Christmas Catering on a Budget
Hosting Christmas dinner? Or perhaps Christmas Eve tea? Perhaps you're throwing a Christmas party early in December. Whatever you are hosting, you're on a budget - and you need to stick to it!
Don't despair - there are loads of great ideas for catering for the perfect Christmas celebration on a budget, and they're all from your fellow Cheapskaters, so you know they'll work.
Don't despair - there are loads of great ideas for catering for the perfect Christmas celebration on a budget, and they're all from your fellow Cheapskaters, so you know they'll work.
Budget for Christmas Day
I budget for Christmas by making a list of the foods I will need for Christmas Day including what is needed to make any foods on the day, ie Turkey, Ham, lollies, chips, tins of food and other non perishables etc and each week for about 12 weeks leading up to Christmas I buy one or two items from the list (depending on how expensive they are) when I do my weekly shopping and I put them away in a box in the pantry out of sight of our four children. It is much easier to find an extra couple of dollars each week with the regular shopping rather than go our and do one whole shop closer to Christmas for everything. It is always a great surprise to open the box at Christmas and see how much we have put in it.
Contributed by Kelli-Jo
Contributed by Kelli-Jo
Ask Guests to Contribute
It depends on how 'proud' you are. Work out your menu and then cost it. If it comes to more than your budget ring your family, explain the situation and ask them to bring some of the 'luxury' items, anything you don't need to prepare in advance. I don't think its unreasonable to ask them to contribute to the festivities as you will be doing most of the planning and preparation work.
Contributed by Jo
Contributed by Jo
Have a Finger Food Lunch
I know what its like to be able to have a lovely Christmas dinner with the family while on a tight budget. What we do now is not have a proper sit down lunch/dinner, instead we all pitch in with some item of food. We now have pick food since many have a proper breakfast, ours is usually ham, eggs, tomato & onion gravy served on toast. eg. someone will make a Cob Loaf Dip, this cob loaf can be bought for 90c at Woolies when near closing time, cherrios, homemade pinwheel sandwiches, fruit, etc. No one worries about doing this as we all have probs with money through Christmas. We all have a great time, kids and all as no one feels as they should eat what is in front of them, so they are all relaxed and happy. We do this type of thing even during the year for BBQ's, Birthdays, etc. Hope you all have a great and happy Christmas and stress free.
Contributed by Kerry
Contributed by Kerry
Don't Over-cater
Try not to over-cater to avoid spending any more than you have to. I hosted Christmas last year for the first time for a group of 18 (including children) and made notes afterwards about the quantities required. Here is what I found: - Turkey, whole - about 350gm per adult (ie a 3.5kg uncooked bird will feed about 10 adults when cooked) - Boneless ham, cooked, about 60grams per person served with another meat plus vegetables - Greens, 40grams per person - Baked vegetables, 3 pieces per person - Pudding, a standard sized pudding will easily feed 12 adults Other options are to cook a chicken (or two) instead of a turkey, and if your family isn't that keen on pudding, serve icecream instead - or any other dessert that's inexpensive to make, such as trifle (a good Christmas dessert if made with a splash of sherry!) or pavlova. Given that you have about 8 weeks until Christmas, perhaps it's possible to trim your regular grocery budget a little (drop off one or two items, substitute a few store brands, eat vegetarian one night a week) so that you can stock up on drinks, nuts, chocolates and other treats - the supermarkets are now full of these products.
Contributed by Emma
Contributed by Emma
An Aussie Alternative to the Traditional Christmas Dinner
A nice cheap dish is a cooked chicken pulled apart and a jar of Kantong sweet and sour with plum sauce served with rice.
I also buy the small champagne hams for around $10 - $14 at any supermarket. There is a lot of ham on them and serves a lot of people.
Pasta salad is also nice and it is cheap and to dress it up. If your family like seafood just add some crabsticks cut up small to it and celery and a small tin of prawns or salmon mixed in with it.
Make your own coleslaw, that way it makes a fair amount and use the cheap brand mayonnaises to mix in all your salads.
Make some meatballs, but if having a barbeque my husband makes his own rissoles and we just have sausages with that and the rissoles are always the first to go everytime.
Make your own chocolates in moulds. I travel to Metford near East Maitland to Prydes lolly factory and buy their lollies and chocolates, they quite often have lolly seconds and I mix them in with other lollies. They have quite a wide variety. Also their own Christmasmas mix available by the kilo. It is worth having a look.
Any alcohol I get my visitors to bring with them; that way they are drinking what they like and can bring their own spirits, and it is so much cheaper; people don't mind taking their own and it seems to be the accepted way at parties now.
Potato bake is also another good thing. Slice potatoes thinly and par cook, drain and put into casserole dish and make up a french onion dip and add some milk to it. Don't add too much or it will make potato too runny and it won't set, pour over potato in dish and add grated cheese on top and bake in oven for around 15 - 20 mins till cheese browns.
Contributed by Jill
I also buy the small champagne hams for around $10 - $14 at any supermarket. There is a lot of ham on them and serves a lot of people.
Pasta salad is also nice and it is cheap and to dress it up. If your family like seafood just add some crabsticks cut up small to it and celery and a small tin of prawns or salmon mixed in with it.
Make your own coleslaw, that way it makes a fair amount and use the cheap brand mayonnaises to mix in all your salads.
Make some meatballs, but if having a barbeque my husband makes his own rissoles and we just have sausages with that and the rissoles are always the first to go everytime.
Make your own chocolates in moulds. I travel to Metford near East Maitland to Prydes lolly factory and buy their lollies and chocolates, they quite often have lolly seconds and I mix them in with other lollies. They have quite a wide variety. Also their own Christmasmas mix available by the kilo. It is worth having a look.
Any alcohol I get my visitors to bring with them; that way they are drinking what they like and can bring their own spirits, and it is so much cheaper; people don't mind taking their own and it seems to be the accepted way at parties now.
Potato bake is also another good thing. Slice potatoes thinly and par cook, drain and put into casserole dish and make up a french onion dip and add some milk to it. Don't add too much or it will make potato too runny and it won't set, pour over potato in dish and add grated cheese on top and bake in oven for around 15 - 20 mins till cheese browns.
Contributed by Jill
Keep it Simple
Don't spend hours in the kitchen preparing a big roast which heats up the kitchen and uses loads of electricity!
Cold meats are most acceptable. A slice of roast turkey, ham and pork each (maybe two for the big guys) from the deli and lots of veges.
Buy one 500gm bag each of generic brand beans, peas and corn kernals. A pumpkin, bag of potatoes, bag of carrots, a head of broccoli and a head of cauliflower from your local greengrocer.
Dessert - nothing wrong with a yummy dark fruit cake with homemade brandy custard (you can buy brandy essence at the supermarket) and whipped cream - all generic of course!
For treats and bon bon fillers our Salvo Family Stores sell big bags of packaged up toys for between $2 and $5. Make your own.
A few bags of, you guessed it, generic chips and lollies, some crusty bread and dip (cream cheese and sweet chilli sauce, cheap and yummy).
However, don't skimp on the gravy. Buy a good quality brand that you know tastes great.
Ask your guests to bring drinks - suggest generic brand (or Aldi) flavoured mineral waters and two or three bottles of wine (Butterfly Ridge are cheap and are great tasting and great value). I hope this helps!
Contributed by Bronwyn
Cold meats are most acceptable. A slice of roast turkey, ham and pork each (maybe two for the big guys) from the deli and lots of veges.
Buy one 500gm bag each of generic brand beans, peas and corn kernals. A pumpkin, bag of potatoes, bag of carrots, a head of broccoli and a head of cauliflower from your local greengrocer.
Dessert - nothing wrong with a yummy dark fruit cake with homemade brandy custard (you can buy brandy essence at the supermarket) and whipped cream - all generic of course!
For treats and bon bon fillers our Salvo Family Stores sell big bags of packaged up toys for between $2 and $5. Make your own.
A few bags of, you guessed it, generic chips and lollies, some crusty bread and dip (cream cheese and sweet chilli sauce, cheap and yummy).
However, don't skimp on the gravy. Buy a good quality brand that you know tastes great.
Ask your guests to bring drinks - suggest generic brand (or Aldi) flavoured mineral waters and two or three bottles of wine (Butterfly Ridge are cheap and are great tasting and great value). I hope this helps!
Contributed by Bronwyn
Cheap Ideas for the Christmas Banquet
You don't want to spend the whole day cooking....I plan ahead and make salads the day before. Then on the day we have a baked dinner for lunch, with salad for the evening. This means one cooking task and I can relax for the rest of the day. The cheapest baked dinner I know is to make two meatloaves, and bake 2 or 3 chickens up. Buy a large alfoil baking dish (no washing up)....two meatloaves will fit nicely in if you put them in crosswise instead of lengthways.
BBQ Meatloaf
Ingredients:
500g sausage mince
500g minced beef
1 cup stuffing mix (preferably sage and onion)
2 chopped onions
1 beaten egg
1 dessertspoon curry powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Mix together thoroughly with clean, wet hands. Place into the baking dish, making a mounded shape. Dry hands. Pat plain flour over the surface of the meatloaf. Any which sticks can be easily removed by rubbing hands with a little of the flour. Make two of these because they can be used cold with salad, or as sandwich fillings. Bake 30 minutes at 180 degrees celsius. Meantime make the bbq sauce.
BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon margarine.
Bring to the boil in a saucepan and then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour this over the meatloaves, and cook for a further 40-45 minutes. Baste frequently. For savouries I make up 1 carton of sour cream with 1/2 packet generic french onion soup. This is best left to set in the fridge. I also make a dip from spreadable cream cheese, mixed with generic corn relish. Mock chicken also makes a great dip or can be used to fill breadcases.
Breadcases
Remove crust from a loaf of bread, and brush one side with melted margarine. Press gently into muffin pan, buttered side out. Place in 180 degree Celsius oven, and cook until brown and crisp. Can be stored in tin inside your freezer beforehand.
Mock Chicken
1 large tomato (drop into hot water until the skin starts to split, then cold water, and remove skin) 1 small chopped onion 1 tablespoon margarine 1 teaspoon mixed herbs salt to taste 1 tablespoon grated cheese 1 beaten egg Fry the onion in the margarine, then add other ingredients except egg. Cook until tender. Add beaten egg, but DO NOT boil.
Cheap savouries can be made by buying a packet of generic puff pastry sheets. You cut 3 sheets into 4 x 4 rectangles, when partially thawed. Allow to finish thawing, then press gently into a shallow patty cake baking tray. Drop 1/2 teaspoon generic salsa dip into each pastry. Sprinkle over with a small amount of grated tasty cheese. Bake at 180 degrees celsius for about 10 minutes.
A nice punch can be made by using a large bowl and combining 2 tins fruit salad in natural juice 1 litre pure fruit juice 1.25 litre bottle generic lemonade 1.25 litre bottle generic dry ginger ale. I make it up 1/2 at a time so it doesnt go flat. Alternatively, you can buy generic soda water and add to cordial to make your own soft drinks.
Dessert can be made using a double unfilled sponge to make trifle. You cut up the sponge into squares, dribble over about 1/2 cup sherry (use fruit juice if you are teetotaller). One sponge will make 3 bowls of trifle. Mix up 3 different jellies, using only 1 cup hot water each. Dribble over the cake using the back of a tablespoon to spread the jelly so that it doesnt break up the cake. When set, cover with tinned fruit. Pour 1 litre of custard over the three bowls. Top with whipped cream.
The table can be made festive if you set it with a white tablescloth and then put a coloured tablescloth on top cornerwise. Coloured serviettes look good too, and need not be expensive. If you save the empty toilet rolls or empty hand towel tubes, you can make up poporn the old fashioned way (in a covered saucepan), fill the tubes, wrap in red or green crepe paper, and tie the ends with a bow. Much cheaper than bon bons, and much better than those party hats which fall apart!
Dinner at night at our house is usually salads, with the second meatloaf, cold chicken, and a seafood salad.
Seafood Salad
Ingredients:
1 kg seafood extender (from the Coles or Woolies deli)
3 stalks celery, finely sliced
1 red capsicum, finely sliced into pieces about 2 cm long
1/2 cup mayonnaise mixed with 2-3 tablespoons tomato sauce and 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce. Adjust to suit taste.
For salads we make up a pasta salad using 1/2 cooked pasta and 1/2 cooked mixed vegetables.
Curried rice salad, using 3 cups cooked rice, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 finely chopped onion, 2 diced red apples (leave skin on), 2 stalks diced celery, 3 tablespoon sultanas, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 diced capsicum, and add 1/2 cup italian dressing. Best made the day before.
A mixed green salad with quartered tomatoes and sliced cucumber.
A second dessert can be made if necessary using a jelly made up with one cup boiling water, and let cool but not set. Beat up a tin of carnation milk in a large bowl until it forms peaks. Fold through the jelly (gently), and add 1/2 cup coconut. Put in fridge to set. I hope this helps.
Contributed by Lesley
BBQ Meatloaf
Ingredients:
500g sausage mince
500g minced beef
1 cup stuffing mix (preferably sage and onion)
2 chopped onions
1 beaten egg
1 dessertspoon curry powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Mix together thoroughly with clean, wet hands. Place into the baking dish, making a mounded shape. Dry hands. Pat plain flour over the surface of the meatloaf. Any which sticks can be easily removed by rubbing hands with a little of the flour. Make two of these because they can be used cold with salad, or as sandwich fillings. Bake 30 minutes at 180 degrees celsius. Meantime make the bbq sauce.
BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon margarine.
Bring to the boil in a saucepan and then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour this over the meatloaves, and cook for a further 40-45 minutes. Baste frequently. For savouries I make up 1 carton of sour cream with 1/2 packet generic french onion soup. This is best left to set in the fridge. I also make a dip from spreadable cream cheese, mixed with generic corn relish. Mock chicken also makes a great dip or can be used to fill breadcases.
Breadcases
Remove crust from a loaf of bread, and brush one side with melted margarine. Press gently into muffin pan, buttered side out. Place in 180 degree Celsius oven, and cook until brown and crisp. Can be stored in tin inside your freezer beforehand.
Mock Chicken
1 large tomato (drop into hot water until the skin starts to split, then cold water, and remove skin) 1 small chopped onion 1 tablespoon margarine 1 teaspoon mixed herbs salt to taste 1 tablespoon grated cheese 1 beaten egg Fry the onion in the margarine, then add other ingredients except egg. Cook until tender. Add beaten egg, but DO NOT boil.
Cheap savouries can be made by buying a packet of generic puff pastry sheets. You cut 3 sheets into 4 x 4 rectangles, when partially thawed. Allow to finish thawing, then press gently into a shallow patty cake baking tray. Drop 1/2 teaspoon generic salsa dip into each pastry. Sprinkle over with a small amount of grated tasty cheese. Bake at 180 degrees celsius for about 10 minutes.
A nice punch can be made by using a large bowl and combining 2 tins fruit salad in natural juice 1 litre pure fruit juice 1.25 litre bottle generic lemonade 1.25 litre bottle generic dry ginger ale. I make it up 1/2 at a time so it doesnt go flat. Alternatively, you can buy generic soda water and add to cordial to make your own soft drinks.
Dessert can be made using a double unfilled sponge to make trifle. You cut up the sponge into squares, dribble over about 1/2 cup sherry (use fruit juice if you are teetotaller). One sponge will make 3 bowls of trifle. Mix up 3 different jellies, using only 1 cup hot water each. Dribble over the cake using the back of a tablespoon to spread the jelly so that it doesnt break up the cake. When set, cover with tinned fruit. Pour 1 litre of custard over the three bowls. Top with whipped cream.
The table can be made festive if you set it with a white tablescloth and then put a coloured tablescloth on top cornerwise. Coloured serviettes look good too, and need not be expensive. If you save the empty toilet rolls or empty hand towel tubes, you can make up poporn the old fashioned way (in a covered saucepan), fill the tubes, wrap in red or green crepe paper, and tie the ends with a bow. Much cheaper than bon bons, and much better than those party hats which fall apart!
Dinner at night at our house is usually salads, with the second meatloaf, cold chicken, and a seafood salad.
Seafood Salad
Ingredients:
1 kg seafood extender (from the Coles or Woolies deli)
3 stalks celery, finely sliced
1 red capsicum, finely sliced into pieces about 2 cm long
1/2 cup mayonnaise mixed with 2-3 tablespoons tomato sauce and 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce. Adjust to suit taste.
For salads we make up a pasta salad using 1/2 cooked pasta and 1/2 cooked mixed vegetables.
Curried rice salad, using 3 cups cooked rice, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 finely chopped onion, 2 diced red apples (leave skin on), 2 stalks diced celery, 3 tablespoon sultanas, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 diced capsicum, and add 1/2 cup italian dressing. Best made the day before.
A mixed green salad with quartered tomatoes and sliced cucumber.
A second dessert can be made if necessary using a jelly made up with one cup boiling water, and let cool but not set. Beat up a tin of carnation milk in a large bowl until it forms peaks. Fold through the jelly (gently), and add 1/2 cup coconut. Put in fridge to set. I hope this helps.
Contributed by Lesley