I Made a 3 Course Thanksgiving Dinner From Dollar Tree! (On a $20 Budget!)

Just seeing now on the news you went viral!!! You have helped me so much thank you. Happy Holidays.

This redheads are diabolical 😂😂😂

I saw a reaction video to this.
Thank you for thinking of those who have less material things and money.

Can the casserole be made ahead of time and then put oven later?? Or best to do it all at once?

Have you ever served your Dollar Store dinners to someone without telling them you made them on a budget to see what their honest reaction was?

Very yummy! Love casseroles. Great ideas, as always. Thank you, Rebecca.

I sometimes make an easy-peasy casserole like this…sometimes with leftovers, and sometimes cause it’s just delicious. Mine is usually some cooked chicken or turkey, stuffing mix, corn, cooked zucchini, some leftover veggies in the fridge, and gravy or a can of cream of mushroom soup. I add some extra liquid to it, and usually 1/2 stick of butter. I might add in shredded cheese, too…whatever is on hand, and sounds good.

For people criticizing this for processed/ready-to-make ingridients.
Nobody is suggesting that this meal is the best, healthiest meal ever.
Even a mildly poor person sometimes can't afford some of the replacements. I'm not from the US and I live in a country where, thankfully, fresh produce is not much more expensive than regular. But sometimes even a dollar-or in my case, euro-matters.
It's also not just about the money. It's about time and energy.

As someone struggling with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) there are days when, after work (family medicine doctor) I barely have enough energy to pop some frozen food in the oven or cook some pasta. And I'm young and physically, mostly, healthy. And I have a good paycheck and decent working hours. I'm not lazy, I wouldn't be doing the job that I do, I wouldn't have gotten trough med school, in term, during pandemic, if I was.
If I added a physical ailment and if I, say, worked in a groceries store which I KNOW would kill me more than even the hardest day at my job, those frozen dinners would be a much more common thing for me. There are days when my migraines are so bad I can't stand the sound of the metal pots clinking because, even with ibuprofen each clink feels like a stab trough my head, so I just opt out for some quick frozen meal or ready-to-make sisotto because that involves the least clinking.

Also, what people don't count is that cooking is a SKILL. One not everyone has when they first start living alone. I can afford to spend money and, on good days, energy to mess a meal up. Some people can't. So they stick to the safe options.
Buying on a budget is also a skill. One not everyone is taught. Using up all the fresh ingredients, that will sooner or later go bad, in time, is also a skill not everyone has. Yes it's very easy to go "OMG, but that's so basic!"

Yes, so is changing batteries in a remote, but last year my mum's 80-something neighbour came to her for help with that because nobody ever taught her how to do it and it was something her late husband always did.

Do I, as a medical professional, always support eating fresh, whole, ingredients? Yes.
But also as someone who grew up lower middle class, who still just barely reaches "proper" middle class (and I'm not even sure if I do since my most expensive asset is my 12-year-old used car and if I had one bad crash with said car I'd be out of my entire savings) who works with people from all walks of life, who sometimes can't even afford the blood sample transfer from my office to the hospital lab (2€) so the nurse and I cover the cost, who payed 50€ for weekly groceries for 2 people last week, who struggles with mental and physical health myself and sometimes I have to use all the energy I have to do my job well, yeah, I get why people can't always afford to make fresh food.

I'm sure that people who can afford the replacements for a meal like this would make them. I know that I, if I wanted to recreate this, would replace the mashed potatoes for fresh one and probably slice them instead of mashing them (I REALLY don't like the texture of mashed potatoes unless prepared in one very specific way) and opt for frozen instead of canned green beans. But I have a luxury to say that.

Not everyone has.

I did this for Christmas dinner! I used frozen peas and carrots instead of green bean. It was delicious.

You are great!

Croquettes

This is brilliant! Love your creativity.

I don’t have to shop at dollar tree, but I watch your videos for recipe ideas. Thank you so much! ❤

seems like in america food has to come in boxes, plastic bags or tins. or it´s not food. for example: instead of buying a can of apple pie whatever (wtf???) buy 2 apples and cook them with water and sugar. thicken it with starch, if you absolutely want to. instead of buying a pack of caramel candy, use the margarine, sugar, water and milk to make your own caramel. that should not only be cheaper, but also without all the added chemicals you have in those packets of processed food. i do get that a lot of people are on a really tight budget but processed food is ALWAYS an expensive way of making something. and i am not even getting started on the mac and cheese... or the mashed potatoes. i just don´t get why americans are so obsessed with processed, highly chemical infused food. and then they want to explain to you how a can of apple pie stuffing or however you want to call that bs, is cheaper than two apples, some water and a bit of sugar. or a pack of dried potato flakes is cheaper than 3 potatoes to make a mash. holy moly!

I did similar shopping at my local grocery and it was $1.21 more than this. However, instead of 2 cans turkey I was able to get 1lb ground turkey. instead of a small packet of cookie mix I got a bigger box. I got more milk as well. I love that these inspire ideas for budget meals. I encourage folks to shop around because there can be better value for the same meal at a full grocery. For reference my store is HEB in Round Rock Texas.

You truly outdid yourself with this one Rebecca. I love when the right people go viral.

For those of you complaining… there are so many who simply don’t have the budget, wherewithal, or space. You do what you have to do. This is fairly simple to make, filling, and gives a bit of the holidays to folks who may not otherwise have it. Remember, there but for the grace of God go I. I applaud Rebecca for her ingenuity and creative applications.

I love that you make the most of all of your ingredients ❤️

It is nice to see you can do this in a RV or even camping out. On a $20 budget it can be done from Dollar Tree .

Her Thanksgiving version of a Shepherd s pie 5 layer Thanksgiving Casserole. What a great way to use up leftovers in a Savory way.

The Tony Chacheres creole butter injection makes the best turkey. So moist. Use a turkey bag. Set & go

Thanks so much, Sweetheart. I’m a senior living alone and I made your Thanksgiving casserole. It was so good and really felt like a true holiday meal. I never knew Dollar Tree had good nutritious food! I got the ingredients for the apple Carmel bars and the Mac and cheese balls so I made them for New Year’s With a little ham and au gratin entree!! Sooo good. I watch you every day and have learned to eat well on my little budget. I’m grateful for you!! ❤ Happy New Year on your new home🎉

How is a a 500g bag of dried macaroni and a block.of cheese, not better than a processed and adatived mac & Cheese packet...and also packet mash potatoes, just buy some actual potatoes! 😅wow u lazy Americans! Insain!

I now have a way to make mac n chs without having to drain the noodles which 9 out of 10 times is when i get hurt in the kitchen. And if any of you ever spill boiling water on your pants , do not grab the pants as it will make the burn worse. Try to get the pants off as fast as you can instead. God bless and keep everyone in this new year.

For dollar tree apple dessert. I use the apple or any other pie filling. Mine has cake mix and i just melt butter in the bottom then add the apple and i use cinnamon from DG and then pour the cake mix on top with chunks of butter all over it. It is a dump cake an works great.

😊

This thanksgiving casserole is an amazing thanksgiving-leftovers recipe idea too, maybe in a 3x9 or 8x8 !!!! Totally gonna try it with the leftovers next year 💞🌟❣️

My favourite way to jazz up stuffing is sausage meat and grated carrots cook them then add the liquids and butter and proceed as normal from there

We made a traditional thanksgiving dinner. We used the leftovers to make a version of this casserole the weekend afterwards and it was so good. I will make it every year. Thank you so much.

This method of cooking boxed macaroni only works with the kraft extra creamy variety. I tried it with the original kraft and it came out extremely goopy and gummy. I wish you would have mentioned that. Just wasted perfectly good food.

Beautiful dinner ❤ above all I truly love your personality, so original and so clam. O enjoyed watching yoir video and have subscribed ❤keep tour smilr and your autherntic self ❤

Zoowee

Looks so delicious. I think next year I will try that for my dinner. thank you Rebecca.❤🎉

You are amazing!

Going on a fixed income in October. This will be our 2025 Thanksgiving meal. Looks so tasty! Thank you for sharing an affordable way to celebrate. Just wonderful!

If you don't use full fat milk buy it anyway and dilute for exactly the same semi/skim as the shops sell.

You can add a little bit of sugar and salt mixed well in water as a diy brine/msg substitute.
The apple sauce can substitute for eggs in certain items depending on sweet/unsweetened/flavoured.
Is lard/tallow/suet available in a $ tree format ?
Individual packets is free salt/pepper/sugar/even ketchup/mustard/mayo to taste.
Individual creamer/milk/butter or equivalent.
The apple sauce can substitute for eggs in certain items depending on sweet/unsweetened/flavoured.
Nowhere would be cold enough to mind anyone taking a couple of these things.
Weirdly even the little instant coffee packets can add a little something in a pinch especially a dessert for example.
If the $5 voucher was available then flour and lard/tallow/suet if available in a $ tree format could make a pie crust, biscuits for the casserole,more cookies etc.
You can turn ordinary sugar into powder sugar very easily.
Even cheap cola can add flavour and feel like more substance, value, variety.
I'm autistic adhd and love trying to come up with weird ideas.
I could never have created a full menu like you have, it's amazing.
What you do over and over for us with ideas throughout the years is literally a life saver. For countless people even in other countries like me as a disabled person. I'm touched and grateful. 💜

Maybe make the cookie bars in a muffin pan? Make 4 'muffin cups" then fill with your filling.

I just have to say, you have a habit of bouncing your hands with every word you say. I'm so distracted by the bouncing hands that I'm having a hard time following what you're saying. I don't want to be negative, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has noticed or if it's just me. I love the content. I'm new to this channel.

I would add jalapeño to the Mac and cheese balls, make them spicy!

I made this casserole weekend. I am the daughter of a HomeEc teacher who loves to cook. This was a 5star casserole. Making the cookie dessert this weekend.

Oh man... You could totally just slap gobs of the leftover casserole in a pan with a little oil and make bubble and squeak, couldn't you

i dont know how you get so many ideas! this is great

Looks amazing!

If you have a chance, I’d love to see your take on the thanksgiving sandwich from friends. I’ve always wanted to try it, but it’s super costly to make and we don’t end up with enough leftovers to make it.

If you are that tight in money, go eat at a soup kitchen for free, they serve much better food.

This woman is like a magician. 😊