Why The Dollar Store Should Be Your First Stop When Shopping For Christmas Dinner Staples

You might have heard of the festive dishes or super cute holiday glasses at Dollar Tree, or you may have bought an ornament or two there in years past. However, you can turn to a dollar store for more than just decor. All across the nation, dollar stores can supply you with many food staples that are sure to make your yuletide fun and filling. Whether you're making a family-feeding casserole with potatoes and stuffing or recreating Grandma's heirloom cookie recipe, dollar stores have the ingredients you need to keep holidays easy.

Most dollar stores rotate out their grocery options regularly, and this is true during the holiday season as well. Items like canned pumpkin, spiced cookie icing, powdered gravy, and more begin gracing the shelves as early as October and remain there through Christmas. Some dollar stores have realized how popular these low-priced staples are and have implemented holiday discounts. For example, Dollar General offers a grocery deal around Thanksgiving and Christmas where shoppers can save $5 on every $15 spent on holiday food essentials, sweets, and sides. Dollar Tree also has weekly ads which feature Christmas food and decorations as the holiday approaches.

If you're worried about your holiday cooking looking cheap and drab, fear not. You can use the groceries you buy at the dollar store to create some seriously tasty recipes. A few of them have gone downright viral.

With loyalty for dollar stores on the rise, these discount shops are quickly becoming some of the most trusted grocery stores in the United States. While dollar stores have long been lauded as a great place to get inexpensive holiday decorations, their popularity for putting together holiday meals is a more recent occurrence. This is due in part to the uptick in dollar store dinner recipes online and the new sale events that cater to them.

@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 – Dollar Tree Dinners

One such recipe for a Thanksgiving meal (which could easily be used for Christmas) made headlines with how cheap and easy it was to make. For only $20, TikToker Rebecca Chobat managed to put together a huge dinner with all the tools and ingredients coming straight from Dollar Tree. The meal ended up including mac and cheese, a massive casserole, and apple pie bars; enough to feed a large family. With her video's massive reception, other recipes quickly surfaced, including more Christmas-oriented versions.

With how easy and tasty this meal is, it's no surprise that Dollar Tree dinners are gaining popularity on TikTok and Reddit this season. In addition, the stores regularly offer everything needed for cookies and cakes so you can make small, edible gifts and stocking stuffers for everyone without breaking the bank. Food storage, cooking implements, and festive potholders are available to complete your Christmas kitchen vibe. Some stores post their own recipes online, so you're sure to find something you can bring to the table. Taking advantage of dollar store discounts to feed your family is a no-brainer, so take advantage of these deals while they last.