An unexpected hero has stepped up to save Thanksgiving for those on tight budgets. A simple, affordable recipe is giving hope to struggling families.
Rebecca Chobat, the creator of the TikTok account "Dollar Tree Dinners," recently shared a viral video. She showed how to make a Thanksgiving meal using only Dollar Tree ingredients for just $20.
@dollartreedinners $20 Dollar Tree Thanksgiving Dinner! The ingredients: Swanson Chicken broth $1.25 (Optional ingredient, can be omitted) Kraft Ranch $1.25 Italian seasoned breadcrumbs $1.25 Kraft Mac & Cheese $1.25 Turkey Stuffing Mix $1.25 Idahoan Original Mashed Potatoes (the unflavored big bag) $1.25 Pioneer Roasted turkey Gravy mix $1.25 Dried cranberries $1.25 French style Green Beans (Could also swap for frozen) $1.25 2 cans of turkey $2.50 Milk $1.25 Margarine $1.25 Sugar cookie mix $1.25 Werther's Chewy Caramel candies $1.25 Apple Pie filling $1.25 Total cost $20 Optional extras to add on if desired: Large casserole dish $1.25 (for making the casserole and easy clean up) A Block of Cheddar cheese (for the mac & cheese balls) $1.25 Extra packet of sugar cookie mix (for the caramel apple cookie bars) $1.25 The menu: Appetizer: Mac & Cheese Croquettes with Ranch for dipping Dinner: "Best of Thanksgiving" Casserole Dessert: Caramel Apple Cookie Bars #dollartreefood #dollartreegroceryhaul #dollartreethanksgiving #thanksgivingonabudget #budgetholidaymeals #howtoeatforcheap #feedafamily ♬ original sound - Dollar Tree Dinners
Chobat's TikTok account has gained a massive following. With over two million viewers, she shares affordable recipes. Many of her fans face food insecurity or are looking for ways to cut grocery costs.
Her latest video, posted Saturday, includes step-by-step guides for the entire meal. Recipes like Mac & Cheese croquettes, a “Best of Thanksgiving” casserole, and caramel apple cookie bars have captivated viewers. The videos have racked up over 10 million views and thousands of comments.
"I've got a $20 budget to make a Thanksgiving dinner using ingredients from Dollar Tree," Chobat says in the video. "And I'm happy to say that not only have I already made the Dollar Tree Thanksgiving dinner, I do think it was my best Thanksgiving dinner that I have ever made."
Holiday deals: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors.
Fellow creator Caleb Cooks gave Chobat a heartfelt shout-out. He shared a touching story in a video posted Monday. While shopping at a Houston Dollar Tree, he saw a single mother with three kids gathering ingredients for the meal.
"I want her to know that her videos are helping people," Caleb said. His words echoed the gratitude of many who see Chobat’s work as a lifeline.
@calebcooks94 You are helping a lot of people @Dollar Tree Dinners #fyp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #foryou #foru #forupage #foryourpage #fypシ #fypage #dollartree #dollartreefinds #dollartreedinners #thanksgiving #thanksgivingdinner ♬ original sound - CalebCooks