"When's dinner? What are we having?" one of my kids will ask as I get home from work.

About once a month, the answer is, "Thanksgiving. It'll be ready in a half-hour."

In our house, Thanksgiving is not a once-a-year event that requires eight hours of cooking. It's a simple meal that I can have on the table in 30 minutes.

It includes all the main components of a traditional Thanksgiving, without all the fuss. I use turkey breast cutlets instead of a whole bird, canned cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy from mixes, and microwaved potatoes. Enough food for four people costs less than $20.

I was pleasantly surprised by how good they all were. Gradually, this instant Thanksgiving became a staple as a weeknight family meal.

But there's no reason you couldn't go with the 30-minute version on Thanksgiving. This is an easy way to celebrate with all the traditional trimmings.

A step-by-step plan for a scaled-down Thanksgiving dinner you can make in 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 medium white potatoes

4 turkey breast cutlets

1 stick butter

Box of prepared heat-and-eat stuffing

Packet of just-add-water gravy mix

14-ounce can cranberry sauce

30 minutes until supper

Turn on the oven broiler.

Clean the potatoes and cut away any eyes or other imperfections. One at a time, start microwaving the potatoes. They're ready when a fork can be inserted easily. Medium potatoes take about 5 minutes; add a minute or two for larger potatoes (times may vary by microwave).

While the potatoes cook, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the cutlets to the pan and cook 2 minutes per side, then set aside. Wrap cooked potatoes in foil to keep them warm.

20 minutes until supper

Make the stuffing according to package directions. This usually involves adding the stuffing mix to a bit of boiling water and letting it stand several minutes.

15 minutes until supper

Arrange the cutlets in a roasting pan (or disposable rectangular aluminum pan), along with any extra butter from the frying pan. Spoon the stuffing over the cutlets, covering them well to prevent

them from drying out while broiling.

Place the pan under the broiler. Once the stuffing has browned, about 1 minute, remove the pan and cover with foil. Return the pan to the broiler for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the turkey is

cooked through.

10 minutes until supper

The final potato should be in the microwave.

Make the gravy according to package directions. This usually involves combining the mix with cold water and heating it in a small saucepan. Transfer the finished gravy to a pitcher or gravy boat.

Open the can of cranberry sauce and spoon into a serving bowl.

5 minutes left

Set the table and arrange the turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes and cranberry sauce for serving.

A FEW EXTRAS

If you have an extra 10 minutes, consider the following additions:

• Before you begin the other preparations, prepare a box of cornbread mix according to package directions. Baking time is about 20 minutes, so you want to put that in the oven before anything else.

Consider baking it in a greased cast-iron frying pan. It will turn golden-brown, and removes easily from the pan if cut into pie-shaped wedges. It cooks up even faster if you preheat the frying pan on top of the stove or in the oven before putting the cornbread mixture in.

• Prepare a simple salad of bagged greens, cherry tomato and cucumber with bottled dressing.

• Enhance your out-of-the-box stuffing. Chop up half an onion, a couple of mushrooms and a stalk of celery. Sauté the vegetables in butter with 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme, then add the water and stuffing mix.

BY BETH J. HARPAZ