Thanksgiving Dinner's Cost!

Depends on how many people (a big turkey will serve lots of folks for very little -- especially if it's free) and what else you're serving.

Would the menus be comparable? Same sides, etc? I'd generally say that preparing the meal at home would be less expensive than eating out, but that assumes you already have all the other necessities - dishes, platters, glasses, serving pieces etc. If you were starting fresh and only going to do it once, it would be cheaper to go out. After a few uses, the tableware would have been amortized, and the home-cooked meal would be cheaper.

hmmmmm, another factor - how much of a mess will friends and family make - will you have to pay someone to clean up after they leave? will they break things? lots of potential factors to consider.

Can you tell I'm a gemini, and could argue this with myself? <grin>

If they're friends and family, they ought to be helping with the clean-up (not that they will, but they ought to). Also depends on what you are serving as beverage (and there again, it depends on how many people and how varied their preferences are).

Often I have wondered the same thing. But going out means no left overs. I just love turkey week.

Agreed, Joanne. Nothing better than a turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving. And love the extra stuffing, too! Leftovers means the meal costs even less, too.

Yes, next day stuffing. A tradition at out house is to make turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce wiped on the bread with turkey and stuffing. Oh am I getting ready for the holiday or what. I can almost smell the turkey roasting now.

Love that smell! Can't get that at the restaurant.

Also can't pick at the bones. And we put bacon on the bird for basting -- I know you can't get that eating out.

And the dinner after the dinner, sitting around the table talking for so long everyone can eat again. That is good too.

And no waiter to hurry you away to make room for the next seating.

Not having to unbutton anything in public because you ate to much.

And that is, perhaps, the most important thing of all. Comfort.

now, bacon basted turkey brings us to my latest waffle iron invention - the insta-club sandwich. for each boneless, skinless chicken breast you need one piece of bacon. wrap the bacon around the chicken breast - stick it in the waffle iron - press and wait (about 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken). Remove and let cool. slice. Bacon and chicken in one slice! Making club sandwiches has never been easier (i love taking them to work, but the layers always fell apart in transit). The bumps in the waffle iron act like a little george foreman grill - the grease falls down, away from the bacon and chicken. I love my waffle iron.

I wonder if i can wrap dressing in bacon and waffle that?

And here I thought waffle irons were for waffles. Silly me.

bandylu - i once had a misadventure with trout i defrosted accidentally - thought it was salmon that i would be wrapping in phyllo - i ended up waffling it, just to make it look interesting - turns out it's a much more versatile tool than i thought - grilled cheese with little decorative squares is much admired by the toddler and teen set. I have other plates for the waffle iron, but once you start waffling, it's hard to stop.

hmmmmm turkey with cranberry chutney waffled between pieces of french toast ! concept!

Hi all!!

New Haven, how many are you feeding??