Vault: Chefs Show You How to Pull Off a $50 Thanksgiving for 12

Summary

The Bert Show – Vault: Chefs Show You How to Pull Off a $50 Thanksgiving for 12

Date: May 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

This special vault episode of The Bert Show welcomes Chef Hopkins (Restaurant Eugene) and Chef G (Four Seasons) to tackle a timely dilemma: how to host a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for twelve people on a $50 budget. With inflation and rising grocery prices top of mind, the chefs share practical, mouthwatering recipes and essential culinary tips to help listeners make the holiday meal affordable—without sacrificing flavor or quality.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: The Cost of Thanksgiving

• Host and Co-Host set the stage, acknowledging the traditional big family gathering and the financial pressure many feel ([01:32-02:13]).
  • Quote: “You love feeding the family, right? The reality of it this year is that it was expensive two years ago and now it feels way worse now.” – Show Host (01:32)
• Acknowledgement that hosts don’t want to exclude family or friends due to cost ([02:03-02:13]).

Chef Introductions & Challenge

• Chefs G and Hopkins are introduced as Atlanta culinary heavyweights, each promising to deliver a Thanksgiving meal for 12 people for less than $50, using only “grocery store prices” ([02:13-02:37]).
  • Quote: “These are two of Atlanta’s finest, finest chefs.” – Show Host (02:13)
• The focus is on traditional flavors (turkey, pumpkin, cranberry, sweet potato) and maximizing value while retaining holiday spirit ([02:59-03:39]).

Strategies for Saving Without Sacrificing Quality

• Chef Hopkins: Recommends focusing on a few high-quality, simple dishes, rather than an elaborate spread. Highlights the value in seasonality and simplicity.
  • Quote: “This exercise was building three items...look at those economical things. Luckily, Thanksgiving is traditionally an economical meal.” – Chef Hopkins (03:56)
• Chef G: Shares that thinking creatively about core, traditional ingredients can make the shopping fun and affordable ([02:59-03:39]).

Sample Menus on a Budget

Chef Hopkins’ Menu ([04:28-05:17])

• Turkey thigh roulade with cornbread stuffing
  • “The thigh is the juiciest part...and most people buy just the breast all year. So the thighs are very cheap, you know, under $1.50 a pound.” – Chef Hopkins (04:31)
• Salad with radish, bacon, homemade sour cream, and citrus vinaigrette
• Butternut squash soup
  • Total cost: Under $40, serves 12
  • Option to add green bean casserole or potatoes and still stay under budget

Chef G’s Menu ([06:21-07:14])

• Turkey meatloaf using both dark and light meat, plus mushrooms for moisture
• Whole roasted pumpkin stuffed with sweet potatoes and stuffing
• Pumpkin soup with maple croutons
• Pumpkin “moon pie” dessert
  • Total cost: $49.97, serves 12
  • Used pan juices as gravy to stay on budget

Why Dark Meat? ([07:36-07:51])

• Both chefs intentionally favor dark meat for flavor, juiciness, and value.
  • Quote: “Dark meat...much more flavorful, actually.” – Chef G (07:48)
  • Quote: “Oh, it’s better.” – Chef Hopkins (07:50)

First-Time Host Tips

Advice for Thanksgiving Beginners ([08:34-09:17]):

• Keep it simple: “Keep it simple. Brine your turkey...1 cup of salt to 3 quarts of water.” – Chef Hopkins (08:36)
• Brining: Essential for juicy, flavorful turkey.
• Thaw early: “Get it three days ahead. Put it in your fridge and let it defrost in the fridge.” – Chef G (09:07)

Humor & Relatability

• Chefs are playfully asked if even “novices” can manage these meals. Both affirm their recipes are approachable.
• Banter about “fancy” food language for regular dishes brings laughs ([06:00-06:12]).
  • Quote: “How cool is it if you have your in-laws over...you’re like, ‘I’ve made a roulade of turkey with cornbread stuffing.’ And they’re like, ‘Whoa.’” – Producer or Additional Host (06:00)
• Joking about “just buying the meal,” passing off restaurant food as homemade, and hiding evidence from family members ([09:23-10:06]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On simplicity:
  • “Focus on few simple ingredients that are high quality...” — Chef Hopkins (03:56)
• On brining:
  • “Brine your turkey. I don’t know if anyone here knows about brining at all, but if you want that breast meat to be flavorful, 1 cup of salt to 3 quarts of water...just soak your turkey in it overnight.” – Chef Hopkins (08:36)
• On making meatloaf special:
  • “Get both breast meat and dark meat ground and mix that together. And we put mushrooms in there for the moisture...” – Chef G (06:21)
• On authenticity vs. convenience:
  • “If you don’t want to cook…we do turkey to go at the hotel. So it’s…” – Chef G (09:23)
  • “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. If they are well fed that day and they’re happy and they leave, the story doesn’t matter.” – Show Host (09:41)
• On timing for turkey thawing:
  • “Get it three days ahead. Put it in your fridge and let it defrost in the fridge. Don’t just put it on the back porch or in the sink...” – Chef G (09:07)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:32 – Thanksgiving is getting more expensive, family dynamics, and the need for creative solutions
• 02:13 – Introduction of Chef G and Chef Hopkins and the $50 challenge
• 03:39 – Saving money without losing quality
• 04:31 – Chef Hopkins details his under-$40 menu
• 06:21 – Chef G shares his $49.97 menu and key techniques
• 08:34 – Tips for first-time Thanksgiving cooks
• 09:07 – Thawing turkey safely and on time
• 09:41–10:06 – Hilarious banter about passing off restaurant food as homemade

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Final Takeaways

• Both chefs deliver practical, affordable solutions that keep the spirit of Thanksgiving alive without breaking the bank.
• Dark meat and in-season produce are the budget-friendly stars of their menus.
• Simplicity, planning, and basic culinary techniques—like brining and properly thawing turkey—make a world of difference, even for kitchen novices.
• All recipes are shared online (q100atlanta.com), inviting listeners to try these chef-designed holiday meals at home.

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For full recipes and more details, visit: q100atlanta.com

(End of summary)

Transcript

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[Chef Hopkins]

This is the Birch Show.

[Show Host]

Here's the reality of Thanksgiving at this point, right? Is that maybe you're in a home where Thanksgiving is that big meal every single year, right? Everybody comes on over to your house and you love cooking, you love doing it. But the truth of the matter is it's expensive. You got 10 people coming over, you've got 12 people coming over, you've got 15 people coming over. While you love sort of the hectic nature of the whole thing, you just love feeding the family, right? The reality of it this year is that it was expensive two years ago and now it feels way worse now

[Co-Host]

because of the recession and you don't want to invite less family members over or less friends who maybe don't have family in town. You want everybody to be able to come over, but you got to be able to feed them, all right?

[Show Host]

You know, and here's where the problem starts here. It's just that you want all these people over. You just don't want to have to call them up and say, hey, I know we've done this at my house for the last 10 years. I just can't do it this year. So we have Chef G from the Four Seasons and Chef Hopkins from restaurant Eugene in this morning. These are two of Atlanta's finest, finest chefs.

[Co-Host]

Absolutely. Hey, guys.

[Show Host]

Hey, guys. What's going on, you guys?

[Co-Host]

Welcome back.

[Chef G]

Good morning.

[Show Host]

Thanks for coming in again. It's almost unbelievable because both of these guys claim that you guys can serve Thanksgiving dinner for 12 for under $50. And they're not talking about their restaurants. They're talking about these are recipes that you guys can do at your house, and you can serve for 12 people for under 50 bucks. So where do we even start?

[Chef G]

Well, the focus that we were looking at was just trying to incorporate the traditional accompaniments. It doesn't have to be necessarily the big old bird on the table, but there are the components. The pumpkin, the sweet potato, the turkey, the cranberry. And that's really what we did when we looked at it. And I think there's a lot of ways that you can do that. I was kind of surprised, and it was kind of fun to go to a grocery store and do this exercise, because in the industry, we typically get our purveyors to do that, and we get some lower pricing that you typically get at a grocery store. But these are grocery store prices, and we tried to make it fun at the same time.

[Show Host]

How can people try to trim the fat if it was going to cost them $120? Last year, good Chef line, I said, quote, unquot. I knew it was a cheesy pun. What can they do this year to save some money yet not lose quality on the food?

[Chef Hopkins]

I think focus on few simple ingredients that are high quality, as opposed to trying to build a buffet or a table with 12 different items. This exercise was building three items, have them in harmony with each other, and look at those economical things. Luckily, Thanksgiving is traditionally an economical meal. Things in season. Pumpkin's not expensive. Turkey is really not that expensive per pound. That's really the focus. And just try to prepare it very simply and really not overwhelm yourself. A lot of people get scared, you know.

[Co-Host]

Chef Hopkins, what was your menu? Which. Which one did you make?

[Chef Hopkins]

We have A roulade of a turkey thigh, which we boned out and rolled with a cornbread stuffing. And we just cook that nice and slow. And I think the thigh is the juiciest part and one that you tend not to overcook. And most people buy just the breast all year. So the thighs are very cheap, you know, under $1.50 a pound. Then we have a salad with radish and bacon, a little homemade sour cream and a citrus vinaigrette, and then a butternut squash soup. And the whole meal that I brought was under $40.

[Show Host]

And it can serve how many?

[Chef Hopkins]

12 people.

[Co-Host]

12 people.

[Producer or Additional Host]

So you've got. You've got the turkey, the stuffing, the salad, and the soup.

[Chef Hopkins]

Right. And you could add, you know, potatoes and green bean casserole and still hit your budget.

[Show Host]

That is awesome. Now we will have Delicious.

[Co-Host]

It tastes awesome.

[Show Host]

We'll have these recipes on how to make them and everything up online also.

[Chef Hopkins]

You have all of them?

[Show Host]

Yes, already have them. So they'll be up [e-mail]. So that's 12 people for 40 bucks right there. When's the last time you just made yourself a grilled cheese sandwich?

[Chef G]

Just kidding.

[Chef Hopkins]

Oh, I have two kids, so grilled cheese and little egg sandwiches in the morning before school.

[Show Host]

Okay.

[Chef Hopkins]

All the time.

[Show Host]

He just makes everything sound so five star.

[Co-Host]

But I guarantee that his. Even his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will taste 10 times better than anything I could try.

[Producer or Additional Host]

But I could tell you, peanut butter with this, like, how cool. What is this again? The Rula Hoo?

[Chef Hopkins]

It's a hula hoop of turkey. Yeah, it's a roulade with cornbread stuffing. Just very simple.

[Producer or Additional Host]

So, like, how cool is it if you have your in laws over, you know, and you're like a new wife or something? You're like, oh, yes, I've made a roulade of turkey with cornbread stuffing. And they're like, whoa. They have no idea. Came down to 40 bucks.

[Show Host]

Now, is this something, Is this a meal for both of you guys? Are both of these meals suitable for somebody that's trying this for the very first time, or is this a little bit more advanced?

[Chef G]

The meal that I made was a turkey meatloaf. I think many people are familiar with meatloaf. And the key is to get both breast meat and dark meat ground and mix that together. And we put mushrooms in there for the moisture, lots of mushrooms, so that you get that juiciness when you. When it bakes. And we did a pumpkin that was roasted whole and we Stuffed it with sweet potatoes and stuffing. So you're going to get a lot of holiday flavor out of that and a lot of filling in your stomach. And the pumpkin soup, too, is topped with a little bit of crouton, a little crispy bread tossed with maple syrup. And it's really easy to make. And these things, when we looked at it, looked in the pantry, what you would typically have in the house, anyways. And then we made a little pumpkin moon pie, which is very simple but really tasty, I think. I really love those little moon pies.

[Show Host]

And how much does this whole plate cost?

[Chef G]

This one is for the 12 people. I spent $49.97.

[Lowes Announcer]

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[Chef G]

I was gonna make a gravy, but I ended up using the pan juices that the meatloaf was producing. But we're right on that budget.

[Co-Host]

Sipling. Yes. And it is awesome.

[Show Host]

I mean, come on.

[Co-Host]

Yeah. I do find it fascinating that both talking about dark meat, because I do think you're right. When you think about Thanksgiving, most people probably go for the turkey breast and the fact that you both incorporated dark meat in your meals, which is cheaper, I think juicier and juicier sometimes I

[Chef G]

think much more flavorful, actually.

[Chef Hopkins]

Oh, it's better.

[Show Host]

This is just off the charts. It's so good.

[Co-Host]

It tastes amazing. Like, amazing stuff. My face.

[Producer or Additional Host]

We made the definite right call canceling the meeting today.

[Show Host]

No kidding. We're going to be out like a light by 10 o' clock today.

[Chef Hopkins]

And there's a lot of extra out there.

[Show Host]

Is there?

[Co-Host]

Nice.

[Show Host]

Okay.

[Co-Host]

All of Q100 just cheered like

[Show Host]

Chef G from the Four Seasons and Chef Hopkins from Restaurant Eugene outside of this. And again, all of these recipes and how to make them and everything will be up online at q100atlanta.com so you can feed people 12 people for under 50 bucks. Wendy is cooking for the very first time for her entire family. Thanksgiving dinner. What sort of advice can you give to first time chefs on that day?

[Chef G]

Do you want to go first, Linton?

[Chef Hopkins]

I'll follow the biggest thing again, keep it simple. Brine your turkey. I don't know if anyone here knows about brining at all, but if you want that breast meat to be flavorful, 1 cup of salt to 3 quarts of water. Mix that up and just soak your turkey in it overnight. And then before you roast it, just dry it off and that'll help the moisture inside. And actually the seasoning gets inside the meat and you have a tendency not to overcook it.

[Co-Host]

And how long do you have to thaw the turkey? Because that is one of the biggest, like, rookie mistakes is if you leave it in the freezer too long. Right.

[Chef G]

Get it three days ahead.

[Co-Host]

Three days.

[Chef G]

Put it in your fridge and let it defrost in the fridge. Don't just put it on the back porch or in the sink, because that's when you're gonna get that. Just put it in the sun.

[Producer or Additional Host]

Put it in the sun. Sometimes I put it in my warm car.

[Chef Hopkins]

No,

[Co-Host]

Three days.

[Chef G]

If you don't want to cook, though, you can come by and we do turkey to go at the hotel. So it's.

[Show Host]

If you don't want to cook at the Four Seasons. Yeah, great.

[Bus Driver PSA Speaker]

I might just do that and just say, I made it.

[Show Host]

I would totally do that.

[Co-Host]

I don't have to worry about the stress. I can just go.

[Producer or Additional Host]

Why don't you get outside and grab one of these woolie things?

[Show Host]

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. If they are well fed that day and they're happy and they leave, they don't. The story doesn't matter.

[Co-Host]

I'm just gonna go put a couple of plates of what I have in the freezer and then just open them up, put them in the microwave.

[Show Host]

Totally. Okay.

[Producer or Additional Host]

You just gotta make sure that you take, like, any park 75 wrapping or receipts and throw it away in your neighbor's garbage. Cause that's the last thing you want is them opening your garbage can be

[Co-Host]

like, what is this restaurant?

[Show Host]

Eugene, Chef Hopkins, what do you have going on at the restaurant for. For Thanksgiving?

[Chef Hopkins]

Well, we're closed for our staff at Eugene and Holman Finch, which is good, But I just wanted to shout out that I'm all on board on this hotline.

[Show Host]

I think, are you good?

[Chef Hopkins]

I'm a native Atlantan, so I don't care if you're from California or Rhode Island. It's a bad thing.

[Show Host]

Okay, so you know that you have a responsibility now. When somebody comes, this is an ethical duty. Okay. Thank you. All the recipes up online q100atlanta.com and the Four Seasons wants you to know. Look, if you don't want to do the cooking yourself, just stop by there. They'll make the turkey for you. You get credit. That's awesome. Thanks for coming in, guys. Appreciate it.

[Chef Hopkins]

This is the Birch show

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