The Best Dollar Tree Thanksgiving Staples To Grab Now

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for your loved ones is a rewarding experience, but it also comes with its share of stress. This is particularly true where money is concerned, as the holiday can get very expensive. According to a 2024 survey conducted by Lending Tree, the average cost for dinner, drinks, and holiday decor totaled a whopping $431. With rising grocery costs on everyone's mind this holiday season, the prospect of planning a sprawling dinner may seem daunting to many consumers. Fortunately, Dollar Tree has essential grocery staples perfect for Thanksgiving to keep your entertaining budget in check. 

We dipped into Dollar Tree's selection of products and found many of the vital components for a holiday feast: mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy mix, side dishes, dessert, and more. When it comes to affordability, Dollar Tree often comes out ahead of other retailers. Virtually everything on our Thanksgiving essentials list retails for $1.25, except for the Thanksgiving decor and Idahoan Buttery Homestyle mashed potatoes, which cost $1.50 each. The Edwards frozen chocolate crème pie is also priced slightly higher at $3 for two slices. With its variety of food options, Dollar Tree helps make a grand Thanksgiving dinner possible, regardless of your budget. 

Idahoan Buttery Homestyle mashed potatoes are a convenient dinner-time option, especially during busy holidays. Along with classic butter, Dollar Tree carries other varieties like four cheese, roasted garlic, and loaded baked potato, which incorporates the flavors of sour cream, cheese, onion, chives, and bacon. There are also ways to enhance instant mashed potatoes, like using cream or boosting flavor with garlic. 

Calling gravy a Thanksgiving staple is an understatement, as this rich, savory sauce pairs beautifully with turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Dollar Tree's Pioneer brown gravy mix offers a quick and convenient alternative to homemade recipes and can be more affordable than name-brand mixes. That makes it a great budget-friendly addition to your feast.

Cranberry sauce may be a divisive addition to Thanksgiving feasts, but we'd argue that no turkey dinner would be complete without it (gelatinous texture and all). Ruby Kist jellied cranberry sauce from Dollar Tree is tart and tangy and ready to serve right out of the can. It also makes a wonderful addition to leftover turkey sandwiches. 

Whether you're whipping up a homemade quiche or hearty casserole for Thanksgiving, jarred mushrooms can save you some time in the kitchen. And when you score the Pampa mushrooms pieces and stems at Dollar Tree, you'll also save a few bucks on your holiday shopping list. 

Dollar Tree offers another great holiday side dish with its Harvest Hill pasta salad in a ranch and bacon flavor. This hearty pasta salad can be ready in about 10 minutes and only requires the addition of mayonnaise, as everything else is included. You can also spruce up the dish by adding chickpeas, bacon, or red onion. 

It's recommended that you include between three and five sides in your Thanksgiving feast, and a tasty rice dish can introduce some variety in a typical holiday spread. Knorr cheddar broccoli rice sides are big on taste and convenience, and this boldly flavored dish can be ready in roughly seven minutes.

In addition to traditional pre-dinner snacks like crackers, cheese, and dips, Pampa smoked oysters in sunflower oil with carrots, onions, and chili peppers can add some bold flavors to your appetizer selection. In addition to serving them with crusty bread, smoked oysters also make a great seafood dip and can even be added to pastas and soups. 

There are some simple rules for making a charcuterie board: Accompany the selection with refreshing beverages, include a dip or spread of some kind, and offer a diversity of flavors and textures. Dollar Tree's Greta olive and oregano crackers have this last point covered, and these savory, crunchy snacks pair well with charcuterie classics.

No classic green bean casserole recipe would be complete without a topping of crispy onions. Thanks to Dollar Tree, the Golden Farms all-natural French fried onions make for a tasty way to finish your Thanksgiving dishes. They can also add crunch to salads, soups, and other recipes. 

Holiday dinners are all about indulging in comfort food, and there are few foods more comforting than shells and cheese. Premier Pantry original premium shells and cheese dinner offers an easy alternative to traditional Thanksgiving sides since this dish can be whipped up in about 10 minutes. 

Pumpkin pie is synonymous with Thanksgiving, and pumpkin pie spice is an integral component of this holiday treat. Available at Dollar Tree, Supreme Tradition pumpkin pie spice infuses all sorts of baked goods with a warm, autumnal flavor. Based on our taste test, Dollar Tree has a good spice selection, though not all products deserve a place in your pantry. 

Pumpkin spice gets acclaim as the best fall flavor, but a surprising number of people declare apple as the best taste of autumn. The Mother's Maid apple pie filling features a pleasingly sweet, cinnamon-tinged flavor that serves as a beautiful foundation for this classic baked good. If you want to put a twist on the classic apple pie recipe, combine the filling with Dollar Tree's Bama graham cracker pie crust.

Edwards frozen chocolate crème pie slices are a dessert tailor-made for smaller Thanksgiving shindigs, but they also work as an addition to a larger dessert spread. Each package contains two indulgent pie slices, which are frozen for your convenience. You may even want to snag two boxes!

Thanksgiving dishware, decor, and table settings can eat up a big portion of your holiday budget, but Dollar Tree has affordable alternatives. Ceramic plates, fall-themed drying mats, and glassware are just a few of the fine household goods you'll find at the store this season. According to Dollar Tree reviews, customers rave about this festive Royal Norfolk dishware set.