Christmas Lunch for 7 (with leftovers!) for $6 per Person

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 Christmas is a special time for many families to gather and enjoy a meal together. This year due to COVID, our group was a small one, but we had fun and enjoyed lots of food, fun, and laughter.

 
The Family Christmas Tree

While many families have traditional dishes, or like to splurge on expensive items, I wanted to show you that it is possible to have a hearty, crowd pleasing meal while sticking to a budget. To make things extra interesting this year, our area was under watch for a major wind and rain storm that was supposed to bring power outages. 

While we were lucky that the storm was not nearly as powerful as expected, it did mean that I had to plan all food so that it could be converted to stove-top only cooking (propane cook top). Thus when I was looking at sales leading up to Christmas, I was choosing items that were easy to prepare, or could be prepared in more than one way.

I also want to note that I did not plan this meal to be budget conscious! The only goal was to be able to convert all cooking to stove-top only, with the exception of dessert, baked before bad weather set it. This is an everyday example of how smart shopping and forward-thinking planning can help make frugality part of your lifestyle.

I apologize for not capturing any photos as the idea for this post did not come until after the fact, you'll just have to trust me that it was all delicious!

This meal served seven generously, with enough leftovers for at least four more full plates.

The Menu...

Main Course

  • Two Whole Roasted Chicken (we cooked these in a propane air fryer)
  • Potatoes Au Gratin - baked (backup plan was mashed potatoes)
  • Steamed Broccoli
  • Mashed Butternut Squash
  • Whole Beets
  • Stuffing
  • Gravy - made from the chicken drippings
  • Rolls, made from Rhodes white bread dough
Appetizers
  • Fruit - raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
  • Cheese & Crackers
  • Strawberry Lemonade Punch
Dessert
  • Apple Crisp
  • Chocolate Cake
  • Vanilla Ice Cream
  • Whipped Cream

The Shopping List 
Week of Christmas - prices accurate for Southern Maine, December 2020

Hannaford
  • 2 Whole Chickens - $0.79/lb x 9.46lbs = $7.47
  • Butternut Squash - 0.69/lb x 2.58lbs = $1.78
  • Instant Stuffing - $0.99
  • Rhodes White Bread Frozen Dough - $1.16 for 1lb. loaf, makes 12 rolls
  • Large Loose Baking Russets $0.59/lb. x 3.5lbs = $2.07
  • Frozen Pink Lemonade Mix - $1.19
Shaw's
  • Broccoli Crowns - $0.97/lb x 3.42lbs = $3.32
  • Vanilla Ice Cream - $1.95
Sam's Club
  • 1 Quart Heavy Whipping Cream - $2.88
Papa's Produce
  • 1/2 Pint Raspberries - $1
  • 1/2 Pint Blackberries - $1
  • 1/2 Pint Blueberries - $1
From the Pantry
Purchased Prior to Christmas Week/ From the Pantry - with estimated or actual prices
  • 1lb. Sharp Cheddar Cheese - $2.99
  • Ritz Crackers - $0.74 (2 sleeves, $1.47 per box on sale)
  • Whole Canned Beets (3 cans) - $4
  • 1lb. Butter - $1.67
  • 2 cups Frozen Strawberries - $2 (est.)
  • 1 cup milk $0.26 ($2.09/half gallon)
  • 4 Gala Apples - $1.50 (est. free store coupon)
  • 2 Liter Sierra Mist - $0.99
  • Baking Ingredients - flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, oats, cinnamon <$1
  • Basis Seasonings - Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika, Salt, Pepper <$0.50

    Total Ingredient Cost - $41.73 / 7 people = $5.96 per person!

    Final Thoughts...
    In addition to shopping smart by taking advantage of pre-Christmas sales, and using items on hand from previous sales, I....
    • Peeled and served a small orange that came with a Christmas potpourri mix (homemade) instead of putting the whole orange in the potpourri mix, only the skin was simmered
    • Simmered the potpourri mix to get rid of the oil-frying smell from fried dough made that morning
    • Added to cores and peels from the apples to the potpourri
    • Shredded my own cheese, enabling me to use half the block for an appetizer, and the other half for the potatoes
    • Made my own whipped cream, which added elegance and richness to dessert

    Could this meal have been made even more frugally? Absolutely! Here are some alternatives that I would have made if we weren't worried about losing power or had more people to serve:
    • Stuffing made from scratch using day old bread and clearance carrots & potatoes
    • Made rolls from scratch
    • Served a different inexpensive protein, such as pork loin
    • Added inexpensive vegetables to the fruit tray
    • Asked guests to bring a side or appetizer to share

    I hope you enjoyed this post, and look forward to hearing what you prepared for yourself or other this Holiday Season!




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