Thanksgiving for 8 under $80!!
November 10th, 2008 by djyoung
Thanksgiving for 8 for Under $80: Make This Feast for $79.79
Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream
Squash, $3.25; leeks, $1.99; carrot, 25 cents; celery, $1.69; apples, $2; fresh thyme, sage, and chives, $5.97; apple cider, $2.50; sour cream, 99 cents; heavy cream, $1.29. (Use water instead of canned stock for better flavor. Using dried herbs you already own will cut the price by $6.)
Total=$19.93
Roast Turkey with Oranges, Bay Leaves, Red Onions, and Pan Gravy
14-pound turkey, $16; 2 navel oranges, $2.50; 3 small red onions, $1.30; bay leaves, $1.99; butter, $1: (If you make regular pan gravy using a slurry of flour and water, you do not need turkey stock. Add $2.29 more for a box of kosher salt if you plan to brine.)
Total=$22.79
Herbed Bread Stuffing
1 pound country-style bread, $2.99; 3 onions, $1.30; celery — used from soup recipe; dried herbs — use fresh sage and fresh thyme from turkey recipe; 1 stick butter, $1; chicken broth, $1.99.
Total=$7.28
Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, $4; butter, $1; shallots, $1.50.
Total=$6.50
Cloverleaf Rolls
Yeast, $1.89; 1 stick butter, $1; egg, 25 cents; whole milk, $1; bread flour, $4 for a 5-pound bag
Total=$8.14
Pecan Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin, $2.50 for a 15-ounce can; brown sugar, $1.09; light corn syrup, $2.69; pecans, $4.49; eggs, $1; lemon, 89 cents. Crust: 2-pound bag flour, $2.49; butter, $1.
Total=$15.15
Grand Total=$79.79
Article and menu written by:
Regina Schrambling is best known for her acerbic Web site, gastropoda.com, and blog, gastriques.blogspot.com, but proudest of being a two-time refugee from The New York Times. She left the national desk in 1983 to enroll in the New York Restaurant School and was lured back as deputy editor of the Dining section, from which she resigned in 2002 to become a contract writer for the Los Angeles Times food section. She writes for magazines including Metropolitan Home, New York, Real Food, and Edible Brooklyn, as well as Slate and Salon.