Budget ideas for Christmas food and treats

[shreddednips]

This year I'm hosting Christmas for the first time. We will have 5 adults plus a baby for Christmas Eve dinner and then 8 adults plus baby for Christmas lunch.
We lost my lovely grandpa just after my baby son was born in January so it's our first Christmas without him and also my DS's first Christmas. I'm determined to make it special, especially as I know my mum is so sad her dad is no longer with us to celebrate.
We have a very limited budget. I've been busily squirrelling a little away here and there and have saved up a modest pot for buying Christmas food. I'm also planning on buying some stuff each week with the big shop to spread it out.
We shop at Aldi, Lidl and occasionally Tesco. Does anyone know any bargain Christmas products that are worth buying from these shops? I've found that Aldi bargains can be hit and miss so I'd be really grateful for recommendations, and any other budget Christmas catering ideas you have! Thanks 😊

Oh wow, I'm so grateful for you taking the time to give me all this advice! I'm writing down the key points and trying to come up with a plan.

I'm thinking maybe turkey crown as oven space is at a premium and I once had a terrible disaster cooking gammon. I don't think Christmas Day is the time to potentially repeat gammon-gate......

I'm a confident cook and pretty organised but everyone in our household is vegan or veggie, it's the grandparents and my auntie that are meat eaters. So I'm gratefully taking note of all advice relating to meat! I had considered doing veggie for everyone, my family wouldn't mind at al but I can't picture FIL tucking into a nut roast..

My aim is lunch around 2, and I want to get as much prep done as possible on Christmas Eve before people arrive. Kitchen is tiny and I have a wonderful but extremely flappy family. Although in theory having help in the kitchen sounds nice, I can't handle any flapping around. I also don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by turning down help so I'm hoping that on the day it will be as much a case of whacking everything in the oven or microwave as possible. Both sets are bringing a microwave, can you cook veg in them? I don't have one!

I have signed up to cash back sites but never used them, I'll have a look now!

If your turkey crown ends up being anywhere near £20 can I please just suggest one last time that a goose would be a much more delicious option, and is almost impossible to dry out - as opposed to turkey Crown - which makes it ideal when you’re busy cooking lots of different things (plus you get fabulous goose fat which you can gift to whichever meat eater(s) who might most appreciate it!

Can you get small geese? Sorry probably a daft question, I'm thinking oven space!

Turkey crown will be grand for 5 if (statement of the obvious) you buy one that’s big enough. I do a turkey crown for 8 adults and 3 children and admittedly it’s a whopper from the butchers but it does Christmas day and leftovers

Stuffing / Jamie Oliver’s make ahead gravy / braised red cabbage I make ahead of the day and freeze.

Do you have a slow cooker? Or can you borrow one. Bung the gammon in the slow cooker, cover in cheap cola and leave it on low. Impossible to overcook, just do it for about 10 hours and you can’t go wrong.

Don’t microwave your veg. You are not going to need 2 microwaves. One is handy for your Christmas pudding but that’s it. Think about where you’re going to put them.

Have you got a steamer? You’ll get 3 lots of veg on one burner that way

Is your oven smaller than standard size? If so, by how much? You can get quite small geese. You might have to wedge it in to begin with but it shrinks pretty quickly as the fat renders.

Fair enough op but you can't do wrong with a boneless gammon joint in the slow cooker 😂 I literally just stick it in on low when I leave for work and 8+ hours later it's fine

Are you sure I can't muck it up??? I do have a slow cooker! Can you do any other meat joints in the slow cooker like lamb?

My oven is very small indeed, only two shelves. If I could do meat in the slow cooker then that would make it much easier as I'm not sure I even have room for meat/bird plus veggie main and roast potatoes in the oven at the same time.

Steamer is a good shout, much better idea than a microwave! Thank you

Aha, seems you can do lamb in a slow cooker.....I think that might be a winner!

You can do a Beef joint in the slow cooker. Chop one onion and 2 carrots and put at the bottom, then put joint on that and cover with 500ml boiling water with one beef stock pot in it. 3.5 hours on low.

That sounds ideal because it doesn't take too long and I know for a fact that all the meat eaters like it. This is good, I'm feeling positive that I can pull this off! But I'll get lots of booze in just in case, and some emergency sausages

When you are asking people to bring contributions, things like party crackers, napkins, crackers for cheese, cheeses, nibbles, Christmas pudding, brandy sauce/butter, alcohol, after dinner mints, mince pies, Christmas cake, chutneys and relishes, chocolates are easy for others to bring.

I'd get a very large chicken instead of a turkey for a fraction of the price. Baste it with herby garlic butter.I often do that if there aren;t too many of s aorund the table, and eveyrone is just as happy. Once you have the pigs in blankets and sausage meat stuffing balls, a large chicken is plenty.

Places like Wilko are already doing loads of cheap biscuits/crackers/chocolates etc so you could buy in advance and store them as they double in price nearer the day. Same with sparkling wine. Get it in Sober October when it's on offer.

That's a good idea. I'll make a list now and ask people to bring. I will ask my SIL to make a vegan pud to save space in the fridge.

I have found that Christmas can be very expensive if you end up panic buying loo roll, tin foil and other essentials in case you run short, or buying an array of different herbs and spices and condiments.

Keep a close eye on your store cupboard and supplies so you don’t end up buying everything at once. Even if it will all end up being used eventually it puts too much sudden stress on the budget.

I’m going to disagree with the goose recommendation. I love goose but I find you get relatively little meat for all the hassle of storing and cooking a big bird. Turkey is a good crowd feeder.

Measure your oven so you know what will fit and take the tape measure with you when you shop. Frozen will be cheaper and you can buy ahead of time if you need to spread the cost. But research the defrosting time (days rather than hours). Rub lemon and herb butter under and over the skin.

Frozen veg can work out very economically too because you have no waste and it cuts down hugely on the prep as well. If you have reasonable store cupboard you can make lovely sides. But if you’re going to have to buy a lot of ingredients only to use a single pinch, then it could be more economical to buy ready made sides.

A soup starter with bread will fill up your guests before the main meal which will help stretch the meat (and can be made ahead and frozen to take pressure off on Christmas Day). Or a boiled gammon could be cooked on the hob and that would mean you could manage with a smaller turkey. Allow loads of time for the gammon as you have to start it in cold water and bring it to boil and most recipes don’t tell you how long this part takes!

If your family are drinkers asking everyone to bring a bottle will help with a sizeable chunk of the budget.

Btw turkey benefits hugely from resting. I wrap it in tinfoil and swimming towels and leave it for an hour which frees up the oven for potatoes and veg.
You don’t have to try and cram all three in the oven at once!

Sorry! I sound like I’m pushing turkey! I don’t have any turkey farm shares, honest.
Other roast meats benefit from resting too. My point is that you can use the oven in stages.

I've just looked at good food and they have a more seasoned version of roast beef and cook it for much longer... might be better for it being a special occasion?

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-pot-roast

Lidls frozen turkeys are really good. We have turkey on boxing day and despite being a food snob this will be the third year I get one. Got a small one the first year and it fed 6 with not much leftover but now I get a medium so i can do stuff with the leftovers

Goose is a nightmare, loads of fat and greasy smoke. I wouldn't bother.

Sorry for loss op 💐
Lidi is amazing never had a duff product from them. I am not a cook at all but the slow cooked ham thing works. Put cinnamon coke in leave for ten hours we put it on Christmas eve am and eat after church in the evening.
Good luck 🍀

Ah, I hadn't thought of resting the turkey, that's a good point. I think it will be either turkey crown or the BBC slow cooker beef recipe. Will definitely ask for contributions of booze and soft drinks too, also means I don't have to store them in the run up! House is small so it will be a squeeze!

Buy the smallest turkey as that would feed 5 comfortably & give you enough leftovers without too much waste.

Try Cook ready made Christmas Dinner for 6/8 & supplement with extra trimmings.

Or buy your veg & trimmings weekly (Iceland do a good frozen range) & then buy the turkey on Xmas eve.