Budget Thanksgiving Dinner for 8: Complete Menu, Shopping List & Timeline

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Hosting Thanksgiving is a lot. The cooking, the timing, the one oven. And this year, the grocery bill. A holiday shopping list adds up fast, and a dinner for eight can feel like it needs its own line in the budget.

This menu is built to take the stress out of both the cooking and the cost. It’s a full Thanksgiving dinner for eight made from simple, affordable ingredients, with one combined shopping list and a day-by-day timeline so nothing gets forgotten. If you’re planning Thanksgiving dinner on a budget, the full menu comes to about $70.94 to $74.60 for eight at ALDI and Walmart prices.

The turkey is spatchcocked, which means it roasts in about 90 minutes and leaves your oven free for the sides. Every dish links to its full recipe card, and most are made to serve eight to ten, so you’ll have leftovers for the weekend too.

The Menu at a Glance

• Appetizer: Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
• The Main Event: Garlic Herb Butter Spatchcocked Turkey
• Gravy: Traditional Gravy
• Side: Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Side: Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
• Side: Green Bean Casserole
• Side: Sweet Potato Casserole
• Side: Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots
• Salad: Harvest Apple Cranberry Salad
• Bread: Soft Dinner Rolls
• Sauce: Cranberry Sauce
• Dessert: Classic Apple Pie
• Drink: Sparkling Apple Cider Punch

Prices are from Walmart’s and ALDI’s websites for stores in Columbus, Ohio, checked in October 2026. Ohio’s grocery prices are within about 1% of the national average, so you may pay more or less depending on where you live, and prices change often. Here’s how we price our recipes.

The Recipes

Make-ahead tip: Mix and shape it up to 3 days ahead. Roll it in the coating on Thursday.

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour of chilling) · Serves: 12

Cost: Ingredients – $8.19 from Walmart, $7.60 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.63 to $0.68

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Move a frozen turkey to the fridge on Sunday. Spatchcock and salt it Wednesday night and leave it uncovered in the fridge.

Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (includes 20 minutes of resting) · Serves: 10

Cost: Ingredients – $16.81 from Walmart, $16.34 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.63 to $1.68

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Make it while the turkey rests so you can use the drippings.

Time: 15 minutes · Serves: 4

Cost: Ingredients – $1.08 from Walmart, $0.92 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.23 to $0.27

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Peel and cut the potatoes Wednesday night and keep them covered in cold water in the fridge.

Time: 35 minutes · Serves: 10

Cost: Ingredients – $4.58 from Walmart, $4.40 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.44 to $0.46

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Bake the cornbread on Tuesday so it has time to dry out. Brown the sausage and cook the vegetables on Wednesday.

Time: 1 hour 5 minutes (20 minutes of prep) · Serves: 10

Cost: Ingredients – $7.55 from Walmart, $7.51 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.75 to $0.76

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Assemble it Wednesday without the onion topping, cover and refrigerate.

Time: 40 minutes · Serves: 6

Cost: Ingredients – $3.33 from Walmart, $3.95 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.55 to $0.66

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Mash and spread it in the dish on Wednesday. Add the marshmallows right before the final bake.

Time: 50 minutes · Serves: 10

Cost: Ingredients – $4.73 from Walmart, $3.52 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.35 to $0.47

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Peel and cut the carrots up to 2 days ahead.

Time: 38 minutes · Serves: 8

Cost: Ingredients – $3.50 from Walmart, $3.11 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.39 to $0.44

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Shake up the dressing and toast the pecans on Tuesday. Toss everything right before dinner.

Time: 20 minutes · Serves: 6

Cost: Ingredients – $8.00 from Walmart, $8.63 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.33 to $1.44

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Bake them last so they hit the table warm.

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes 45 minutes of rising) · Makes: 8 rolls

Cost: Ingredients – $1.18 from Walmart, $1.13 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.14 to $0.15

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Make it on Tuesday. It keeps well in the fridge and tastes better after a day or two.

Time: 15 minutes · Serves: 10

Cost: Ingredients – $1.20 from Walmart, $1.20 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.12

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Bake it Wednesday. It slices better once it has fully set, and it’s one less thing in the oven on Thursday.

Time: 4 hours 25 minutes (includes 3 hours of cooling) · Serves: 8

Cost: Ingredients – $5.81 from Walmart, $4.67 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.58 to $0.73

Get the full recipe →

Make-ahead tip: Mix everything except the ginger ale on Wednesday. Add the ginger ale right before serving.

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (includes 1 hour of chilling) · Serves: 10

Cost: Ingredients – $6.38 from Walmart, $5.91 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.59 to $0.64

Get the full recipe →

Prefer the classics? Swap in our Herb Roasted Whole Turkey, boxed-mix Classic Stuffing or Pumpkin Pie. Feeding fewer people? See Thanksgiving Dinner for 4 (or Fewer).

What Thanksgiving Dinner for 8 Costs

The whole menu costs $74.60 at Walmart and $70.94 at ALDI, or about $8.87 to $9.32 per person. Leave out the cheese ball and the punch and the dinner itself comes to about $57.43 to $60.03.

Dish	Walmart	ALDI
Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball	$8.19	$7.60
Garlic Herb Butter Spatchcocked Turkey	$16.81	$16.34
Traditional Gravy (doubled)	$2.16	$1.84
Creamy Mashed Potatoes	$4.58	$4.40
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing	$7.55	$7.51
Green Bean Casserole	$3.33	$3.95
Sweet Potato Casserole	$4.73	$3.52
Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots	$3.50	$3.11
Harvest Apple Cranberry Salad	$8.00	$8.63
Soft Dinner Rolls (doubled, 16 rolls)	$2.36	$2.26
Cranberry Sauce	$1.20	$1.20
Classic Apple Pie	$5.81	$4.67
Sparkling Apple Cider Punch	$6.38	$5.91
Full menu	$74.60	$70.94
Without the appetizer and punch	$60.03	$57.43

These totals use the recipe costs above, so they count only the amount of each ingredient the menu uses. Your shopping trip will cost more if you need whole bags of flour, sugar or spices, but most of those carry over to other meals. Most dishes also serve 10, so you’ll have leftovers.

Turkey prices change a lot in November. If your store runs a deal on whole turkeys, your total can come in lower than this.

Your Thanksgiving Shopping List

This list covers the whole menu, with the gravy and dinner rolls doubled to serve eight. Check your pantry first, then shop the non-perishables a week or two early while stores still have everything in stock.

Meat

• 1 whole turkey, 12–14 pounds
• 1 pound pork breakfast sausage

Produce

• 5 pounds russet potatoes
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes
• 2 pounds carrots
• About 4 pounds apples (9–10 medium): Granny Smith for the pie, plus a few crisp, sweet apples
• 4 yellow onions
• 1 bunch celery
• 1 head garlic
• 1 bag (12 oz) fresh cranberries
• 1 container (about 10 oz) mixed greens or baby spinach
• 1 bunch green onions
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange

Dairy and eggs

• 5 sticks butter (1 pound plus 1 stick)
• 1 quart milk
• ½ dozen eggs
• 2 blocks (8 oz each) cream cheese
• 6 oz sharp white cheddar
• 4 oz crumbled feta
• 1 package refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

Canned and packaged

• 2 boxes (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix
• 2 cartons (32 oz each) chicken broth
• 2 cans (14.5 oz) cut green beans
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 container French fried onions
• 1 small can (5 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 bag mini marshmallows
• 8 oz dried cranberries
• 1¼ cups pecans
• Crackers for the cheese ball
• ½ gallon apple cider
• 1 liter ginger ale
• 1 small bottle orange juice

Baking

• About 6 cups all-purpose flour
• About 1½ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 packets active dry yeast

Pantry check

• Olive oil, honey, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt, black pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika, dried rosemary, dried sage and dried thyme
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks and garlic powder

Tools That Make the Day Easier

• Sturdy poultry shears for cutting out the turkey’s backbone.
• A large rimmed sheet pan. The flattened turkey roasts on it, and so do the carrots.
• An instant-read meat thermometer. It’s the only reliable way to know the turkey has reached 165°F.
• A 9-inch pie plate for the apple pie.

Your Make-Ahead Timeline

Sunday

• Move a frozen turkey from the freezer to the fridge. Allow about 24 hours of thawing for every 4–5 pounds.

Tuesday

• Shop for the fresh ingredients.
• Make the cranberry sauce.
• Bake the cornbread, cut it into cubes and leave it out to dry.
• Mix and shape the cheese ball. Wrap and refrigerate it without the coating.
• Shake up the salad dressing and toast the pecans.

Wednesday

• Bake the apple pie.
• Spatchcock the turkey, salt it and refrigerate it uncovered on the sheet pan.
• Assemble the green bean casserole (without the onions) and the sweet potato casserole (without the marshmallows). Cover and refrigerate.
• Brown the sausage and cook the onion and celery for the stuffing. Refrigerate.
• Peel and cut the carrots. Peel and cut the potatoes and keep them covered in cold water in the fridge.
• Mix the punch base (everything except the ginger ale) and chill.

Thursday (for a 4:00 dinner with one oven; shift the times to suit your day)

• 12:00 Heat the oven to 350°F. Take the casseroles out of the fridge and mix the stuffing.
• 12:20 Stuffing, green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole go in, covered.
• 12:45 Uncover the stuffing so the top can brown.
• 1:05 All three come out. Cover them with foil and set aside. Raise the oven to 425°F. Take the turkey out of the fridge and rub it with the herb butter.
• 1:20 Turkey goes in. It needs about 1¼ to 1½ hours.
• 2:00 Make the roll dough and let it rise.
• 2:50 Turkey comes out once it reaches 165°F in the breast and thigh. Tent it with foil to rest. Put the carrots in the oven and shape the rolls.
• 3:00 Start boiling the potatoes. Roll the cheese ball in its coating and set it out with crackers.
• 3:20 Carrots come out. Lower the oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls, and return the green bean casserole (topped with onions) and sweet potato casserole (topped with marshmallows) to the oven for 10–15 minutes. Slide the stuffing in to rewarm too. Make the gravy with the drippings.
• 3:35 Mash the potatoes.
• 3:45 Carve the turkey, toss the salad and add the ginger ale to the punch.
• 4:00 Dinner is served.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving.

Free Printable: Holiday Dinner Planner and Timeline

Changing the menu or the serving time? Write in your own dishes, work out the oven schedule and fill in the make-ahead timeline on this free planner.

See all of our free printables.

Savvy Tips for a Cheaper Thanksgiving

• Watch for turkey deals. Many grocery stores discount whole turkeys in November, sometimes with a minimum purchase. A frozen bird is usually the cheapest option.
• Check whether your ALDI is running its annual Thanksgiving meal deal. In 2026 it’s back, feeding 10 people for under $39. Use it as the base and add a few homemade sides from this menu. Here’s what was in last year’s ALDI Thanksgiving feast.
• Buy store brands. Canned green beans, broth, corn muffin mix, butter and flour are nearly identical to the name brands.
• Shop your pantry first. Spices are one of the biggest hidden costs. Check what you already have before buying new jars.
• Skip the extras. One appetizer, one dessert and one drink is plenty. Nobody leaves Thanksgiving hungry.
• Let guests bring something. Rolls, a pie or drinks are easy to hand off.
• Plan for leftovers. This menu makes more than eight people will eat, which means free lunches for days.

Budget Thanksgiving Menu: Your Questions

What does spatchcocked mean?

The backbone is cut out so the turkey lies flat on the pan. A flat bird cooks faster and more evenly, so a 12 to 14 pound turkey roasts in about 90 minutes instead of 3 hours or more.

How big a turkey do I need for 8 people?

Plan on about 1½ pounds of whole turkey per person. A 12 to 14 pound bird feeds eight with some left over.

Can I make this dinner with one oven?

Yes. That’s what the Thursday timeline is for. The casseroles and stuffing bake before the turkey goes in, then rewarm while it rests, and the pie is baked the day before.

When should I start thawing a frozen turkey?

Allow about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds. For a 12 to 14 pound turkey, move it to the fridge on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

How much does Thanksgiving dinner for 8 cost?

This full menu costs about $70.94 at ALDI and $74.60 at Walmart, or about $8.87 to $9.32 per person. Without the appetizer and the punch, it’s about $57.43 to $60.03.

How can I make Thanksgiving dinner cheaper?

Skip the extras first. Dropping the cheese ball and punch saves about $14. Then buy store brands, watch for November turkey deals and ask guests to bring rolls, a pie or drinks.

What are the cheapest Thanksgiving side dishes?

Homemade cranberry sauce and dinner rolls cost about 15 cents a serving or less. Mashed potatoes, honey garlic carrots and sweet potato casserole all cost under 50 cents a serving.