It’s lovely to have the whole family with you for Christmas dinner but in these hard economic times it can be a worry when you work out how much it is all going to cost. Christmas is the one day a year when, regardless of the fact that you might normally be a fan of quick meals, you have to pull out all the stops and put on a spread fit for a king.


by tastingsf

Here are our tips to have a fantastic day but come out of it with the bank balance still intact.

- Whilst it is nice to have a glass of bubbly before the meal it needn’t be champagne. Try a bottle or two of prosecco or cava instead or forsake the bubbles and make a jug of mulled wine. Have a look on the internet for printable coupons and you could save on your drinks.
- If you have the money, then a starter of dressed lobster is delicious. However, prawns or smoked salmon are equally tasty and if you put them on a bed of lettuce or on top of blinis they also look very attractive.
- Not everyone can afford a fresh turkey and there is nothing wrong with cooking a frozen bird. Just make sure that you get it out of the freezer in plenty of time.
- Cooking it slowly, covered in foil, on a rack over a tray of stock makes sure that it does not dry out and the stock makes scrumptious gravy which will compensate for the fact that frozen birds are sometimes less tasty than fresh.
- You’ve done the hard work so why not ask a guest or two whether they would mind bringing a pudding (traditional Christmas pud or something else) or a cheese board?