WITH the average spend this festive season more than £700 for decorations, gifts, food and drink, keeping the cost of Christmas dinner down is a wise idea.
One mum has revealed how you can feed eight people for lunch on the big day for less £30 – including serving up a roast chicken and homemade stuffing.
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Chantelle Ellem, from New South Wales in Australia, has shared her guide to a budget Christmas dinner on her popular blog Fat Mum Slim.
“It’s easy to go overboard at Christmas time, and that often ends in stress. It’s not necessary, you can have fun, entertain loved ones and not break the bank,” she wrote in a new post.
The mum-of-two recommends keeping costs down by planning ahead, shopping for food online and choosing own-brand products.
Her thrifty shopping list includes ingredients for roast chicken.
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Compared to other type of meat, it is more friendly on the purse, Chantelle says.
For one chicken she made homemade stuffing with day-old bread, and the other she stuffed with lemon to add flavour.
The mum also reveals the side dishes she’s cooking to accompany them.
However, rather than the usual Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, veggies and pigs in blankets, she’s serving up a festive dinner with a twist.
Chantelle’s shopping list
The thrifty mum purchased her groceries in Australia, but we’ve sourced the UK equivalents…
Whole chicken x 2 – £4.10 from Sainsbury’s
Lemon – 25p from Sainsbury’s
Stuffing mix – 75p from Ocado
Salted butter (250g) x 2 – £3.20 from Tesco
Brushed potatoes – £1.56 from Waitrose
Whipping cream (thickened cream) – £1.10 from Tesco
Grated cheese – £1.90 from Tesco
Broccoli – 46p from Waitrose
Full fat milk (full cream milk) – £1.09 from Tesco
Cauliflower – £1 from Sainsbury’s
Plain flour – 54p from Waitrose
Crinkle cut chips – £1.29 from Waitrose
Couscous – 70p from Waitrose
Olive oil – £2.50 from Tesco
Butternut squash (butternut pumpkin) – £1 from Tesco
Red onion – 21p from Tesco
Maple syrup – £4 from Sainsbury’s
Baby spinach – £1.10 from Waitrose
Homebake petit pains (bake at home bread rolls) – £1 from Tesco
Lemon tart – £3 from Tesco
Total cost – £30.75
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This includes a yummy potato bake, cauliflower and broccoli bake, a maple roasted pumpkin and couscous salad, and a lemon tart.
She details the full recipes on her website Fat Mum Slim.
In other Christmas news, we told you all the signs you’re enjoying a “common” festive season.
We also revealed how Home Bargains shoppers have been wowed by their Christmas bedding that’s ideal for duvet days.
And the royal family have shared their recipe for festive cinnamon stars with fans on Instagram.
