanksgiving meal, depending on how much you have to spend.  So, we are starting with $5.

No need to fret, $5 provides options.  

1.  Potluck:  This would be the best option for the least amount of money.  If you can get together with other people, you can all pitch in and have a fantastic meal.  For $5 you could bring:

Pie

Green Bean Casserole:  50 cents for green beans at Walmart, 50 cents for Cream of Mushroom soup at Walmart, $2.28 for French Fried Onions at Walmart or $1.34 for a French friend onion salad topping that could possible work.  You could also make your own topping with fresh onions and some spices and/or bread crumbs.

Candied Sweet Potatoes or a sweet potato casserole.

Mashed Potatoes:  Usually on sale for $1.00 for 5 pounds at Thanksgiving.

Jello salad of some sort:  36 cents for Great Value Jello plus any kind of fruit or cool whip.  You may want to double the jello depending on how many people.

Frankly, you could bring just about anything except the turkey.

2.  Buy Ground Turkey.  Make turkey burgers, a turkey meat loaf, Turkey meatballs and gravy to put over potatoes, etc.  You can get this for as low as $1.66 for a pound.  A great price and it keeps you from being in the kitchen all day!

Potatoes:  Usually 99 cents at Thanksgiving.

Sweet Potatoes:  50 cents since most people don't like them anyway!  You could also substitute with a can of corn or green beans or peas.  Or, try substituting with 50 cents worth of any other vegetable on sale.  

Jello:  36 cents at Walmart and add a banana for another 23 cents.

Pie:  50 cents each for mini pies at Walmart.  You could get a couple of different kinds.  You would have to skip the ice cream and cool whip, but at least you get some pie!

Total:  $4.74 with 2 pies  

3.  Buy some sliced Turkey and have Turkey sandwiches, or just use instead of ground turkey for the meal above.

4.  Buy chicken or turkey legs for only $1.50 or less.  Boil or bake and debone.  Use the meat in a gravy to put over mashed potatoes.  

5.  Skip the turkey if you don't like it and just make a homemade pizza, tacos or spaghetti dinner or some kind of casserole you do like.  

It is all how you present it.  If you are excited to try something different for Thanksgiving, your enthusiasm and positive attitude could be contagious.  Maybe you will find that you enjoy doing something different every year!

I just realized that I didn't include ideas for rolls or for stuffing.  Stuffing is at Walmart for 82 cents a box for the Great Value Brand.  There is also a very inexpensive recipe for overnight bread that tastes great.  You can use it for both.  If you prefer a lighter bread/roll, than try our french bread recipe.  Depending on how many people there will be, I may double or half the recipes.