Time-Honored Tips for Thanksgiving on a Budget

Borrow from the practices of Depression-era homemakers this holiday to make your meal delicious and affordable

This isn’t the first time American families have faced hardship—and found ways to make abundance out of scarcity. Library of Congress

Many Thanksgiving shoppers will head to the grocery store this year with some measure of trepidation. Skyrocketing food costs mean that many holiday staples are considerably more expensive this year than last. Turkey will cost about a dollar more per pound, butter prices have nearly doubled, and a pound of pumpkin will cost you roughly three times more this year than it did last year.

While squaring your food budget with inflated food prices may leave you wondering just how you’ll pull off your family’s annual Thanksgiving feast, it isn’t the first time Americans have been faced with such a dilemma.

Nearly a century ago, the Great Depression forced American families to grapple with soaring unemployment and rapidly increasing food costs, too. While times were hard and even calamitous for many families, there stood a uniquely American resilience that guided them through.

While quick tips and budget-hacking tricks are helping American families muddle their way through the grocery store these days, the advice from Depression-era experts proves a little more timeless. Ladies’ magazines of the time encouraged homemakers to accept economic struggles with a sort of joyful resignation. Aunt Sammy, a radio show character developed by the Department of Agriculture’s team of home economists, encouraged Americans to adopt simpler, seasonal options.

Simplicity, made-from-scratch cooking, and finding ways to make the most out of very little prove just as valuable virtues today as they did 90 years ago.

You may find that a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery or a roasted pork loin works just fine as a centerpiece. Sergii Koval/Shutterstock

Choose Simplicity

A typical Thanksgiving menu can be extensive: You’ll likely find appetizers, roasted turkey, several vegetable dishes, and starchy sides on most tables, with multiple pies to finish the meal. The same was true during the early part of the 20th century, when cooks often served up extensive menus, sometimes including more than a dozen dishes, plus cakes and pies. By the height of the Depression, homemakers abandoned lavish menus and, instead, opted for simplicity.

While considerably less extravagant than the multi-course meals of previous generations, the menus of the 1930s were no less festive. The Aunt Sammy radio show recommended stuffed roasted turkey (or chicken) with cranberry sauce, one starchy vegetable, one green vegetable, a salad, bread with butter, and a lone pie for dessert. Most contemporary menu recommendations followed suit, offering pared-down menus. Cutting your menu down to a few favorites means less work, less expense, and less indigestion.

Keep It Seasonal

Now isn’t the time for exotic foods, but for a return to the basics of wholesome, seasonal options. Fall and winter crops are consistently affordable. Potatoes and onions were particularly popular on Depression-era menus. Cabbage is cheap and nourishing. Root vegetables such as carrots and beets typically cost about a dollar a pound, and can often be found at your local farmers market this time of year. While they may seem old-fashioned now, pickled beets, parsleyed turnips, creamed onions, and buttered carrots are just as delicious, nourishing, and economical now as they were in the 1930s.

Try an Alternative to Turkey

When prices were at their peak, Depression-era homemakers often skipped the roasted turkey in favor of cheaper proteins. The USDA’s radio program recommended roasted chicken as an alternative, as well as mock duck, a sort of roulade made with flank steak and stuffed with buttered breadcrumbs. In the November 1935 issue of Good Housekeeping, the editors recommended making a chicken pie the centerpiece of a thrifty menu. A good gravy, plenty of vegetables, and a mashed potato crust meant you could extend a small amount of meat enough to serve a large family. Similarly, Better Homes and Gardens recommended roast pork in their 1933 Thanksgiving menus.

While the price of turkey is set to rise this year, it’s only slightly higher per pound than pork or chicken. So you may opt for your Thanksgiving tradition, or find that a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery or a roasted pork loin works just fine instead.

Give Thanks

Remember that while Thanksgiving is a day of celebration and abundance, it’s also a day of gratitude and resilience. It’s a time to feel grateful for what you have and with whom you can share it. A beautiful tablescape, fresh greenery clipped from your own garden, and carefully plated dishes can make a smaller menu feel extravagant and rich.

Make do with less so that you can enjoy what you have more. Even a meager meal can be dressed up by the grace and cheer found in the company of others.

MaraZe/Shutterstock

RECIPE: Creamed Onions

Creamed onions were a popular Depression-era addition to the Thanksgiving table, and they’re just as delicious now as they were then. Tender, sweet pearl onions simmer in a sauce of cream and butter for a thrifty side dish that feels lush. While fresh pearl onions are available in many grocery stores, frozen ones tend to be less expensive and easier to prepare.

• 1 1/2 pounds frozen pearl onions, thawed and drained
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Place the onions into a medium saucepan, then pour in the cream and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and continue simmering, stirring occasionally until the cream is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, season with salt as needed, and stir in the chopped fresh parsley.

Kovaleva_Ka/Shutterstock

RECIPE: Sweet Potatoes With Apples

Apples and sweet potatoes are both in season during the fall. These thrifty ingredients make good companions to one another. In this recipe, which is adapted from Aunt Sammy’s radio show, they come together with brown sugar and butter for a pleasant, sweet side dish that works well in place of candied sweet potatoes.

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Place the sweet potatoes into a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring the sweet potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat, and continue boiling until they are easily pierced with a fork but not soft, about 30 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes and let them cool until they’re comfortable enough to handle, then peel them and slice them 1/4-inch thick.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the sweet potato and apple slices in alternating layers in a baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar, butter, and salt, and bake until soft.