Everything you need for Thanksgiving dinner for $40: Turkey Day grocery deals from Walmart, Vallarta and more

Thanksgiving traditions typically include turkey, sides, pie and, for many households, worrying about how much food will cost.

This year, retailers are offering deals that promise to feed a crowd on a budget.

“A traditional holiday meal for 10 can come in at under $75, with a full spread of popular dishes totaling $73.09,” financial services company Empower wrote. People said they expect to spend more than that estimate: $137 in all for a Thanksgiving meal.

To keep costs down, the people surveyed said they plan to cook fewer desserts, cut portion sizes, skip meat or choose a meat that costs less than a whole turkey, use fewer pricey herbs and spices, use more affordable store brands — or skip Thanksgiving dining all together.

Regarding opting out, almost 57% of people surveyed by Empower worried Thanksgiving will be too pricey to cook this year, but a greater percentage, 73%, said Thanksgiving dinner is “still worth the cost despite higher prices.” The payoff: time with family and memories, people said.

Here are Thanksgiving grocery deals from three San Diego retailers, plus an option for splurging on dessert.

Generously feeding a crowd, on a budget

If you and your family are cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year for a crowd, how much do you plan to spend per person?

Walmart is betting it can beat that.

Its Thanksgiving meal basket — a collection of essential ingredients for a classic Thanksgiving  — comes out to just under $40 and is designed to feed 10.

Not every Walmart store sells groceries. Now through Christmas Day, first-time pickup or delivery shoppers can get free express delivery on their basket, the store said.

Along with the Thanksgiving meal basket, the retailer announced three new “1-click” meal collections that are new this year. One is a gluten-free Thanksgiving meal, one is a “Balanced Thanksgiving swaps” meal with “high-protein swaps like Goodles Mac & Cheese and cauliflower mashed potatoes and ingredients to make a high-protein pumpkin dessert,” the online description says. The Prime Rib meal basket includes Choice Angus beef, salad, potatoes and wine.

Here is a sample from this year’s classic Thanksgiving basket:

• A 13.5-pound Butterball turkey, priced at 97 cents a pound
• Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
• Kinder’s crispy fried onions
• canned green beans
• Great Value dinner rolls
• five pounds of russet potatoes
• fresh cranberries
• baby carrots
• artisan mac ‘n’ cheese by Great Value
• ingredients for pumpkin pie

Those and the other items come out to more than 33 pounds of ingredients.

Walmart’s meal is almost half of what financial services firm Empower says a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 will cost this year.

Last week President Trump touted Walmart’s Thanksgiving dinner basket price — which at less than $4 per person is markedly cheaper per person than last year’s per-person price of less than $7 — as evidence that grocery prices are dropping, thanks to his policies. What was not mentioned: the two baskets have different brands, ingredients and quantities, rendering the comparison not valid.

Federal food-price price data are not available for recent months due to the government shutdown, but recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis show prices are up, stable or down year-over-year, depending on the categories. Whole chicken and bacon prices are higher, the price of white potatoes and field grown tomatoes is roughly even, and white bread and butter prices have dropped.

Deals on meat and cooked dinner for a group

Vallarta supermarkets has two Thanksgiving offerings this year. One is for home chefs, and the other is for people looking to outsource cooking.

The first is a discount on meat, “the star of your Thanksgiving dinner,” as the company puts it.

With a purchase of $50, shoppers can add a turkey, ham or Cornish hen for $12.

The California supermarket chain, with one San Diego area store in Escondido and another in National City, is also selling a fully cooked Thanksgiving dinner for $89.99.

Designed to feed six to eight people, it includes a Butterball turkey, two pounds of creamy mashed potatoes, 24 ounces of homestyle gravy, 22 ounces of homestyle stuffing and 12 ounces of cranberry orange relish.

Unique items for Thanksgiving and the holidays

Trader Joe’s does not have sales. The company says its approach is to offer value without needing coupons or discounts.

This year, the purveyor of interesting and unusual goodies is selling four items that are fitting for a Thanksgiving table, or fall dining in general. They’re also unique to Trader Joe’s, a brand representative said in an email.

The Nantucket Style Cranberry Pie, $6.99, a New England holiday classic, got a glowing review from food writer and dietician Christina Manian. “And let’s just say, it’s now a holiday season must-have in my household,” she wrote. “It’s perfectly sweet-tart, has a crunchy, tender crust, and is perfect for keeping in the freezer for last-minute celebrations.” Tossing on a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of chocolate takes it to the next level, she added.

The store is also selling Sparkling White grape juice, made from Spanish Chardonnay grapes, for $3.99. Adults may remember feeling all grown up when they got to sip sparkling apple cider as kids. This drink is less sweet than some ciders, so it might appeal to kids and adults alike.

“This Sparkling Grape Juice is a non-drinker’s holiday dream come true,” the product’s website says. It has 59 grams of sugar per 12 ounce serving. Martinelli’s sparkling cider, in contrast, has 31 grams of sugar in an 8-ounce serving.

Trader Joe’s is also selling a Bourbon Vanilla Bean Syrup for $4.49. The ingredients are simple: caramelized invert sugar syrup (invert sugar is a type of sweetener), concentrated bourbon vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds.

A fourth item is an eight-ounce wheel of double cream brie for $4.49. While brie is not unique to Trader Joe’s, this version is made in Wisconsin, not France, and costs significantly less than other bries. “Our Double Cream Brie’s bloomy rind envelops a smooth, rich, creamy cheese, delivering exactly what you want from a classic Brie,” the product’s online description says.

A price check of double cream bries at other San Diego retailers shows an 8.5-ounce round of French brie priced at $7.99 and a brie made in Wisconsin on sale for $7.99 for eight ounces, both at Ralph’s. Aldi sells a domestic brie, also eight ounces, for $4.39. Target’s costs $5.99.

Shelling out for pie

If you’ve minded your budget for Thanksgiving dinner, does that leave room for (splurging on) dessert?

If so, here is a take-out pie option from George’s at the Cove.

The restaurant is selling pies crafted by pastry chef Anna Adams in three varieties: Pumpkin Chai, Caramel Dutch Apple and Black-bottom Pecan. Each is $38.

Order on Tock for pickup on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Free Thanksgiving meal for those in need

The San Diego Rescue Mission is asking for your help.

The San Diego Rescue Mission is hosting a Thanksgiving Community Outreach Meal on Nov. 15 from 1 to 3 p.m. at 120 Elm Street.

“San Diegans experiencing homelessness, living in unstable conditions or who are low-income are invited to share in a seated traditional roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Guests will enjoy a hot, holiday feast served by volunteers, alongside opportunities to access vital services,” the nonprofit said in a news release.

On the menu: roast turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes with giblet gravy, steamed vegetables, cranberry sauce, tossed green salad, rolls with butter and holiday pies.

The nonprofit is hoping for donations from San Diegans who can afford to help people in need this Thanksgiving season.

“With the kitchen stocked with more than 2,600 lbs. of food and 1,000 pie slices, the SDRM team will be ready to serve nearly 1,000 San Diegans in need of a hot meal this Thanksgiving. Community support is critical to making this special day happen, gift one nourishing Thanksgiving meal at just $2.72 each,” it said in a news release.

To donate, visit: https://give.sdrescue.org/sandiegorescuemission/donate

Volunteer opportunities on a range of dates are listed here: https://sdrescue.vomo.org/initiative/sdrm-downtown-opportunities

At the Thanksgiving event on Nov. 15, services will include haircuts and hot showers from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., medical services, pet care and spiritual support, and “free backpacks, essential giveaway items, and other gifts to brighten the holidays for guests.”

The Rescue Mission’s “HOPE” vans will give free rides from the City’s O and B safe camping sites and the Neil Good Day Center at 299 17th Street. The vans run from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“This year marks 70 years of the San Diego Rescue Mission serving San Diego, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to celebrate what that really means – to us, that’s lives changed and hope restored,” Donnie Dee, the president and CEO of the San Diego Rescue Mission, said in the news release.

Dee added that this Thanksgiving event is an opportunity for “building trust with our unhoused neighbors so that when the time is right for them, they know they can come to us for help with getting off the streets and into a life of stability and hope.”