Little touches dress up birds on a budget for Thanksgiving

Detroit Free Press (MCT) - In today's economy, people are looking for ways to cut corners. That includes food costs, and Thanksgiving is no exception.

Food prices _ from eggs to milk to meat _ have increased more than 4 percent this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But with careful planning, you can dress up Thanksgiving dinner without blowing the budget.

The good news is that the Thanksgiving meal is built on a foundation of pantry items and traditional foods _ pumpkin puree, canned vegetables, stuffing mixes and canned broth _ that frequently go on sale. Start stocking up now.

Fresh vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes also can be picked up now and stored until the big day. And don't forget the turkey. Frozen turkeys can be found for less than $1 a pound. Some are nearly free. Many stores have special deals on the big birds.

Whether you're planning your first Thanksgiving or looking to dress up your traditional holiday feast with minimal costs, this guide offers suggestions and pricing for making basic turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and rolls for 12. And we also offer several ways to dress up those staples for a little bit more.

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TURKEY

15-pound turkey: $14.55

Kosher salt: $2.39

Wine: $4 for 750-ml bottle

Butter: $1 (sale price)

Cheesecloth: $3

Fresh herbs: $2

The bird is the star of the meal, but it's usually reasonably priced. Figure 1Ľ pounds of turkey per person. Frozen birds and store brands are often on sale. If you are buying a frozen turkey and brining it, try to find one that has the least amount of added solution like broth so it's not too salty. Expect to pay more for fresh, Amish and organic turkeys _ from $2.09 per pound. Heritage or wild birds will cost more, too _ upward of $70 for a 15-pound bird.

Basic bird: You'll only need 2 cups of a 3-pound box of salt for brining _ but it's cost effective to buy the larger box. Dissolve the salt and ˝ cup sugar in 2 gallons water in a large bucket or stock pot large enough for the bird. Brine (soak) 24 hours before roasting. Rinse, pat the turkey dry and rub with a little oil; season the cavity and outside with salt, pepper and any other seasonings you like. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and add broth, water or wine or a mix of all to the bottom of the pan.

Dress it up: Brine the bird as above. Melt 1˝ sticks of butter with 2 cups of any kind of inexpensive white wine. Soften ˝ stick of butter and mix with fresh herbs like chives, thyme and sage and rub this under the skin and on the outside of the turkey. Soak a 10-by-13-inch piece of cheesecloth that's been folded in at least three layers in the butter mixture. Squeeze out the excess liquid and cover the turkey breast with the cloth. Roast the turkey and baste the cheesecloth with the butter-wine mixture. (See detailed recipe below.)

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POTATOES

$2.99 (sale price) for a 5-pound bag of Yukon Golds

Butter: $1

Milk: $1

Garlic: 25 cents a bulb

Yukon Golds are the best choice for making creamy mashed potatoes and most potato gratins and casserole-type dishes.

Basic mash: You will need about 4 pounds or about 12 potatoes (5 to 6 ounces each) to make enough mashed potatoes for 12 servings (about 2/3 cup per serving). Whip up the cooked potatoes with 1 cup of milk or half-and-half, 1 stick of butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Dress it up: Place a whole bulb of garlic on a double layer of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap it in the foil and place in the oven 1 hour before the turkey is ready. When garlic is soft, add any juices that accumulated in the bottom to cooked potatoes. Squeeze the softened garlic into the potatoes along with some butter and milk. Add fresh chopped thyme or chives. (For another idea, see Potato Gratin with Swiss Cheese recipe below.)

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DRESSING

1 pound loaf of sourdough bread or day-old bread: $2

14-16 ounce bag of seasoned bread cubes for stuffing: $3

Eggs: $1.49 for a dozen

Onion: 75 cents

Celery: $1.50

Sausage: $2-$3 (16-20 ounces)

Mushrooms: $2

Dried mushrooms (1 ounce): $3

Basic: Cut the bread into cubes and let them dry overnight or dry them out in a 300-degree oven. Transfer to a large bowl. Slice 4 ribs celery (with leaves) and chop one large onion. Saute ˝ stick butter until soft. Add to bread cubes. Season with lots of rubbed sage, salt and pepper. Stir in 2 beaten eggs, and moisten entire mixture with 2 cups chicken broth. Transfer to a baking dish, cover and bake. If using seasoned bread cubes or stuffing mix, follow package directions for liquid amounts and add the extra sauteed vegetables and season if desired.

Dress it up: Soak ˝ ounce dried porcini mushrooms in 1˝ cups warm water until they are soft. Squeeze them dry and strain the soaking liquid. Chop the mushrooms. Cook and crumble 1 pound of your favorite Italian sausage. Drain. Follow directions above, then add sausage to bread cubes. Slice 8 ounces cremini mushrooms and saute them along with the rehydrated porcini s in the same skillet that you cooked the sausage. Add sausage and mushrooms to the bread cubes. Use some of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid along with chicken broth to moisten the dressing.

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GRAVY

Pan juices from roasting turkey: Free

2 packages turkey gravy mix: 50 cents-$1.29

Mushrooms: $2

Basic: Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let stand until fat rises to the surface and skim it off. Place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup water to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add 1 cup chicken broth to the pan, stir well and bring back to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half. Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more. Whisk in flour if you want a thicker gravy. Season as desired.

Dress it up: Follow the directions for the package of turkey gravy, omitting the water and using defatted pan juices in its place. Or add mushroom soaking liquid from the porcini mushrooms you used in the stuffing for the liquid and add sauteed mushrooms.

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ROLLS & CRANBERRY RELISH

Brown and serve-type rolls: $1.69 for 12

Can of cranberries: $1.39

Herbs: $2

Orange: 66 cents

Fresh cranberries: $2

Basic: For rolls, follow the package directions. Or buy the frozen dough rolls _ they work out to be about 10 cents per roll. For cranberry sauce, pour the whole sauce into a bowl and give it a garnish of orange peel.

Dress it up: Make your own rolls and add fresh chopped herbs or shredded cheese to the dough. The rolls take very little time and taste like homemade. For cranberry sauce, use fresh cranberries and follow the instructions on the package. Add raisins or chopped pears or apples and a sprinkling of coarse salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.

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PERFECT DINNER ROLLS WITH HERBS

Makes: 24

Preparation time: 30 minutes (plus rising time)

Total time: 50 minutes

Make these rolls a week ahead and freeze.

1 tablespoon rapid-rise dry yeast

2 Ľ cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup shortening

Ľ cup powdered nondairy creamer

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons chopped chives or fresh herbs such as thyme

6-7 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Garnish

1 tablespoon chopped chives or fresh herbs, such as thyme, mixed with 3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, shortening, creamer, salt, chopped herbs and 5 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough; the dough will be sticky.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning once to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a roll or other desired shape. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place rolls 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake the rolls 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks. Brush with melted butter mixture just before serving.

Adapted from Taste of Home magazine, November 2008. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Analysis per roll. 150 calories (20 percent from fat), 3 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 26 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 195 mg sodium, 28 mg cholesterol, 6 mg calcium, 1 gram fiber.

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POTATO GRATIN WITH SWISS CHEESE

Serves: 12

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

1 ˝ cups half-and-half, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese or crumbled goat cheese

1 Ľ cups reduced fat milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/ 4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

8 cups thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes, peeled if desired (about 4 pounds)

1 cup panko bread crumbs mixed with a few tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 2 tablespoons half-and-half with flour in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Whisk in the remaining half-and-half, cheese, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic and thyme or rosemary.

Arrange half of the potato slices in a single layer in an 11-by-7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour half of the milk mixture over potato slices, stirring the milk mixture immediately before adding. Repeat procedure with remaining potato slices and milk mixture. Bake for 40 minutes.

Sprinkle on the panko bread crumb mixture and continue baking 20-30 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and golden brown at the edges. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Cut in squares or other shapes.

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, October 2001. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

225 calories (31 percent from fat), 8 grams fat (5 grams sat. fat),

31 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams protein, 256 mg sodium,

25 mg cholesterol, 197 mg calcium, 3 grams fiber.

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ROASTED TURKEY BASTED WITH BUTTER AND WINE

Serves: 12 (generously)

Preparation time: 35 minutes (not including brining time)

Total time: 4 hours, 30 minutes (not all active time)

Brine the turkey if desired by soaking it for 24 hours in 2 gallons of water that has 2 cups kosher salt and ˝ cup sugar dissolved in it.

TURKEY

1 turkey (15 pounds), giblets and neck removed from cavity and reserved for another use

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

2-3 cups white wine

1 large piece of cheesecloth, folded into a square

4 tablespoons (˝ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, mixed with favorite fresh herbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium broth and water or wine for roasting pan or more as needed

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

1 large apple, cut into wedges

1 large onion, cut into wedges

1 whole bulb of garlic, top Ľ sliced off

Brine the turkey, if desired. Rinse turkey with cool water and dry with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine mixture; let soak.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a heavy metal roasting pan. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it. Sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper; add pieces of apple and the garlic bulb. Place several apple and onion wedges in the neck end, and tuck the wing tips under the turkey to hold the flap of skin in place. Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string. Gently loosen the skin under the breast and some of the thigh, and rub some of the herb butter underneath the skin. Rub the remaining herb butter all over the turkey and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add broth, wine or water to the pan.

Lift the cheesecloth out of the liquid and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evenly over the breast and sides of the turkey. Place the turkey in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, baste the cheesecloth and rest of turkey with the butter and wine mixture. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for 2 ˝ more hours, basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.

After 2˝ hours, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine. Cook 1 more hour, baste again after 30 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven when the internal meat temperature in the breast, thighs and legs is 165 degrees.

Transfer turkey to a serving platter and let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make pan gravy if desired.

To make gravy: Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off. Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup white wine or water to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck. Stir well, and bring back to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more. Whisk in a small amount of flour if you want thicker gravy. Season the gravy as desired. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.

Adapted from www.marthastewart.com. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis based on 5 ounces cooked turkey.

317 calories (41 percent from fat ), 15 grams fat (7 grams sat. fat ), 0 grams carbohydrates, 42 grams protein, 251 mg sodium, 128 mg cholesterol, 39 mg calcium, 0 grams fiber .

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SHOPPING TIPS:

Avoid crowds, buy smart

At Thanksgiving, grocery stores are often crowded with folks stocking up on items for the big feast.

It seems obvious, but you need a plan that will get you in and out of the store fast with no mishaps and forgotten ingredients.

Here is some advice for how to keep on track.

If you haven't nailed down what you plan to serve for Thanksgiving, do it now. Having a menu will help you build a list.

If you shop at the same store every week, write the list according to aisle so there is no backtracking. Or orga­nize your list according to products: canned goods, produce, dairy, meat and so on.

Grab those sale pa­pers and grocery store flyers, go through and check off what you need.

Have a bite to eat before you grocery shop so you don't do what I call "hungry shop" and buy things you don't need.

Don't impulse shop; sticking to your list will help you keep to your budget. Have a figure in mind of what you want to spend.

Have coupons ready and in order before you go to the store. Use a big clip to keep them together along with store savings club cards if you have them.

Think about what space you have on hand. Don't buy too much if you don't have room for it in the re­frigerator, freezer or pantry.

Buy store brands if you like them. When they are on sale you can stock up. For ex­ample, Meijer brand butter is on sale for $1.88 a pound (4 sticks) this week.

To avoid crowds, stay away from the grocery stores on weekends and weekday evenings.

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© 2008, Detroit Free Press.