Saving Advice for Thanksgiving

[QuarterMillionMan]

I bought a Butterball for $1.79/lb, after spending at least $25, so a 16 lb turkey was $29. Thawing it in my refrigerator and planning on cooking it Wednesday or Thursday. I use a turkey bag which steams the turkey and I add liquid smoke. It always comes out tender and falls off the bone when done. What are the members here doing? My original plan was to go to Las Vegas and hit the buffets for turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes and gravy, etc. Decided to remain home and relax.

[kork13]

I don't think we're gonna do an actual Thanksgiving dinner just with our family. We've already done 2 group Thanksgiving potlucks, one with my squadron, a second with our church. We've got one more planned for Wednesday with the squadron that I'm attached to & work with alot. So we probably won't bother with a little think for ourselves.

That said ... For the first one, I made a turkey that turned out great. I make it with a blend of butter/oil/herbs/spices rubbed directly onto the meat (under the skin) in various places. Stuff the cavity with celery/carrot/lemon, then I also roast it in a bag. Always turns out great.

For the third one, I'll be making a ham ... Basic orange/honey/brown sugar glaze, otherwise nothing too crazy.

[ua_guy]

This year, I'm thankful for family who wants to host and do/provide/pay for everything. DH and I are getting ready to head south for a few months, so we plan to enjoy a nice day with family, and then we're getting up early the next morning and hitting the road.

[disneysteve]

We are invited to our friends' house. We are bringing a tofu veggie stir fry and a corn casserole. They and other guests are providing the rest. We also picked up a gift box of assorted jams and jellies when we were in Lancaster recently as a little gift for them.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

The two of us had family in town for an early Thanksgiving meal. We were able to do this even though the new oven we had on order is late by weeks! We used our table-top convection oven to cook dressing and pie the day before. Then we cooked a turkey breast the day of, and did veggies on the stove. We had to warm the dressing in microwave. It was a simpler meal than we'd usually have for T-giving with guests, but it was enjoyable. I don't remember the cost of the turkey, but it was no bargain.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Turkey cooked in roasting bag falls off the bone. That's the center carcass bone being pushed out with the tip of a knife.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Turkey dinner with chopped up gizzards, etc.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I roasted a 24 lb Butterball turkey for a work party pot luck. Everyone planned their dishes around my turkey such as one person brought mac & cheese, another person brought a pie, etc.

[kork13]

We did another couple Thanksgiving potlucks for this year, with another two scheduled (though we'll miss them). I made a turkey, ham, and cookies for my unit ... And a broccoli salad & rice krispie treats for DW's CrossFit group. I got the 15½ lb turkey for ~$1/lb ... Although bringing most of the meat is the most costly of contributions, it's typical for the unit commander. Otherwise, potlucks are a great way to keep costs down for holiday meals. You only need to make one or two dishes in a larger quantity, and that's it.

We're traveling to Alaska for actual Thanksgiving (and DW's birthday), hunting the Northern Lights & other Alaskan fun. We're going to do Thanksgiving dinner at a hot springs resort's restaurant ... Probably the most expensive way possible to do a holiday meal.

[srblanco7]

Purchased 3 turkey breasts - each around 7 lbs (pretty sure that’s way too much turkey - but who doesn’t like leftovers). Will brine them on Wednesday and then put them on the smoker for Thanksgiving dinner.

[ua_guy]

We bought a 7lb breast, hopefully that will feed 3 people with leftovers! The big win this Thanksgiving is not having to travel. DH's FIL had a moment of clarity. We've been super busy, stressed with work, and DH having eye surgery. FIL wanted us to come to see him which would require each of us taking two days off work, driving almost 900 miles round trip, having to stay in a hotel for 3 nights, and traveling with our dog which is like having a toddler. Although we love my FIL, holiday travel is generally miserable. In a stunning turn of events, he said he'd travel this way. He's retired, can travel on off-days when holiday traffic isn't bad, and will stay with us for a few days at his leisure and then go home, again, when holiday traffic isn't bad. Feeling very thankful this Thanksgiving for travel circumstances

[disneysteve]

We'll be spending Thanksgiving with friends, same as last year. I think we're bringing roasted vegetables and I ordered a dried fruit and nut platter from a friend who has a small business making cheese and charcuterie boards and such.

[kork13]

Going with a turkey breast is actually my preferred option when it's just my family -- so much easier to handle & cook, and while I'm a big fan of leftovers, a 10-15lb turkey is way too much for a single (average-sized) family to go through in a reasonable time.

[disneysteve]

Going with a turkey breast is actually my preferred option when it's just my family -- so much easier to handle & cook, and while I'm a big fan of leftovers, a 10-15lb turkey is way too much for a single (average-sized) family to go through in a reasonable time.

Agreed. We don't host Thanksgiving but we do host Passover. For that, I make a turkey London broil, which is all white meat and boneless. Cooks way faster. Everyone prefers white meat anyway. And we're able to use the leftovers and there's no waste.

[Chevelle72]

If the Butterball is the dealbreaker, you might want to focus on an alternative cooking method for less hassle.

For that situation, the simplest option is smoking it. It takes longer, yeah, but you just season it up, throw it on the smoker early, and forget about it. That keeps the meat incredibly moist without having to mess with bags or basting every hour. Less active cooking time, more relaxing.