Few say cost will make Thanksgiving smaller

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Eating Thanksgiving dinner will cost Americans significantly more - thirteen percent more than last year.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost of feeding ten people this Thanksgiving has climbed from last year's price of about $43 to more than $49.

The biggest budget-busting purchase is the turkey. The price of the bird has climbed 22 percent since last year.

Despite the added cost, many Valley residents say they still plan to eat well this Thanksgiving.

Lines for pie... lines for turkey... Lines for complete turkey dinners. The Marie Calendars restaurant in Northeast Fresno has taken 200 pre-orders for Thanksgiving dinners.

Across town at Whole Foods Market, they've taken 800 orders for turkey and all the trimmings.

Across the country, 14 million Americans will dine out, 16 million will order take out, but the majority of Americans will cook - and they'll cook turkey.

"You want to make sure you have enough turkey for everybody, and it's usually a pound and a half per person," chef Hillary Hanson of Whole Foods Market said.

Hanson says everyone seems to have a favorite turkey recipe, from deep frying to covering the bird with bacon, and although she turns out hundreds of roasted birds at Whole Foods, she likes turkey soaked in brine.

Experts say to cook an unstuffed turkey takes fifteen minutes per pound. Stuffed turkeys take longer.

Willie Mazeke - a Fresno butcher - says the secret to Thanksgiving is not the turkey, but his mom's special muffin recipe, made with turkey sausage and cornbread.

"They come out little turkey apple cranberry stuffing muffins and you can eat it along with your turkey, pour a little gravy on it if you like, or you can eat them separately, just by themselves, warm or cold the next day. I'm telling you, it's a party in your belly when you get through eating those!" he said.

Whether it's muffins or roasted turkey, many valley residents don't mind doling out the extra dollars for a good home cooked meal.

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holiday, local, liz harrison

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