Including a Christmas day menu for the whole family
Finding the perfect budget Christmas day starters that the whole family will enjoy isn’t easy, especially if you’re on a budget. You can be festive and frugal while giving your guests the best Christmas day dinner they’ve ever had!
All these Christmas dinner starters are quick and easy to prepare, some you can even make a week before.
A Delicious Christmas
Your Christmas dinner starters don’t have to break your budget and won’t if you use sites like Muscle Foods who offer premium meats and hampers*.
Last year, we needed to feed eight family members and took advantage of Muscle Foods Luxury Premium Turkey Hamper that was just £45, down from £73.50.
Feeding a large family at Christmas is no mean feat, but by being a bit savvy with your money, you can easily feed everyone within your price range.
Last year we fed eight of our family members for just £3.36 a head including all the trimmings.
Coming up with cheap but “posh looking” starter recipes isn’t easy, but we’ve come up with 17 Christmas starter recipes to help you wow your guests not your bank balance.
Christmas recipes on a budget
This may sound counterintuitive, but buying a bigger turkey than you need and using it all plus leftovers can often work out cheaper per kilo.
It’s often a myth that healthy or organic meats are more expensive. Using a service like Muscle Foods cuts out the middleman, and can deliver fresh produce and meat to your door.* Giving you a memorable Christmas dinner at a lower cost!
All this could, of course, be done using one of the discounter stores or maybe even one of the big four. They all lower their prices in the lead-up, with one discounter store selling Christmas vegetables for just 29p, so it’s worth looking around to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Meal Planning With a Difference
Still lacking inspiration and unsure what to do? Then Budget My Meals is for you. We give you plan templates that take all the thinking away. We can create your budget weekly menus, shopping lists and send you the recipes every week so you don’t even have to think about it.
No coupons. No yellow stickers, just easy family-friendly recipes.
Implementing a weekly meal plan really does save you money and time. It stops you going for the takeaway menu when the family go nuclear and means you don’t have to face a cupboard full of food with no clue or inspiration on what to cook.
It also means that you are building up your recipe bank so when you no longer need us, you have all our recipes to fullback on.
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Christmas Dinner Starters
Before you start shopping, check your cupboards for your kitchen staples to help bring the cost down. Using your tinned items or purees, eggs and rice can really keep the price low.
Your freezer is your friend. Anything leftover can be kept for Boxing day or the day after.
(Please note all prices are based on Asda and are correct at time of publishing.)
Roquefort Peach Bruschetta
Spinach ‘n’ Cheese Baked Mushrooms
Onion and Cheese Tarts
Carrot, Parsnip and Swede Soup
Parma Ham Wrapped Figs
Sea Tartare
Christmas Parcels
Salmon and Cheese Twirls
Trout Salad
Prawn Salad
Christmas Dinner Party
These seven recipes below are our family favorites and can be made on a real tight budget. All are costed out for four but can be doubled if you need to feed eight.
Simple Salmon Pate
This simple salmon recipe is a great budget starter for the whole family that looks and tastes fab!
120g smoked salmon £1.65
4 tbsp of mayonnaise 7p
60ml half fat crème fraîche 23p
15ml squeezed lemon juice 5p
Black pepper 2p
Total: £2.02 = 51p each for 4 people
Beetroot and Goats Cheese Crostini
This beetroot and goats crostini is super simple to make but looks like a five star starter without the price tag.
2 mini frozen baguettes 80p
oil 2p
200g soft goats’ cheese £1.48
200g sweet cooked beetroot 60p
to serve, orange zest and fresh thyme 5p
Total: £2.95 = 73p for 4 people
Garlic and Stuffed Cheese Mushrooms
This stuffed mushroom recipe serves for people and takes about 20 minutes to make.
8 Portobello mushrooms £1.25
2 garlic cloves 40p
1½tbsp wholegrain Dijon mustard 5p
200g cheese £1.10
60g breadcrumbs 80p
2tbsp double cream 10p
Handful of curly parsley, finely chopped 5p
Pinch of salt 5p
Total: £3.80 = 95p for 4 people
Turkey Carcass Soup
This turkey carcass soup does take 2 hours to cook, but can be left to its own devices in a pan or slow cooked over night.
250g Potatoes 31p
125g Carrots 31p
100g Frozen onion 15p
100g Cabbage 31p
400g Tin tomatoes 34p
1 tsp Worchester sauce 2p
Herbs 4p
Total: £1.48 = 37p a head for 4 people
Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
This sweet potato and carrot soup is an easy starter that’s creamy and can use leftovers.
400 g chopped & cubed sweet potatoes 50p
240 g chopped & cubed carrots 17p
2tbsp olive oil 5p
1 onion 15p
1 garlic clove 20p
80L vegetable stock 10p
80ml creme fraîche 40p
Total: £1.57 = 40p a head
Prawn Cocktail
You can make your sauce for this prawn cocktail up to a week before and just get out when you’re ready to serve.
350g prawns £3.75
200g iceberg lettuce 50p
4 spring onions 55p
1 avocado £1
Squeeze of lime 5p
Pinch of cayenne pepper 2p
For The Cocktail Sauce:
Small jar mayonnaise 50p
4 tbsp tomato ketchup 5p
Dash of Tabasco 5p
Pinch of cayenne pepper 2p
Total: £6.49 = £1.63 for 4 people
Related Posts:
- Here’s How to Have a Christmas Day Dinner With all the Trimmings for Just £3.36 a Head
- Christmas Dinner Leftovers: Use What You’ve Bought to Feed the Family for a Week
- 59 Cheap Recipes for Families When Cooking on a Budget
Roasted Squash with Ricotta
This roasted squash recipe takes a bit longer to cook but it’s so worth it!
800g butternut squash £1.50
4tbsp olive oil 5p
250g ricotta 80p
Zest and juice 1 lemon 5p
75g toasted pine nuts £1.64
110g bag rocket 60p
Black olive tapenade 10p
Total: £4.74 = £1.18 for 4
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Laura x
If you enjoyed this post and would like some more family friendly budget recipes or meal plan ideas, then head over to the budget food section here on Savings 4 Savvy Mums where you’ll find over 30 cheap posts dedicated to helping you cook and shop wiser for less. There’s enough tips to help you save over £300 a month! You could also pop over and follow my family food Pinterest boards for lots more ideas on how to eat well and spend less; Family Meal Plans on a Budget, Budget Family Meals & Budget Slimming World Recipes for Families.
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