Holiday Meal on a Budget
Holiday Meal on a Budget
By Kayleen Echegoyen
The holidays are a special season to spend time with family and friends, reflect on that which we are to be thankful for, and give out of the blessings we have received. It’s a time to gather with those you love and eat delicious meals together. It is important to set apart money for the holiday season, but there is no reason to break the bank or go over budget. When it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, the costs can add up quickly without realizing it. It’s important to be financially savvy during this time, so here are some tips to create an extraordinary meal without overs-spending.
Plan for Culinary Success
Before purchasing all the ingredients, you must first plan the meal. Decide what dishes your family enjoys the most and write a detailed list of all the needed ingredients. Then take inventory of what is already in the pantry and determine what is needed. Not only should you check for ingredients you already have but evaluate what other items you may want to integrate into the menu. When purchasing what is on your list, remember there will be an opportunity to use the same ingredient in multiple recipes (refer to recipes below). Using a few simple ingredients will stretch your budget and elevate your dishes!
How to Pay
The best part about a meal is that it brings close friends and family around the table to enjoy the holidays. If you are planning a large gathering, do not be afraid to speak up and ask everyone to pitch in. Splitting the cost makes the meal more affordable for everyone. Plus, you may just be surprised which of your friends are the true foodies and chefs. When you venture to the grocery store, try to buy items in bulk, which should result in a better value for your money.
Go Shopping – on a Budget!
Once you have a shopping list, search around to find the best deals. During the holidays, stores run different sales to get customers’ business, use this to your advantage. Compare prices from different grocery stores to find the lowest prices on the ingredients you need. It is even better if you can purchase those ingredients online through grocery pickup or delivery. This helps you avoid the holiday hustle and keeps you from meandering the isles which can lead to purchasing unnecessary items. We’ve all grabbed a snack at the checkout line!
Once you are ready to head out and complete your shopping, do it all in one trip. Hit all the stores you need to get the best deals, making sure to check off all the items on your list. Expenses can add up during those last-minute grocery runs when you realize you are missing an ingredient. The costs of those “quick” trips can add up fast!
Purchasing your groceries early is always a good idea! Not only does it save you from the stress of holiday shopping, but you can plan calmly to find the best deals. If you are an expert planner, you could even buy out of season. Right after the holidays, all the seasonal food goes on sale. Items such as frozen turkeys, boxed stuffing, and jellied cranberries get marked down the day after. These items can be stored for up to a year in your pantry, fridge, or freezer.
One of the best offers during the holiday season is a free turkey! Check your local grocery store to see if they run any promotions such as spending $100 to receive a free frozen bird (just take it out of the freezer at least 3 days before prep day!). Even if $100 worth of groceries may sound like a lot for one shopping trip, a free $20-30 bird is worth it. If you are purchasing for a large family, the holiday ingredients will add up quickly. Maybe you are doing a Friendsgiving and will be able to spread the $100 amongst all.
Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy a premade item versus making them yourself. As a classically trained chef, I pride myself on making everything from scratch, but when it comes down to it, there are shortcuts to save time and money. Maybe making the cranberry sauce yourself would be fancier, but it’s more expensive than buying the canned jellied cranberries. And what about the turkey? Preparing the main dish, yourself is a lot fancier, but buying a smoked turkey will taste just as great and will save you lots of time. Not to mention you won’t have to deal with the turkey’s neck and giblets.
So, be savvy as you prepare your holiday feast for family and friends this year. You don’t have to compromise on flavor when making this meal on a budget. To help you get started, here are some of my favorite family holiday recipes developed in my kitchen!
Turkey Recipe
- Ingredients
- Turkey
- 1 cup of softened butter (2 sticks)
- 2 oranges
- 2 apples, sliced into quarters
- 2 lemons
- 2 onions, sliced into quarters
- 2 carrots, sliced into quarters
- 1 head of garlic, minced
- 1 bunch of (and/or) rosemary, thyme, or sage, finely chopped
- ½ cup of water
- 3 Tablespoons Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Pepper
- Olive oil
- Steps
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- Zest both lemons and oranges, set aside
- Juice one lemon and an orange, quarter the other lemon and orange
- In a small bowl, combine the citrus juice and zest, the softened butter, minced garlic, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper
- Lay the quartered onions, apples, carrots, sliced lemon, and orange in the roasting pan
- Spatchcock Turkey (This is a culinary technique of removing the backbone to reduce cooking time. Here is the link to a video that explains how to spatchcock a turkey.)
- Gently separate the turkey skin from the bird to create a pocket to stuff the butter rub. Be careful not to tear the skin.
- Once the turkey is stuffed with butter, place on roasting pan, and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the skin. Make sure to spread it all over the bird.
- Add the water to the bottom of the roasting pan. This will steam the bird keeping it moist while baking.
- Preheat oven to 425°F
Bake for 45 minutes, then cover with foil to keep the skin from burning and bake for another 45 minutes (may need additional time depending on the size of the turkey, cook till the internal temperature reaches 165°F).
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- Allow turkey to rest for the same amount of time it was cooked so the juices can be reabsorbed.
- Carve and enjoy!
Green beans with Sundried tomato pesto
- Ingredients
- 2 cups green beans
- 1 cup sundried tomato pesto
- 2 garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- Steps
- Blanch green beans (Blanching is a culinary technique of rapidly cooking vegetables in boiling water and then shocking them in an ice bath. Here is a video that explains how to blanch vegetables.)
- Mince garlic
- On medium heat, sauté garlic with the olive oil till golden
- Add sundried tomato pesto
- Lower heat and add green beans
- Sauté till desired green bean texture
Sweet Potato Casserole
- Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
- ¼ cup butter
- Salt
- 2 lightly beaten eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- ½ cup milk or cream
- ½ cup of sugar
- Steps
- Mix thoroughly and pour into a buttered casserole dish
Topping
- Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- ¼ cup butter
- Steps
- Mix topping with a fork until crumbly
- Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes
Orange Glazed Carrots
- Ingredients
- 10 large carrots
- 5 oranges
- ¾ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- Steps
- Zest and juice the oranges
- In a small saucepan combine orange juice, zest, honey, and ginger
- Simmer on medium heat till reduced by half, maybe about 20 minutes
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Quarter carrots
- Spread carrots on baking sheets and cover with glaze
- Bake for 30 minutes till soft
