Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! (Even though I’m a day late)
We spent our entire Holiday lounging around the house, watching football and binge-eating from dusk until dawn. While we have officially found a house here in our new home state of California, all of our household goods haven’t arrived from Germany yet so I had to improvise on cooking with basically no kitchen essentials.
On top of it all, we’re on a tight budget but IT WAS THANKSGIVING! So, splurging on a big meal is absolutely necessary, even if there’s only 2 of us—which means plenty of leftovers!
With that said, here’s a Holiday meal for the broke 20-something, all costing under $25:
Appetizer
Loaded Pasta Salad
This is always a go-to for us on the Holidays. I’m not the biggest fan of pasta/macaroni salads but this Loaded Pasta Salad is to die for! It has an ultra light ranch/mayo base, noodles, sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, and broccoli.
You can find the recipe here via Pinterest. I make mine a little different, using cheaper Rotini noodles and I don’t use the cider vinegar.
Entree
Ranch Chicken
Although the typical meat for a Holiday meal is ham or turkey, they’re extremely expensive, starting at around $15 for the smallest size.
This Ranch Chicken recipe is one of our favorite meals and is cost-efficient to boot.
Here’s the recipe, via Pinterest. Ingredients include 3-4 chicken breasts, a ranch packet, corn flakes, butter and parmesan cheese, all costing around $8.
Side Dishes
Mac ‘N Cheese
And what’s a Holiday meal without mac & cheese, especially for Thanksgiving.
This would have to be my favorite side dish. It includes elbow macaroni noodles, sharp cheddar cheese, and milk, butter and flour to make the cheese sauce, all costing around $5. It makes a hefty portion, allowing room for plenty of leftovers!
The recipe can be found here.
Green Beans
Add a dab of butter & throw in the microwave. Del Monte French-cut is the best brand.
Instant Mashed Potatoes
Although they’re not as good as the real thing, these are THE mashed potatoes for those on a budget. I buy the Idahoan Buttery Homestyle brand, add boiling water & butter and voila! The best generic mashed potatoes!
Dessert
Apple Crisp Pie
And the best part of a Holiday meal: dessert!
This Apple Crisp Pie is literally to die for and since I discovered the recipe, I’ve made it around 50 times. The main ingredients include a graham pie crust, apples, brown sugar, and many other spices.
Read More: Apple Crisp Pie Recipe
Pin This Post for Later!
