I Made a 12-Person Thanksgiving Dinner for $46.42, and Here’s Exactly What I Bought

I love a meal planning challenge. When Aldi said shoppers could find everything for a Thanksgiving feast at its stores for $40, I thought, I need to do this! In no time at all, I committed to hosting neighbors for an annual Friendsgiving to see if Aldi could fulfill its promise of a satisfying holiday meal on a tight budget. Well, technically, Aldi promised a dinner for 10, and I had a group of 12—eight adults and four kids—but I figured that was close enough.

Here’s what went into my cart, plus the recipes I used and what I'd skip next time.

What I Bought for $46.92

Aldi’s specific shopping list includes everything from a full turkey to the makings for sides like stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. There are even ingredients for pumpkin pie with whipped cream on the list.

While Aldi is clear that prices vary by location, some ingredients come in a variety of store brands, and those prices vary, too. For example, Chef’s Cupboard’s French Fried Onions are $1.79 while the Simply Nature Organic French Fried Onions are $3.59 for the same size container. You may also find that your local store is out of stock of some essential ingredients.

This happened when I tried to find a 99-cent quart of chicken broth and had to grab a similar but slightly more expensive broth. If you’re sticking to a strict budget, pay close attention to these variances. My total at checkout was $46.42, even with skipping organic celery (my store was out of the less expensive stalks) and replacing the canister of whipped topping with a less expensive tub from the freezer section.

Here's my actual grocery list:

• Shells & Cheese (2 x $1.19)
• Chicken Broth ($2.35)
• Turkey Stuffing ($0.89)
• Evaporated Milk ($1.84)
• Canned Pumpkin ($1.09)
• Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup ($0.70)
• Cut Green Beans (2 x $0.50)
• French Fried Onions ($1.79)
• Poultry Spice (2 x $1.19)
• Brown Gravy Mix (3 x $0.29)
• Herb & Cornbread Stuffing ($2.19)
• Mini Marshmallows ($0.95)
• Sweet Potatoes ($1.95)
• Yellow Onions ($1.65)
• Russet Potatoes ($3.25)
• Baby Carrots ($0.89)
• Cranberries ($0.99)
• Whipped Topping ($1.09)
• Pie Crust ($1.95)
• Hawaiian Sweet Rolls ($1.99)
• Jennie-O Turkey ($11.47)

The food was $43.66 plus tax for a total of $46.42.

Aldi assumes that you’ll have some grocery staples at home. In addition to salt and cooking oil for things like the roast turkey and stuffing, you’ll need brown sugar and eggs to bake a pumpkin pie. You’ll also need milk or extra broth to make the green bean casserole. And I wanted to have butter for the rolls and mashed potatoes. If you have to buy these items at Aldi, it would be an additional $12. 

How I Cooked This Thanksgiving Dinner 

Aldi doesn’t give any specific recipes for its Thanksgiving dinner, though you can find some holiday-specific recipes on its site. You can use the back-of-the-package instructions for making many of the side dishes, including the stuffing, green bean casserole, and gravy. I used the most essential recipes I could find for everything else, omitting extra ingredients beyond the staples mentioned above. 

Here are the recipes I used: 

• Turkey
• Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Pumpkin Pie
• Cranberry Sauce

Just like I will for our family Thanksgiving later this month, I did some prep work ahead of hosting our friends. Thawing the turkey takes about three days for the 15-pound bird I bought. The day before our feast, I dry-brined the turkey, baked the pumpkin pie, and made cranberry sauce. The day of cooking only took a few hours, most of which were hands-off as the turkey roasted. 

What We Loved About Aldi’s Thanksgiving Feast (And What We’d Skip)

Some of our friends were shocked at the volume and variety of food we had for under $50. I was honestly delighted that this meal took less time than my usual Thanksgiving menu (I typically make pie dough, green bean casserole, and stuffing from scratch). All eight adults and four kids had plenty to eat, but there were very few leftovers of the finished dishes—a bummer for anyone who likes to eat turkey sandwiches or pot pie days later. I did end up with some extra groceries, mainly potatoes and the carrots I forgot to roast. 

We all agreed that the boxed mac and cheese on the menu wasn’t the same as a classic baked mac and cheese. If you saved that $2.50 and skipped the $1 bag of baby carrots, you’d have enough to buy a box of pasta and a block of cheese to make a more homestyle version.

In all, using the grocery list will give you a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for roughly $40. You could also use that list as a starting point to plan your meal and shop your pantry first, creating a menu around what you already have and filling in the gaps with holiday items on sale at Aldi. Either way, there will be a hearty, budget-friendly meal on the table to share with friends and family.

Editor's note: If you are struggling with food insecurity this holiday season, find your local food pantry and ask about free holiday meal boxes. You may be able to celebrate the holidays with free groceries and fresh produce.