any ideas for budget christmas food?

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

I get the smart price stuffing from Asda 18p a packet-tastes lovely and not salty etc. HM is lovely though :rolleyes:

PP
xx

joannasmum

Hi
My mum always did Jacket spuds on boxing day to pad out the buffet and fill everybody up. What about making some coleslaw shreaded cabbage and grated carrott with a mixture of mayo and salad cream on yummy. I'm going to make a Yule log for DH as he doesnt like fruit based desserts like pudding

HTH

rchddap1

Boxing day at my parents house is a 'eat all the left over food from Xmas day' fest. Mum sits down and does nothing. Dad potters about. WHilst my OH & I, my sister and her partner (+ my nephew) delve through the fridge & cupboards and eat whatever we can find.

Sarahsaver

boxing day at nanna's was always very old style traditional meat, like boiled ham (quite cheap) a tongue which she had pressed and prepared herself, and a selection of her knock yer block off pickles, picalilli etc.
theres not much difference in price between economy stuffing and HM, or you could get a pack of cheapo sausagemeat and mix it with stuffing to make it more substantial.
I have NEVER served brandy butter or bread sauce as i never had them as a kid, and only tried them for the 1st time 2 years ago.
Save money when making mince pies/make pastry go further by putting a cross or a star on the top therefore using less pastry. You can usually dilute shop bought mincemeat with a little brandy, whisky or fruit juice.
If there is something nobody likes don't get it! Like the dreaded sprouts (love em myself) or swede.
If you like something a lot have it and make it your own tradition. Mum always has onion bhajis with xmas dinner.
You could get a load of turkey legs and have a leg each instead of a whole bird, (less cooking time) and still have plenty of bones left to make a stock the next day!

[Deleted User]

An inexpensive yule log can be made by buying a nice cholcolate swiss roll from Tescos for about 60p and a bar of valu white chocolate and melt the chocolate over either a basin of hot water or in the microwave then pour it over the swiss roll so it looks like snow and top with odd christmas ornaments. If you get a couple of small mini swiss rolls and stand them upright at either end and pour melted white chocolate onto them they will look like candles.
Make an open mince tart with latticed pastry instead of a lid and sprinkle icing sugar like snow onto that
Make an apple pie and sprinkle with icing sugar instead of sugar(snowy effect)
a pinch of herbs onto home made sausage rolls makes them a bit tastier also a sprinkle of value red cheese on top of the egg glaze on the sausage rolls gives them a bit more appeal
Instead of xmas pud how about a steamed chocolate pud with again a dusting of icing sugar
or failing that if anyone doesn't like what you have been generous enough to cook tell them to go home and get their own.
A nice egg and bacon or cheese quich is a tasty alternative to over-rich food. My late husband loved a plate of bangers and mash on boxing day with some bubble & squeek. left over sprouts or cabbage with some chopped up onion is cheap and tasty.
Remember it's YOUR day as well
Have a lovely Christmas

HOLsale

Chipps wrote:

How about a fruit salad as an alternative dessert? Using a mixture of tinned & fresh fruit it can be quite cheap if you stick with fairly "ordinary" fruit, then add just one sliced star fruit for a festive look!

!

we always do a fruit salad for our christmas breakfast it's really nice and as mentioned can be done cheaply

don't know if you live near an ikea but they sell elderflower cordial for £1 per bottle. it's concentrate and if you add a splash of that to your fruit salad it really jazzes it up a bit

also you can then use it to make elderflower cordial for your teetotalers and kids since it's a concentrate it goes a decent way

HOLsale

sorry, just thought of another really nice desert you can do with the elderflower cordial

put some fancy conserve or jam in the bottom of a juice glass/tumbler

top with greek yogurt then put a decent splash of elderflower cordial on top

lidl sells the most delicious cherry jam ever for only 59p jar and you can get store brand greek yogurt for about 99p for a big container so this is a cheap but really tasty dessert

you could also use it for breakfast if you wanted

superscotsman

The cheapest Christmas dinner you can have is to get yourself invited to someone else's house.

There is an old trick of mine. You go to the supermarket late on Christmas eve, and you will find that they have knocked ££££££s off the fresh poultry. It might be a turkey, it might be a chicken or two. Who cares? The surprise and anticipation is all part of the Christmas spirit.

Christmas puddings, chocolate coins, santa's special xmas ale, blue stilton, pate de foie gras etc taste just as good after Christmas, as they do on Christmas Day or St Stephen's Day. They are just cheaper, and the supermarkets are only too glad to get rid of them.

beachbeth

No one in our family is keen on Christmas pud or Christmas cake so I always make a big sherry trifle and buy Sainsburys Chocolate Yule log (you could make your own as suggested before though).

You could make a nice big trifle (or two!) quite cheaply. I take half a pack of trifle sponges and sandwich with raspberry jam. Soak these with sherry mixed with a little orange squash and then top with raspberry jelly chopped up, followed by vanilla blancmange, custard and then cream - yum! You could make one sherry trifle and one with just jelly for the kids!

Lillibet_2

If I'd already made a Christmas cake, pudding & mince pies I'd feel quite justified in buying a ready made something else for the freezer in case of picky guests...if they want healthy home made they can overcome their objections & eat mine or if not they still have the option of something else, all be it bought. Ice cream is always a safe bet & never goes to waste, or else Tesco has it's frozen desserts on 2 for £3 at the mo:o:D

Make/get in some rolls & have these stuffed with leftovers & ham & cheese for Xmas night, followed by leftover pudding.

For Boxing day we care having chicken chasseure made in the slow cooker for evening dinner, nice & cheap & minimal work. For lunch we are having a Indian/Chinese buffett with veggie samosas, onion barjies, all sorts of spring rolls, prawn toasts & nan bread (Tesco also have their Indian & Chinese party selection packs on 2 for £2:o Well, it is Christmas:rotfl:)

HTH