16 Dollar Tree Foods To Stock Up On For Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's time to start planning your dinner menu so that you have time to gather all of the ingredients you need. One place you might not think to go is Dollar Tree because of the misconception that the store only sells off-brand, low-quality products. However, this is the Dollar Tree food myth you should stop believing. In fact, many trusted regional and national brands are among the wide range of affordable food items you can buy here, and this includes ingredients for your holiday event.

You won't find a big freezer section full of whole turkeys at Dollar Tree, but you'll find a wealth of other items to stock up on to fill out the rest of your Thanksgiving Day menu. From mashed potatoes, gravy, and cornbread to peach cobbler and pumpkin pie, it's possible to get a lot of the foods you need for cheaper at the discount store compared to major grocery chains. Daily Meal has curated a list of Dollar Tree food products that are commonly used for the holiday. Keep in mind, though, that the availability and prices for each of these will vary by location.

Meat and potatoes might be one of the most common pairings across food cultures. After all, the Food Network centered a whole show on the premise. So, it's no surprise that mashed potatoes are a staple at Thanksgiving and have been for hundreds of years. If you prefer a fast way to get this dish on your table, the Idahoan Original Mashed Potatoes from Dollar Tree could be the solution. You don't have to worry about a whole lot of unnecessary ingredients either, just monoglycerides and a few preservatives. Plus, they made the top four in Daily Meal's tasting and ranking of instant mashed potato brands. For $1.50 each, you can pick up as many 6.2-ounce pouches as you need.

As noted in our taste test and ranking, the Idahan Original Mashed Potatoes are a little mild in the flavor department. Chicken stock is one ingredient that will make your instant mashed potatoes taste way better, so consider using it instead of water. At Dollar Tree, you can grab a 14.5-ounce can of Swanson Natural Chicken Broth for $1.25 each. Make sure that you get enough cans to replace the water required on the mashed potato package instructions to prepare the number of servings you need.

People have been turning meat drippings into gravy for hundreds of years, and it's a complement to all types of foods, including breads, meats, pastas, and, of course, mashed potatoes. If you're having a lot of guests over for Thanksgiving and worry that your turkey won't produce enough drippings to make plenty of gravy, Campbell's Turkey Gravy can make up for that. Dollar Tree has 11.8-ounce cans for just $1.25 each. You can even make canned gravy taste homemade for Thanksgiving by adding some fresh turkey drippings, minced garlic, and chopped sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Green bean casserole has long been a side dish prepared for non-holiday meals, but it has been a tradition on many Thanksgiving tables since the 1960s, when Campbell's put the recipe directly on its Cream of Mushroom soup label. If it's on your menu this year, consider getting one of the main ingredients at Dollar Tree. The Del Monte Harvest French Style Green Beans will give your dish a sophisticated look compared to cut green beans, and each 14.5-ounce can is only $1.25.

Speaking of Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, it's another main ingredient that you'll need for green bean casserole. Along with being part of the original recipe that was developed in 1955 in Campbell's Test Kitchen, it's an easier and quicker solution than making your own mushroom base for that savory, earthy flavor that everyone loves. It's only $1.25 per 10.5-ounce can at Dollar Tree, and you can even stock up to use for other recipes, such as to make a creamy sauce for pasta.

The 1955 Campbell's recipe for green bean casserole calls for incorporating and topping the dish with French's French Fried Onions. However, that's not the only brand you can use. In fact, canned fried onions became a holiday staple after that recipe emerged, but they've been around since the 1930s. If your local grocer doesn't have French's in stock or you just want to pick up as many of your Thanksgiving dinner ingredients as possible at Dollar Tree, try Golden Farms All-Natural French Fried Onions. There are no additives, artificial colors or flavors, or preservatives; only simple ingredients. Plus, you can add them to salads, soups, and other side dishes. For just $1.25, you get a 2.8-ounce bag and Golden Farms' green bean casserole recipe on the package.

Cornbread muffins are a great addition to Thanksgiving dinner. In particular, there are many creative ways to use Jiffy's cornbread mix. Make some muffins and serve them as is instead of dinner rolls, or use the mixture in a variety of side dishes, such as casseroles and turkey dressing. At Dollar Tree, an 8.5-ounce box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix is only $0.75, so you can stock up without spending a ton. On top of that, you can get other baking essentials at Dollar Tree to make your corn muffins, including muffin pans.

If you don't have muffin cups for your cornbread, you'll need to grease up the inside of your muffin or other baking pan. You'll also need oil if any of your side dishes need to be browned in a frying pan. Golden Chef Vegetable Oil at Dollar Tree is made with only one ingredient: soybean oil. It's a good choice because its smoke point is about 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which means that it can withstand baking, frying, roasting, and sautéing up to that temperature before it starts smoking. No wonder why Texas Roadhouse uses refined soybean oil in its kitchens. Plus, it's one of the best cooking oils for homemade French fries and a lot of other foods. You can buy the 16-ounce bottle for just $1.25.

Will you have kids at your Thanksgiving dinner this year? This is your chance to be the cool family member or friend by making a popular kid favorite: Kraft Mac & Cheese. It may have only landed in the middle of Daily Meal's ranking of boxed mac and cheese brands, but there's no denying the nostalgic flavor that may even have the adults reaching for a few spoonfuls. To make sure that you have plenty to go around, grab several containers. At least you won't have to worry about spending too much at $1.25 per 7.25-ounce box.

Cranberry sauce has long been a sweet side served at Thanksgiving. Since 1941, though, canned jellied versions have been making their way to holiday tables as a faster way to prepare the dish because they require zero prep time. Ruby Kist Jellied Cranberry Sauce will satisfy that craving for the gelatinous mixture of sweet and tart cranberry flavor. At Dollar Tree, the 14-ounce can is priced at $1.25. Also, you can use leftover cranberry sauce as a pancake topper the next morning or as a glaze on meats and vegetables.

Since fruit cobbler is easier, more flexible, and faster to make than pie, we won't blame you for adding it to your Thanksgiving dessert menu. You can make the process even simpler for yourself by picking up a box of Harvest Hill Homestyle Cobbler Mix. Preparing the crust according to the box instructions is similar to the classic Bisquick peach cobbler recipe and only requires a few additional ingredients. For only $1.25, this 8.5-ounce box will get you closer to warm, crumbly goodness quicker than making it from scratch.

Cranberries aren't the only fruit relegated to Thanksgiving meals. If you're using the Harvest Hill Homestyle Cobbler Mix, you can grab the recommended can of peaches at Dollar Tree, too. Libby's Sliced Peaches in Heavy Syrup come in 15.2-ounce cans for $1.50, and one is all you need for the suggested peach cobbler recipe on the box of mix. However, you could also swap out the peaches for one of the store's other cans of fruit pie filling, such as apples or cherries.

While following the peach cobbler recipe on the box of Harvest Hill Homestyle Cobbler Mix should have good results, we won't blame you for wanting to kick it up a notch for the holiday season. Adding a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar on top is one of the best ways to upgrade the peach cobbler because it can enhance the flavor of the peaches while giving the dessert a sweet crunch after it caramelizes in the oven. Additionally, it's a great addition to other Thanksgiving dishes, like whole-baked or diced sweet potatoes and your favorite apple crisp recipe. The Spice Supreme Cinnamon Sugar at Dollar Tree is an affordable option because you get 3.5 ounces for $1.25.

A Thanksgiving meal without pumpkin pie is difficult to imagine. It's been part of the holiday celebration since the early 18th century and a popular dessert, making the top three of Daily Meal's ultimate ranking of Thanksgiving desserts. To make it, though, you'll need condensed milk. While some pumpkin pie recipes call for a can of evaporated milk, others use a can of sweetened condensed milk instead. Dollar General has a 14-ounce can of Pampa Sweetened Condensed Filled Milk priced at $1.25.

Alongside sweetened condensed milk, you'll need the right spices to flavor the pumpkin purée and achieve that comforting profile that tastes like fall in a creamy dessert. While easy pumpkin pie recipes can provide individual measurements of the spices you need, you can make it even easier on yourself by getting them already blended together. The Supreme Tradition Pumpkin Pie Spice at Dollar Tree includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice – everything you need for the recipe. Best of all, you can use the 1.25-ounce bottle on a variety of other fall recipes, and it will only cost you $1.25.

In addition to spices, pumpkin pie requires vanilla extract, and you can get that at Dollar Tree, too. The 8-fluid-ounce bottle of Supreme Tradition Imitation Vanilla Extract will work nicely. Although you might be put off by the imitation part of this product, this is actually one time when imitation vanilla is better to use than real vanilla. The flavor of natural vanilla changes at high temperatures, and pumpkin pie is baked at 350 to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, this decent-sized bottle is only $1.25 and can be used to make a lot of other baked goods.