If finances are tight this year,Thanksgivingmight make you nervous. But there's no reason to shell out for an expensive whole turkey. Instead, this luxurious (but affordable!) menu features turkey drumsticks, which are, by far, the least-expensive-per-pound turkey option available in most supermarkets. Roasted and basted in ghee (make your own for minimal budget impact), this turkey dinner is likely to outshine any previous birds you've cooked. On the side, offer winter squash confit with garlic and herbs, a crisp wedge salad with a sprightly sour cream dressing, and a simple cranberry sauce that comes with plenty of leftovers. No need to skimp on appetizers or dessert, either: A dip of sweet roasted carrots blended with smoky hot paprika and a fennel-dusted apple tart bookend this holiday dinner, which comes together for less than $10 per person.
A bag of carrots and some chickpeas
This recipe makes three cups ofcarrot dip. That's…a lot ofappetizer. And yet it only costs about $5 for the whole batch. If you're cooking for a small crowd this year, it's easy to scale back—or go ahead and make the whole thing and use the leftovers to spread on sandwiches or use as the base of breakfast, lunch, or dinner bowls in the days following. Want to go the extra mile?Make your own crackers, too.
Turkey and cost trimmings
Approximate total for this course: $26 for four servings. That's if you opt for all turkey drumsticks—the budget-friendly turkey recipecalls for whole legs (drumsticks and thighs), but you can easily grab four drumsticks instead. For sides, buy whichever winter squash is on sale and slow-roast it with garlic and herbs—look for a combination pack of fresh “poultry herbs” if you'd like to avoid buying separate packs of sage and thyme, or just use a couple teaspoonsdried herbs, which are cheaper per ounce than fresh. Finally, bring some lightness to the table with a refreshing wedge salad and the simplest cranberry sauce imaginable.
You don't even need a pie plate
The best thing about a galette is that if you don't have apie panor it's otherwise occupied (maybe you madetwo desserts), you don't need one. Granny Smith apples or Bartlett pears are both good options for this tart; shop around to see which is priced better at your market. Slice your chosen fruit, then toss with ground fennel, cider vin, vanilla, and sugar, then stack the slices in a flaky crust and fold the edges over the fruit. Very rustic. Very chic. Very cheap.
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