Christmas on a Budget

CHRISTMAS ON A BUDGET

Under £5 per serving

MAIN COURSE

Bacon Wrapped Turkey Swiss Roll filled with herbed stuffing

Homemade Chilli Cranberry Sauce

Fluffy Rosemary Roast Potatoes

Roasted Garlicky Root Vegetables

DESSERT

Christmas Berry Trifle

Total: £19.90 (Tesco Online)

BACON WRAPPED TURKEY

filled with potato and herb stuffing

Total: £7.40 (Tesco Online)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

650g turkey breast, butterflied (ask your butcher to do this)

butter, for greasing

7 smoked steaky bacon rashers pancetta (2 x 70g/2oz packs) or thinly sliced streaky bacon

For the potato and herb stuffing

50g butter

1 onion, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, crushed

400g potatoes, peeled and diced

150g fresh breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon fresh thyme and sage, finely chopped

METHOD:

Make the potato stuffing by melting the butter in saucepan over a medium heat, once melted stir in the onion, and garlic, cover and sweat for 2 minutes. Then remove the lid and stir in the potato, thyme, sage, and breadcrumbs. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often so that the it doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before stuffing the Turkey.
Butter and season a sheet of tin foil (large enough to cover the turkey breast. Lay five long pieces of string over the foil, ready to tie the breast together. Arrange the streaky bacon down the middle of the foil, on top of the string.
Lay the butterflied turkey breasts between layers of cling film and, using a rolling pin, bash out a little to flatten evenly until about 5cm thick. Spoon the stuffing on top, down the centre of the meat, and press the stuffing using the back of a spoon.
Lift the turkey on to the prepared tin foil (with the bacon), pull up the sides at one end, tucking in the short end, then tie the string tightly so that the stuffing is encased. Repeat with all the strings. Wrap up tightly in the foil, then turn the roll over so that the streaky bacon is on the top.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/ gas 5.
Heat a large frying pan, add a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil, then add the turkey and cook to colour on all sides. Transfer to a rack in a roasting tin and season.
Roast for 1¼ hours. Insert a skewer into the middle of a leg – if the juices run clear, it’s cooked.

HOMEMADE CHILLI CRANBERRY SAUCE

Total: £2.85 (Tesco Online)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

300g fresh cranberries

150g sugar

100ml water

1 chili, split and de-seeded

1 cinnamon stick

METHOD:

Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and slowly bring to the bowl, once the sugar has dissolved lower the heat.
Stick the cloves into the fresh ginger and place in the saucepan and follow with the cranberries, cinnamon stick and chili. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
When the cranberries have popped the sauce is ready. Serve the spicy cranberries and orange sauce with a goose or turkey.

FLUFFY ROSEMARY ROAST POTATOES

Total: £2.20 (Tesco Online)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 kg potatoes (Maris Pipers or King Edwards), peeled

100g butter, melted

1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 200° C or Gas Mark 6.
Cut the potatoes in half or in quarters if they are very big: they should all be similar in size. Put them into a saucepan of cold salted water, you only need a small amount of water to allow them to the steam. Bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes then drain at set aside.
Place the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once the butter is melted, tip the potatoes in to the pan, and use a spoon to move them around the pan so they get evenly browned, about 3 minutes. Using a potato masher give each potato a gentle squish, and then add in the chopped fresh rosemary, season with salt and pepper and toss them for a couple of minutes. You can do all of this stage the day before, and then finish them off in the oven before you serve as below.
Transfer them to a roasting dish and roast in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

ROASTED GARLICKY ROOT VEGETABLES

Total: £3.40 (Tesco Online)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 carrots, peeled and quartered

4 parsnips, peeled and quartered

1 swede (400g), peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic bulb, halved

1 tablespoon clear honey

Sea salt and black pepper

METHOD:

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Toss all the veg with the oil and garlic in a large roasting tin and season with sea salt and black pepper
Transfer the vegetables into the pre-heated oven and roast for 40 mins until starting to soften and turn golden, toss every 15 minutes.
Remove the roasting tin from the oven, drizzle the veg with honey and return to the oven for 10 mins more until golden.

CHRISTMAS BERRY TRIFLE

Total: £4.05 (Tesco Online)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

250g bag frozen mixed berries

40g golden caster sugar

100g Madeira cake, sliced

100ml mascarpone cheese

250ml tub vanilla custard

150ml double cream, softly whipped

Method:

Place the berries and sugar in a saucepan over a low heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Place a layer of madeira cake at the bottom of a trifle bowl or divide between 4 glasses, and spoon 2/3 of the berry mix on top.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the mascarpone, and vanilla custard until smooth but make sure it doesn’t get to runny, you want it to remain slightly thick. Spoon on top of the cake and berries, followed by the whipped double cream.
Chill for a couple of hours in a fridge and just before you serve pour the remaining berries on top.