Easy Thanksgiving Dinner for $20 at Trader Joe’s
It happened again: YouTube suggested a video on “$20 Thanksgiving from Dollar Tree.” To this I replied “I can do better.” So here it is, just in time for the upcoming holiday. For the purposes of this menu, I will assume that you have salt, pepper, oil/butter, and honey or honey sauce. The butter will definitely bring a better, richer flavor, but you can use oil (corn oil recommended).
Shopping List (prices listed are current as of 11/21/24 and may vary by area)
Chicken Thighs — $4.99/lb (you can easily find 1 lb. packages)
Frozen Petit Peas — $1.79
Shallot — $0.69
Turkey Gravy — $1.69
Organic Carrots of Many Colors — $1.99
Frozen Mashed Potatoes — $4.29
Cornbread Stuffing Mix — $4.99
Look, I know what you’re thinking: where’s the turkey?! I selected the chicken thigh for the rich flavor and more fatty texture, which is reminscent of the classic turkey leg. However, you can also opt for thinly sliced chicken breast for only $1 more. They also have turkey cutlets at my store occasionally, but they’re usually a bit more. If you’re on a severe budget and $20 is all you can swing, then the thighs will do just fine. Pan-fry them in butter or oil after generously seasoning them with salt & pepper. Because the chicken is sold cold, not frozen, this Thanksgiving dinner will be ready in less than an hour.
The gravy, stuffing mix, and mashed potatoes are all premade, and can be heated in the microwave or on a stovetop with almost no effort. If you are gluten-sensitive, Trader Joe’s also has a gluten-free stuffing for $6.49. These sides are the classic Thanksgiving flavors, and really seal the Thanksgiving vibe. Just prepare according to package directions. Again, stuffing mix says butter, but I use whatever oil I have handy because a) butter takes extra time to melt and b) olive oil is far healthier than butter. With this cornbread stuffing, you get two comfort classics in one! The mashed potatoes are exactly like homemade, and don’t contain all the additives of instant mashed potatoes. If you want a creamier gravy, you can grab a shelf-stable whipping cream for about $1.99, and heat it on the stovetop in a shallow pan. Whisk in a couple of teaspoons of the whipping cream and add a little more salt and some pepper.
The biggest problem I had with the video (again) was that the vegetables were few and frozen/canned. You simply cannot get the same flavor or health benefits out of processed vegetables. For this meal, we’ll make peas with roasted shallots and rainbow baby carrots. If you’re pressed for time, you can also slice the shallots into rings and pan-fry them until soft before adding the peas. However, if you would like to make it a little fancier, peel and halve the shallot, then drizzle it with oil (olive oil works best). Finally, sprinkle it with salt. Also, if you have thyme* available to you, you may roast it with a spring of thyme. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, rehydrate the frozen peas in water (trust me, this is the best way to have them). Simply add the desired amount of peas into a bowl larger than the amount of peas you’re using, then fill the bowl with water until it completely submerges the peas. You should use room temperature water (not hot), and you may need to change it once or twice to prevent icing over. I find it best to give it about 10–15 minutes to soak before draining all the water. I usually microwave the peas after soaking them, but if you want serious flavor, you should throw them in a pan with the roasted shallot. After the shallot is baked and cooled, cut each half into thirds, and toss those in a pan with the rehydrated peas. Add a small amount of butter, or just use the oil from the shallots; if you used thyme, break off the leaves and toss them together at medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
Finally, the carrots. There are many ways you can prepare these rainbow baby carrots, and I’m going to offer a few suggestions. However, you can definitely just steam and salt them and call it done. Honestly though steamed carrots reminds me of the horror of Thanksgiving dinner at my paternal grandmother’s house. She lived in a manufactured home in Yuma, AZ with 2 poodles and made World War II recipes. There were a lot of canned or frozen vegetables, but I am always reminded of the thing she thought was her best dish: shredded carrots in lime Jell-O. Being a kid, I would always get some and try to get away with only eating the top of the Jell-O that had no carrots. However, more often than not, my dad would insist I eat it because it had healthy vegetables. He really thought it was delicious. However, his favorite dish when I was very small was liver and onions. Can you imagine trying to get a 5–year-old to eat liver and onions with canned spinach? I honestly have no idea where my palette came from, but my parents knew next to nothing about good food. I am so grateful that I escaped that particular hell that they would have instilled in me — thanks, Food Network!
Being that I’m no fan of steamed carrots, I would definitely pan-fry the carrots as well. Peel and cut the carrots into large, evenly-sized chunks. Then at medium-high heat, use your oil or butter to brown and soften the carrots. Sprinkle them with salt as you cook, since some will cook off it is okay to use a decent amount. Once they have a browned edge and are tender but firm in texture, you can pull them and serve as is. But I definitely might take it a step further — honey. Now, I understand that food scarcity and inflation are murdering the potential for luxury items. Let me suggest a possible alternative to that little golden bear of deliciousness: KFC. Yep, KFC has a “honey sauce” that you can request from the counter. It is intended to be for paying customers, so if you have a couple bucks, treat yourself to a biscuit and grab 3 packets of honey sauce (if you don’t have a couple of bucks, I honestly don’t think they pay their workers enough to really care that much). Now that you have some honey sauce, mix it with a couple of teaspoons of water, and pour the mixture into the hot pan. Let it cook for 3–4 minutes until the water is evaporated and the carrots are a little sticky. Now that’s how to have Thanksgiving carrots!
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough to stay in the budget of $20 to buy a dessert. In the video, the budget allowed for that, but I would prefer going without the dessert for a more exciting meal than canned turkey. In the video, she makes a sandwich cookie pudding pie that looks like sadness. Don’t get me wrong, I would probably eat it, but I wouldn’t feel good about myself after. The real excitement at Thanksgiving is pumpkin spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. While Trader Joe’s has a pie option, I want something that tastes decadent but is cheap and filled with natural ingredients. So, for $5 more, may I present the Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Loaf. With all the flavor of fall, great ingredients, and a crunchy sugar topping, this will definitely satisfy. Just warm it in an oven in a loaf pan (if you have one), or slice it and warm it in a toaster. The toasty spices feel so decadent. It is the pleasure of eating great food that makes this harvest tradition special, which I simply cannot believe you will get from soggy, frozen ingredients or salty canned veggies. In my family, we use the time to eat things that are simply too decadent or complex to make regularly (see below for our list of Thanksgiving dishes).
I know that celebrating such a problematic holiday can be tricky for those who are deeply concerned for our country’s dark history with its native inhabitants. I am not going to say my family ignores that history when we are together, we are very aware of it and teach it to our kids. We try to be as conscious as possible about that history, and spend time respecting nature as part of our traditions in honor of those traditional caretakers of our land. We use that time to disconnect from our phones and social media, and just be together. I like to think that love is the best salve for a violent history that we cannot erase. Love for each other, kindness, and respect of the natural world is the real goal for us. I can’t speak for indigenous Americans, but I feel that the only way to repair hate is through love and togetherness. I never believed the draw of Thanksgiving was overeating, arguing with family you don’t like, and zoning out afterward. That feels oppressive and quite like aggressive consumerism drawn from the same forces that made the history of the day problematic. We try to reject those factors in favor of enjoyment of each other’s company, mindfulness, and quality food. It doesn’t cost much to get good food, and love, as always, is free.
*: Growing thyme is very easy in SoCal! I have a self-watering container that my thyme seems to LOVE. It is also a perfect option for a hydroponic planter, or a small pot that is well-watered. In the warm, temperate climate of SoCal, it grows very well. However, in other places, a small hydroponic system indoors would be great, as well.
Note: Our Thanksgiving dinners usually include Pomegranate Orange Salmon, Twice Baked Potatoes with Bacon, Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese (from Cooks Illustrated), Butternut Squash Risotto (my original recipe), and two kinds of vegetables that usually change every year. We finish up with a Streusel-Topped Sweet Potato Pie.
