The Banner Table: Chicken drumstick traybake for four for about $10.55

Feeds 4 · About $10.55 for the meal · About $2.64 a serving · Ready in about 1 hour

This week's Banner Table comes from a single stop. The Owen Sound Food Basics flyer has fresh chicken drumsticks at $3 a pound, and bags of Ontario carrots, Ontario yellow onions and Canadian russet potatoes for $1 each. Put them on one pan in a hot oven and you have a filling supper for four.

What it costs

Ingredient	Amount used	Price used (Food Basics flyer, Oct. 29–Nov. 4)	Cost used
Chicken drumsticks (Maple Leaf Prime family pack)	3 lb, about 9 or 10 drumsticks	$3.00 / lb	$9.00
Russet potatoes	2 lb, about 4 medium	$1.00 / 5 lb bag	$0.40
Carrots	1 lb, about 5 or 6	$1.00 / 2 lb bag	$0.50
Yellow onions	1 lb, about 2 large	$1.00 / 2 lb bag	$0.50
Vegetable or canola oil (Saporito)	3 tbsp (45 mL)	$9.99 / 3 L	$0.15
Salt, pepper, dried thyme or paprika	to taste	pantry	not costed
Total			$10.55
Per serving (4)			$2.64

Buying the full packages costs $12.99 plus the drumsticks, which are sold by weight. That leaves 3 pounds of potatoes, a pound each of carrots and onions, and nearly all of the oil for other meals.

How to make it

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towel so the skin crisps.
2. Cut the scrubbed potatoes into chunks about the size of a walnut, the carrots into thick coins and the onions into wedges. Toss them on a large rimmed baking sheet (or two) with 2 tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper.
3. Rub the drumsticks with the last tablespoon of oil, then season with salt, pepper and a good pinch of thyme or paprika. Set them on top of the vegetables, spaced apart.
4. Roast for 25 minutes, then turn the drumsticks and stir the vegetables.
5. Roast 20 to 25 minutes more, until the skin is browned, the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through (see below). Let it rest 5 minutes before serving.

Food safety: Health Canada says poultry pieces such as drumsticks must reach an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Check the thickest drumstick near the bone, without touching the bone, rather than going by colour. Wash your hands, the board and the knife after handling raw chicken, and reheat leftovers to 74°C (165°F).

Allergens: The chicken, potatoes, carrots and onions contain none of the priority food allergens. Vegetable oil can be made from soybeans, so check the label if soy is a concern. The Food Basics drumstick price covers selected varieties, so if you pick up a seasoned or marinated pack, check its label too, along with any spice blend.

Stretch it, swap it, save it

• A penny less: The Owen Sound Zehrs flyer has family-size chicken drumsticks at $2.99 a pound this week, which saves about 3 cents on 3 pounds. It's only worth it if you're already shopping there.
• Cheaper oil: No Frills in Owen Sound has a 3-litre jug of Unico vegetable oil for $8.50 on its flyer this week, $1.49 less than the jug used here.
• Stretch it: Add another pound of potatoes (about 20 cents) and the rest of the carrots to feed five or six.
• Leftovers: Pull the meat off the bones and simmer it with the leftover vegetables, a chopped onion and water or broth for a quick soup, or fold it into a grilled sandwich.

Prices checked Oct. 29, 2026 in the Owen Sound Food Basics (1350 16th St. E.) flyer, valid Oct. 29–Nov. 4, and the Zehrs (1150 16th St. E.) and No Frills (1020 10th St. W.) flyers for the swaps, valid the same dates. Prices change weekly and may differ at the shelf.

Your turn: What does your family eat when money is tight? Send your cheap family recipes to news@chatsworthbanner.ca, and we may cook one in a future Banner Table.