Thanksgiving dinner for $40? According to Aldi, it’s possible this year

Feed 10 people for $40 this Thanksgiving with ALDI’s all-in meal deal. I break down the menu, share my favorite recipes for each dish, and show how to grill your feast from my cookbook Holiday Grilling: 111 Recipes to Celebrate the Season.

When I saw ALDI’s Thanksgiving meal deal this year, I had to do a double-take. A full holiday spread for 10 people for just $40? That’s $4 a person – less than a pumpkin spice latte – and it includes everything from the turkey to the pumpkin pie.

As someone who’s spent a lifetime feeding crowds, I know how fast the grocery bill can add up. So seeing a store make it possible to host everyone without cutting a single tradition feels worth celebrating.

What’s included in the $40 meal

Here’s what’s on ALDI’s list of 21 items to feed your crew of 10:

• Whole turkey
• Chicken broth
• Condensed cream of mushroom soup
• Evaporated milk
• Hawaiian sweet rolls
• Miniature marshmallows
• Cut green beans (2)
• 100% pure canned pumpkin
• Shells & cheese (2)
• Brown gravy mix (3)
• Poultry spices & herbs
• French fried onions
• Pie crust
• Chicken or cornbread stuffing (2)
• Whipped dairy topping
• Yellow onions (3 lbs.)
• Baby peeled carrots
• Celery
• Cranberries
• Sweet potatoes (3 lbs.)
• Russet potatoes (10 lbs.)

That covers all the classic recipes: turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

How I’d cook the Thanksgiving classics

You can find several Thanksgiving recipes on my website and even more in my Holiday Grilling Cookbook. I share methods for cooking the dishes on a grill, smoker or in the oven.

Here’s how I’d use that ALDI haul to fire up a feast:

How to Make Smoked Turkey

Make smoked turkey on a Weber kettle or charcoal grill. Includes what size turkey to buy, when to defrost, smoked temps and cook time.

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Grilled Mashed Potatoes

Do you love creamy mashed potatoes but hate peeling them all? Check out this post for Grilled Mashed Potatoes to see how you can skip that cumbersome step.

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Irresistible Sweet Potato Casserole

At our house, no Thanksgiving dinner is complete without this irresistible sweet potato casserole topped with crunchy pecan praline sauce.

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Grilled Green Bean Sausage Casserole

Upgrade your Thanksgiving with this homemade green bean casserole, made with fresh ingredients, sausage and a creamy mushroom sauce.

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Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cashews

This sausage stuffing recipe has sweet apples and crunchy cashews. The texture is moist with a crispy edges. Prepare in the oven or smoker.

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Smoked Mac and Cheese

Groark Boys BBQ makes a smoked mac and cheese that’s so good, it went viral. It’s so creamy and cheesy and impossible to mess up.

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Smoked Pumpkin Pie

Fall flavors like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg go really well with a warm kiss of hickory in this smoked pumpkin pie made on a pellet grill. 

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Why this deal matters

Finding ways to stretch your dollar without skimping on flavor is key. ALDI says the price of its Thanksgiving meal is even lower than last year’s, and families can save up to $4,000 annually by shopping there.

“Thanksgiving is the biggest food holiday of the year, and ALDI is proud to lead the industry once again on price,” said Scott Patton CCO, ALDI U.S. “Price leadership is part of our DNA, and the holidays are when our commitment to value really shines. We believe families shouldn’t have to make trade-offs to feed everyone, especially at Thanksgiving.”

This year, keep every guest on your list and every tradition on the table, and maybe try firing up the grill for a little smoky twist.