Lidl/Aldi for Christmas dinner

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We are hosting Christmas this year for 5 adults and 2 kids. Looking to keep costs down. I've never done my Christmas shop at Aldi or Lidl but just started doing weekly shop in Aldi. Any tips for what's good? What to avoid? When to do the shop? Obviously can't just do delivery or click and collect. When should I get my turkey? Will they run out?

Thanks.

Fresh Turkeys in store from 19th Dec. They will all have the same best by date on of 26th Dec throughout the week so buy early if you want more choice. Aldi always do a very good free range bronze turkey for about £45

I've never left it so late to buy a turkey. I would be nervous. Can always get there for opening on the 19th I suppose.

Have a look at the Good Housekeeping taste tests. There were a number of things from Aldi and Lidl that came out really well. I think a beef rib from Aldi and the pigs in blankets from Lidl were top in their categories. Also the champagne from Lidl which is a bargain £10

Brilliant thanks. I'd heard about pigs in blankets being good.

We’ve done our full Xmas shop including turkey from Aldi the past 3 years. Usually go around the 21st-22nd and never had to go elsewhere for out of stock items. Their turkeys are excellent quality, as are all the specially selected range of stuffing, pigs in blankets etc. We also get a tonne of frozen canapés for late morning.

They are supermarkets. They sell food. So I should imagine buying food for Christmas Dinner should be fine. But if you really want to save money think of foods you always buy at Xmas and think do we really need this? Is this something special that we really really like or are we having it because it's Christmas and we are 'meant' to? People buy so much food because it's Xmas yet half of it they don't really like that much.

We do our regular food shopping at a mixture of Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Aldi. As a general rule we've always preferred Aldi to Lidl. With regards to Christmas bits, I think you could get everything from Aldi and it would be fine. For nice Christmas bits, we particularly like their breaded Camembert, smoked salmon, and mince pies.
There is one exception to my preference for Aldi: the fresh Norfolk Black turkeys at Lidl are amazing. Free range, really good price. We've had one every year since 2012 (when we discovered them) and every single one has been moist and full of flavour. Can't go wrong.

Lidl's Christmas bits are amazing. Lidl is our regular shop and it's a struggle from now onwards not to fill up the trolley with stollen bites, speculatius biscuits, mince pies and other assorted Christmas stuff. The pannettone is also great. We go and visit family who are committed Waitrose shoppers and their stuff is not as good. Lidl has to sell this stuff to Germans and Italians so it has to be up to scratch.

I buy all the veg there as well - never had a problem. They also stock fancy bits like flower sprouts and so on.

Wine from the Wine Tour section is usually v good. There is a guide to it on the website.

Have bought most of their frozen Christmas meat over the years as I buy massively over Christmas and then we eat it slowly over the next few months. If you can cook, it will be good.

Fresh turkeys do sell out - you would need to be in store early to get one.

Aldi Christmas pud- we had the delux one last year- it has lots of cherries on top- and it is delicious.

I bought a frozen nut roast from Lidl last year (DH,DD and I are vegetarians).
It was really nice, crunchy nuts, carrot . Much nicer than loads of the other herby stuffing ones.
Handy to have if there's any vegetatian in the party.

Can't comment on meat (obvs )

Aldi have their Christmas food catalogue out now and it looks great. Last year they did this amazing orange brioche ring topped with crunchy sugar bits and it was divine. Only thing with Aldi is I am getting fed up with their potatoes, half the time they are black inside. But that might just be an issue with my shop.

I buy my Christmas turkey on Christmas Eve! Don't have fridge space for it. I have yet to be without a turkey. I'm a bit at fancy turkeys (bronze etc). If you pimp them up with tons of butter & herbs under the skin they turn out just perfectly. Also cook properly & baste often. I only ever get dry turkey if I forget & overcook.

Oooh, I bought the nut roast from Lidl and it was nice!

Last year I bought everything for our Christmas dinner from Lidl. It was all great except the turkey. The year before I’d bought an Aldi one and that was lovely!

A well- cooked cheap turkey tastes better than an overcooked expensive one. Even a frozen one is fine if cooked properly. A few slices on a plate that will be eaten in a matter of minutes isn't worth breaking the bank over.

We experimented with a Lidl frozen turkey crown last Sunday. Yes, I know, heresy on MN. We have usually done the Nigella in brine thing with a posh turkey for Christmas, but everyone loved the Lidl crown and want it for 25 Dec. I am a veggie so have no opinion. DH is head chef here so he will probably go for it again in the light of last week.

Today we are awaiting DS1's in laws from Brazil, and I have constructed the Lidl Crocembouche , always a great and spectacular hit.

Which? had Lidl as best supermarket fresh turkeys, so worth a trip.

Aldi had some lovely desserts and alternative dishes in too, like a turkey wellington.

I'm clearing the freezer to make some space for some party food etc.

Just been round Lidl, had to drag DH away from the wall of Christmas.

Was reminded that last year we had the frozen goose crown for 2. No, it wasn't like spending ££££ on a goose from the butchers but it was v nice indeed as was the risotto from the leftovers.

Aldi champagne (around £12) was voted Which Best Buy.

I love Lidl panettone and Aldi Christmas pudding. Am looking to spend less this year despite hosting a family member so might look at them for my turkey.
I usually order one from Sainsbury’s but last year picked one up on Christmas Eve afternoon that still saves me money despite losing my £20 deposit on the one I ordered.
Not sure I’d be brave enough to leave it until just before closing again though.

Lidl Xmas pud is good, as is the chocolate for stocking fillers. The veg is fine if you eat it within a couple days. Their macarons are very nice. If you normally buy lots of booze, that's where you can really save.