I’m a budgeting mum – how to make a delicious Christmas dinner for under a fiver with some bargains from M&S
HEAPS of gifts, decorations, the Christmas tree… the festive season is certainly the most expensive time of the year for many.
But one mum, and a foodie, has proven you don’t need to fork out a fortune to keep your guests full – you can easily feed a family of four for less than a fiver.
Jo, better known to her fans as This Mum Cooks, regularly shares easy simple recipes on TikTok that won’t cost a fortune – particularly important in the current climate.
Now, chatting exclusively to Fabulous, the food enthusiast revealed how to make a mouth-watering Christmas roast dinner for just £4.85 – and some bits were bagged from Marks & Spencer.
For the scrumptious meal, you will need:
Marks & Spencer
600g Chicken Leg portions – £1.20
2 eggs – 40p
Aldi
300g – 14p
500g parsnips – 49p
Half packet of stuffing – 22p
Tesco
500g potatoes – 20p
250g sprouts – 26p
6 chipolata sausages – £1.10
150g unsmoked back bacon – 62p
Gravy – 10p
70g flour – 5p
100ml semi skimmed milk – 7p
Here are the steps to make the ultimate dish your family will love – and it’s all done in under an hour, Jo claimed.
Christmas Eve Prep
Start by preparing the spuds – wash and peel them, before parboiling for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, sort out the veggies – parboil carrots and parsnips for five minutes.
For pigs in blankets – one foodie recently made them in their air fryer – split six sausages in half and wrap them in 150g of bacon that’s been sliced.
Then move onto Yorkshire puddings by mixing 70g of flour, two eggs and 100ml of milk.
Store everything in the fridge until the next day.
Christmas Day
Whilst your oven is heating up to 210C, put a teaspoon of oil into eight cupcake holes of your cupcake tray and then place them inside for five minutes.
Fill your baking tray with oil and heat in the oven.
FABULOUS BINGO: Get a £20 bonus & 30 free spins when you spend £10 today
Once the oil is hot, add the Yorkshire pudding mix to the cupcake tray and the potatoes into the hot oil in the roasting tin.
Put both into the oven for 20 minutes – and do not open the door, the mum warned.
Make up you stuffing mix and place on a tray with your chicken leg portions and your pigs in blankets.
After 20 minutes, remove the Yorkshire puds and turn the spuds in the oil.
Add in your carrots and parsnips and turn in the oil.
At this point, turn your oven down to 190C, she instructed.
Place your chicken tray and your potato/veggie tray into the oven for 30 minutes (or until everything is cooked).
Meanwhile, prepare and cook your sprouts and gravy.
Once everything is cooked and you are giving out the food, pop the Yorkshire puddings back into the oven for five minutes to heat through.
Chatting to Fabulous, Jo also shared some of her extra tips to keep in mind when cooking this dish.
1. Turn a budget stuffing into a premium stuffing by adding a handful of raisins – pre-soaked in boiling water – and a handful of almond. Other dries fruit or nuts can be used also.
2. For a little extra sweetness, why not drizzle your carrots and parsnips in a little honey halfway through cooking.
3. Before roasting, it’s important to ensure the spuds are completely dry and the oil is piping hot. This will give them the ultimate crunch.
4. You can also prepare all the veg now and pop it into the freezer until Christmas day.
Just parboil them (carrots and parsnips for five minutes, potatoes for 10 minutes), drain and allow to cool. Freeze on a tray and once frozen pop into a ziplock bag.
5. The same can be done with the puds. Prepare them as normal and reheat in the oven for five minutes before serving.
6. Budget gravy is great – but you can also zhuzh it up by adding some of the cooked meat juices.
7. Looking to save on festive decorations? Just pinch a few ornaments off the tree before you sit down and pop them back once you have finished the delicious roast.