Thanksgiving Dinner, for Two, under $50!

Our Menu:
Turkey Breast
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Green Beans
Corn
Rolls
No bake Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie

Cooking the Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot:
I had a 10.40lb whole turkey breast I cooked in the Instant Pot. Instructions say to cook 6-8 minutes per pound, I did 7 minutes per pound. I rinsed the turkey breast off under cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and smothered with a “rub”. The rub I used is 1 tbls of olive oil and minced garlic, 1 tsp of basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Stir together and rub all over the outside of the turkey. Add to pot, I did have to cut it so that I could close the lid (note for next year not to get a whole turkey breast), and add water making sure you do not rinse off the rub. Cook in Instant Pot for recommended amount of time and do a natural release.

Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot (yes, I have 2 instant pots; a 3 quart and a 6.5 quart that is also an air fryer):
Cut potatoes into bite sized chunks. Put a cup of water in with potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes with a natural release. Drain water. Mash potatoes with a masher or mixer, adding in butter and milk until desired consistency. Salt and Pepper to taste. (I have a few mashed potato recipes, but this is as close to my mom’s recipe I can get, so I made these for today!)

Stuffing… don’t judge me! I LOVE stove top stuffing. I dislike stuffing that has been stuffed in the turkey and when people add meat or sausage to stuffing. I prefer my simple, tasty stove top stuffing. Cook according to box instructions.

Green beans, again don’t judge. I bought frozen since all the fresh beans looked like they were all dried up. I did canned corn since I already had it on hand. I also bought jars of gravy since I never seem to get enough juices from the turkey to make homemade gravy.

Rolls, I did Kings Hawaiian rolls since they are the best. I did 6 in the oven, 250 degrees for 3 minutes, and 6 as is. I like warm rolls, but I sometimes get in the mood for rolls that are not warmed.

No bake marshmallow pumpkin pie.
I found this recipe on YouTube and decided to try it. First you add the marshmallows, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice into a sauce pan and stir. Put on medium low heat until marshmallows are melted down, STIRRING FREQUENTLY. Once all melted together, remove from heat and put into a mixing bowl. Once it has reached room temperature, 30-40 minutes, stir in cool whip. Once combined, put into graham cracker crust. Refrigerate over night.

This is my first time making Thanksgiving dinner for just the two of us. I know prices have gone way up, so I decided to keep track of what I spent. I shopped at Save-A-Lot and Winn Dixie.

Turkey Breast $19.66
Mashed Potatoes $4.99 (5 lb bag)
Stuffing $2.50
Gravy $4.98 for 2 jars
Green Beans $1.39
Corn $.65
Rolls $4.49
No bake Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie:
graham cracker crust $2
10 oz bag of marshmallows $1.39
1 cup of pumpkin puree $2.69 (only used half of the 15oz can)
cinnamon $1.25
pumpkin pie spice $1.25
8 oz cool whip $1.79

Total cost for Thanksgiving Dinner for Two… $44.05. This does not include the spices, butter and milk I already had on hand. We had tons of leftovers too, so this will be lunch for at least 2 days for the both of us!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

~Happy Travels!