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Thanksgiving dinner for 4 doesn’t need a 15-pound turkey. A turkey breast, a roast chicken or a pair of Cornish hens cooks much faster, fits in the oven with the sides and leaves a reasonable amount of leftovers instead of a week’s worth.
Choose one main, two or three sides and a dessert, or use one of the sample menus below. There’s also a timeline for the day so everything finishes together.
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.
Main Course Options
1. Cornish Hens
Plan on one hen for every one or two people. They roast in about an hour, and each plate gets its own little bird.
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes 10 minutes of resting) · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $12.92 from Walmart, $12.79 from ALDI · Per Serving – $3.20 to $3.23
2. Turkey Breast
Bone-in or boneless, a turkey breast still gives you the traditional centerpiece and pan drippings for gravy, without the whole bird.
Time: 1 hour 35 minutes (includes 10 minutes of resting) · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $15.84 from Walmart, $13.79 from ALDI · Per Serving – $3.45 to $3.96
3. Roast Chicken
A golden, herb-roasted chicken. Simple, comforting and festive enough for the holiday table.
Time: 1 hour 35 minutes (includes 10 minutes of resting) · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $10.12 from Walmart, $9.24 from ALDI · Per Serving – $2.31 to $2.53
4. Stuffed Acorn Squash (Vegetarian)
A colorful, hearty main for vegetarians, or a side for everyone else.
Time: 1 hour (15 minutes of prep) · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $8.12 from Walmart, $7.73 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.93 to $2.03
Side Dishes
1. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or Balsamic Glaze
Roasted until crisp at the edges, then finished with bacon or a balsamic glaze. A good way to win over a Brussels sprouts skeptic.
Time: 35 minutes · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $3.81 from Walmart, $3.17 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.79 to $0.95 (before the optional bacon or glaze)
2. Creamed Spinach
Rich and creamy, made with fresh or frozen spinach in about 20 minutes on the stove.
Time: 20 minutes · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $1.76 from Walmart, $1.73 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.43 to $0.44
3. Roasted Cauliflower with Herbs
Roasted on a sheet pan with herbs until golden and a little nutty. It shares the oven with the main.
Time: 35 minutes · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $4.47 from Walmart, $3.38 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.84 to $1.12
4. Scalloped Potatoes
Creamy, cheesy layers of sliced potatoes. Assemble them the day before and bake on Thanksgiving.
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (includes 10 minutes of resting) · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $4.56 from Walmart, $5.74 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.14 to $1.44
5. Sausage & Apple Stuffing
Sausage, apples and herbs in a stuffing that can be assembled a day ahead.
Time: 1 hour (15 minutes of prep) · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $3.69 from Walmart, $3.54 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.89 to $0.92
Time: 32 minutes · Makes: 9 squares
Cost: Ingredients – $1.11 from Walmart, $1.11 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.12
Dessert & Drinks
Apple Crisp
Warm apples under a crisp oat topping. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you have it.
Time: 50 minutes · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $1.73 from Walmart, $1.62 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.40 to $0.43
Cranberry Spritzers
Cranberry juice and sparkling water, ready in five minutes. A festive drink that works for everyone at the table.
Time: 5 minutes · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $1.47 from Walmart, $1.45 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.36 to $0.37
Sample Menus for a Small Thanksgiving
- The classic, for four: turkey breast, sausage and apple stuffing, scalloped potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and apple crisp.
- The simple one, for four: roast chicken, roasted cauliflower, creamed spinach, cornbread and apple crisp.
- Dinner for two: Cornish hens, one each, with creamed spinach and cornbread.
- The vegetarian table: stuffed acorn squash, scalloped potatoes, Brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze, and cornbread.
What Thanksgiving Dinner for 4 Costs
Here’s what each sample menu above costs to make, using the recipe prices on this page.
| Menu | Walmart | ALDI | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| The classic, for four | $29.63 | $27.86 | about $7 to $7.40 |
| The simple one, for four | $19.19 | $17.08 | about $4.30 to $4.80 |
| The vegetarian table, for four | $17.60 | $17.75 | about $4.40 |
| Dinner for two | $15.79 | $15.63 | about $7.80 to $7.90 |
A few notes on these numbers:
- ALDI doesn’t list Cornish hens or acorn squash online, so those two use the Walmart price in both columns.
- The totals count the amount of each ingredient the recipes use. Your shopping trip will cost more if you need whole bags of flour, sugar, spices or oats, but most kitchens already have them.
- The turkey breast is a 3-pound boneless roast. A bone-in breast works the same way and sometimes costs less per pound, so compare the shelf tags.
- Add cranberry spritzers for about $1.50 more.
Even the classic menu costs a lot less than buying a whole 15-pound turkey for four people, and it leaves a sensible amount of leftovers.
A Small Thanksgiving Timeline
- The day before: assemble the stuffing and the scalloped potatoes, mix the apple crisp topping and trim the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate.
- Thanksgiving morning: bake the cornbread.
- About 2 hours before dinner: put the turkey breast or chicken in the oven. Cornish hens need about 75 minutes.
- About 1½ hours before: add the scalloped potatoes. They bake the longest of the sides.
- The last 45 minutes: bake the stuffing and roast the vegetables. Make the creamed spinach on the stove while the meat rests.
- As you sit down: put the apple crisp in the oven so it’s warm when dinner is over.
Free Printable: Holiday Dinner Planner and Timeline
Build your own menu from the options above. This free planner has a menu page, an oven and stove schedule and a make-ahead timeline to fill in.
Holiday Dinner Planner and Timeline
Two pages: your menu, an oven schedule and a make-ahead timeline from a week out to the last hour. Free, with no sign-up needed.
See all of our free printables.
Thanksgiving Dinner for 4: Your Questions
How much turkey do I need for 4 people?
Plan on about half a pound of boneless turkey breast per person, or three-quarters of a pound if it’s bone-in. Buy a little more if you want leftovers for sandwiches. Roast it until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part.
What can I make the day before?
Stuffing, scalloped potatoes and the apple crisp topping can all be prepared a day ahead and baked on Thanksgiving. Cornbread can be baked a day ahead too.
Is a whole turkey worth it for a small group?
Usually not. A turkey breast, a roast chicken or Cornish hens cook faster, cost less overall and leave fewer leftovers to use up.
How much does Thanksgiving dinner for 4 cost?
Using our Walmart and ALDI prices, a traditional menu with turkey breast, stuffing, scalloped potatoes, Brussels sprouts and apple crisp costs about $28 to $30 for four. A roast chicken menu costs about $17 to $19.
What is the cheapest main dish for a small Thanksgiving?
A whole roast chicken costs about $9 to $10 for four servings, compared with about $14 to $16 for a turkey breast. For a meatless table, stuffed acorn squash costs about $8.
