Comments on: Thanksgiving on a Budget: Turkey, Gravy, and Stuffing

By: Beth

Beth — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:12:21 +0000

I’m with you on the stuffing. Prefer to save room for other calorie laden things-:) My mom however insisted I serve so Stove Top it is-:)

Same here on the cranberry sauce, I make a cranberry jello salad. So un gourmet but everyone loves it!

By: Gina

Gina — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:09:40 +0000

We love Emilee Barnes’ roast turkey recipe! I love easy, no fail recipes and the turkey is always moist!!! My husband hated the white meat before trying this! Great for a beginner cooks!!!

I wrote about it here! http://homejoys.blogspot.com/2008/11/easy-roast-turkey.html
And we love stuffing! You can find my recipe on my blog also!

By: Bama Mama

Bama Mama — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:41:10 +0000

Actually, I think stuffing and dressing are two different things. We serve dressing down here in Alabama, and it’s a must have! We bake a large pan of corn bread and crumble it up, add some torn peices of bread, chopped onions and celery, spices such as sage (I like lots), parslay, etc., mix well with chicken broth and bake! Mmmm Mmmm good! Tastes nothing like stuffing and is very moist when cooked correctly. And frugal! We sometimes serve at other times of the year and mix in some cooked, chopped chicken. My mom makes the best!

When I made Stove Top, my family revolted!

By: Abbi

Abbi — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:23:51 +0000

There would be mutiny in our family if there was no stuffing on Thanksgiving! What other day of the year are you supposed to make stuffing?

By: JC

JC — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:31:57 +0000

I like to make stuffing into little balls and bake in a muffin tin because I like it toasty rather than soggy.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:52:05 +0000

Change of plans: I wasn’t going to make a turkey breast this year for DH and myself, but I just got back from Publix and looked at the turkeys. I found a small frozen Publix brand young turkey at $0.69 a pound that was only $5.28 for about 7 1/2 pounds! I couldn’t believe it, because the small size really stood out in the freezer section. There was only one that small. What a blessing in disguise… I’ve never bought a whole turkey before since I’m just serving 2 people total. I made a Butterball turkey breast last year. I saw turkey breast today at $2.99 per pound and they were quite large and, well, expensive. On top of such a good find I was able to use a $5.00 off $40.00 purchase coupon, so you could say I got a turkey for 28 Cents!!!!!
I had been planning on making the filet mignons from the Omaha Steaks deal that I bought for $8.98. You guys probably remember THAT deal with the free Omaha Steaks burgers that never came…

By: Jan

Jan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:37:06 +0000

I buy a turkey breast also- much more economical. Or some years we just have chicken instead of turkey. I love the side dishes too!

By: becky

becky — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:04:51 +0000

my husband likes to brag that he can eat anything. he loves all food! but the first year we were married he found one thing that he could not eat. my mom’s stuffing! we have been married 6 years and a thanksgiving does not go by that he doesn’t remind me how bad it is. (i actually like it though!) so we go to my mom’s for lunch and his mom’s for dinner so he can get his mommy’s stuffing!

By: CB

CB — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:49:20 +0000

I think it is a matter of perspective. I can’t imagine Thanksgiving without stuffing or mashed potatoes, but couldn’t care less about sweet potatoes, yams, or green bean casserole.

By: Need A Nap2

Need A Nap2 — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:23:07 +0000

My husband has to have stuffing – but thankfully Stove Top or any will do!

When we had a small Thanksgiving a few years ago (only 1 child willing to try turkey), I made a frozen turkey breast – it turned out perfect except there wasn’t enough drippings to make gravy. Gravy is still my nemesis!

By: Betsy

Betsy — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:21:18 +0000

Dressing is an essential part of our Thanksgiving meal. My mom makes it her way (of course), and then later in the week, I make a pan my MIL’s way just for dh. I like them both.

I’ve heard of folks having mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. That’s the dish that I think is weird. LOL

By: Olathe Mom

Olathe Mom — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:14:59 +0000

Oh my goodness. Thanksgiving without stuffing…it is frugality carried too far! My parents get up EARLY on Thanksgiving to make two varieties of stuffing, each variations of the same recipe in mom’s very old Betty Crocker cookbook. It is FABULOUS and simple to make. My parents dry their own bread for it, too, which makes it extra lovely. My MIL makes Stove Top in a separate pan, and it just makes me want to cry. I love the smell of the stuffing getting started. I also can’t imagine cooking it outside the bird, food poisoning or not! Ha! I have the same very dangerous addiction to raw cookie dough!! And I’ve lived all these years to tell about it…cackle, cackle, cackle! This has been a fun one, thanks!

By: Becky

Becky — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:13:43 +0000

Stuffing is a must. I scored free stuffing at the store last week when I bought beef and chicken stock on sale (and with coupons) so that’s free for us. I also got a free turkey awhile ago when I bought a ham. We grilled that turkey and eventually made stock with it.
A really easy pan gravy is flour and butter in a pan to make a rou (not sure on spelling….) I use Wondra flour, but you could use regular, just watch out for lumps. Then add the stock of your choice, chicken, beef, turkey, whatever and let it boil down. I did this when my husband grilled our turkey with chicken stock so there was gravy with mashed potatoes and it was a hit. I make this gravy alot.
I have also had my turkey deep friend (YUM!) and we have used our George Forman rotissiere for turkey breasts (also YUM).

By: Courtney

Courtney — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:02:27 +0000

I grill our turkey every year in my Weber charcoal grill. It leaves my oven free for everything else and the cleanup is a breeze. Plus, no need to baste the turkey. It always turns out super-moist from grilling.
I’m not a big fan of stuffing either, so unless my husband asks for it I don’t make it.

By: Bethany

Bethany — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:27:32 +0000

Stuffing is the BEST part! It is my 6 year olds favorite food and we eat it every couple of weeks year round. It’s not expensive and so easy to make!
For about 5 years now I have gotten a free turkey thanks to Shop-rite!! Their promotion has you spending $300 during Oct and Nov and you get to choose a ham or turkey. It works out to be just about the amount I spend as I shop there every week. I get the biggest one I can find as left overs are great and a huge help in the few weeks after thanksgiving.

By: Cherilyn

Cherilyn — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:51:00 +0000

My mom always made stuffing from scratch but as an adult, I find it just as easy (and tasty) to use a boxed stuffing. One of the companies (can’t remember which one) had a .55 off coupon a while back and I’m getting mine this week while it’s on sale for about 75 cents!

By: Honey

Honey — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:43:18 +0000

Dressing/stuffing is a good “filler” and as much a part of tradition as the turkey for most people. I got some boxes for free earlier in the season that I might “dr.-up”, so its no big expense. I think I will save my drippings and make gravy, too. Instead of a big turkey this year, we are doing a $10 turkey breast (on sale for 1.59/# at Food City this week). It costs more, but I am not crazy over turkey-especially for days, weeks, months after. It seems too dry to me after the first day or so! Because my sides are inexpensive or came from stockpile, I am spending a little more to get cornish hens (coupon in the new All You Mag) in addition to the turkey breast. This will provide variety, and minimize mess and leftovers (we are so stockpiled now I can’t fit much more in freezer). And I just like chicken more than turkey. So I guess what I am trying to say is
1. its okay to not be as frugal during a holiday dinner-although you can if you want to or need to.
2. its okay to break tradition or stick with it (if my husband likes it I’m happy)
3. when you have alot of small children, its okay to take shortcuts because time is sometimes just as hot a commodity as $. I would rather go sit and enjoy the family than feel I need to go back to the kitchen for another hour and pick meat off the carcass after spending time cooking and cleaning up dishes. “Wow, what a great meal, but has anyone seen Mom?…”

By: Clean Simple

Clean Simple — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:37:08 +0000

Gotta have stuffing (or dressing), it’s so yummy! And, it’s one of the cheapest parts. Use day old, dried at home bread from the Bakery outlet. Carrots, celery and onions are the cheapest veg. I saute those in butter (I only use real butter, I’ll scrimp and watch sales to get it), then mix it with the bread cubes, a few cups of broth, an egg and salt & pepper. Easy, classic and yum.

By: christy

christy — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:44:58 +0000

Stuffing is a very improtant part of our dinner. To me it is very cheap and we make it in the crock-pot. I but a frozen turkey and always buy a bigger one than I need to use for other recipes later.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:32:00 +0000

Yep, you’re definitely in the minority there. Stuffing is DEFINITELY the best part of Thanksgiving and the first leftover to be gone. Besides, it’s cheap — it’s just made out of stale bread and whatnot.