Caitríona Redmond: My Christmas feast shopping list for a family of four for under €100

Money is tight for many of us this year, but I promise you can still enjoy a lavish Christmas dinner this festive season. Taking a budget of €100, I’ve tasted and trawled Irish supermarkets to compile the perfect menu for a family of four this Christmas Day.

The good news is that you can dine like royalty on December 25 with an abundance of delectable treats. In fact, Irish food and bargain supermarkets are at the top of their game at the moment, so even with less money to spend, you won’t notice the pinch.

Breakfast

While some families start their special day with a full Irish fry, I prefer a bowl of cereal or granola. A variety pack of Kellogg’s will set a family back €3 from Tesco and two litres of milk costs €2.25, leaving plenty of milk for teas and coffees later in the day if required. If a fry did take your fancy, you can pick up mini puddings, eggs, sausages, and bacon from the same shop for €9.73 (or €8.45 if you take advantage of Clubcard savings). 

Total: €14.98

Starters

I was wowed by the SuperValu Signature Tastes PilPil Prawns which are a new product this year. They taste incredible, but you would need two packs at €4.99 each, although paired with Sean’s Authentic Brown Soda Bread Mix, €1.75, it makes the perfect, light starter that the whole family will enjoy, leaving bread to go with cheese later on in the day. 

Total: €11.73

The Main Event

There are two fuss-free options for my family from across the main supermarkets. First up, Dunnes Stores Simply Better Butter Basted Irish Reared Turkey Breast Joint, costing €16.99, which serves three to four people. This is a beautifully moist piece of turkey with minimal waste and it doesn’t take up too much space in a conventional oven. I would pair this with the Simply Better Honey and Clove Baked Irish Ham for €14.99, which simply requires reheating in the oven. I love that it was easy to slice and perfect for leftover sandwiches. (€31.98)

For sides, it really depends on whether you want to prepare all your vegetables from scratch to save money, or buy side dishes to save on effort and cooking time. Enough fresh vegetables for the Christmas dinner table for four people will set you back around €8-10 this year, allowing for inflation. Bear in mind that potatoes in particular have increased in price a lot due to poor weather in the spring and they will
attract a premium. As an alternative, If you’d like to buy in sides, try the Aldi Specially Selected Brussels Sprout Gratin, costing €3.49 and you’ll need two trays of the Specially Selected
Garlic Potato Cubes, 400g, €2.49 to keep the masses happy.

And let’s not forget the trimmings! Aldi’s Specially Selected Smoked Bacon and Buttered Leek stuffing (€3.29) was the pick of the bunch, it tastes like it’s been homemade. If you’re heading to Aldi for the stuffing, pick up the Cranberry Sauce with Ruby Port (€1.69) and try not to eat it by the spoon; it’s perfect for cheese toasties on St Stephen’s Day too. 

Total: €45.43

A sweet treat

It’s not all about the sticky Christmas pudding although there are some excellent options this year. I recommend the Tesco Finest Christmas Pudding sized at 400g which is generous for a family of four, priced at €6.50 there’s plenty there to enjoy with cream on the side, or even panfried in the morning. Lidl’s Deluxe Irish Melt in the Middle Chocolate Pudding has a wow factor, and is incredibly easy to prepare in the microwave, €5.99. Alternatively, Dunnes Stores Simply Better
Handmade Belgian Chocolate & Orange Brownie Christmas Tree is a showstopper at €7.99 and once again, the perfect size for my brood. Don’t forget the cream for your desserts. On a per litre basis, it’s cheaper to buy two tubs of 350ml whipped cream from Tesco, €1.79 each, than it is to buy the cream and then whip it at home; a great time saver. 

Total: €24.06

The Receipt

The drinks (and an extra nibble)

For those looking for a bottle of white and red wine for the Christmas table, wine writer Leslie Williams recommends the Nugan Estate Dreamer’s Chardonnay, €8, from SuperValu. “This can be served with prawn or salmon starters as well as the turkey for those who want white wine,” he says.

For a red, try Château Cazal Viel ‘Vielle Vignes’ Saint-Chinian,
Laurent Miquel, Languedoc €9.60 in Dunnes Stores. “This should cost €20,” Leslie says. “This has generous soft berry fruits, a savoury herb-tinged elegance with clove and pepper accents, and a delightful silky sensuousness that will match turkey, goose and even ham”.

Providing you have invested in a stretchy waistband, it’s likely you will reach the picky stage of grazing after the main meal with all the trimmings later in the evening. SuperValu have a showstopper Baking Irish Cooleeney Cheese in an earthenware dish for €4.99 which will keep dairy fans happy, paired with some crackers or homemade bread. You could also impress your host with a full Irish Cheese Hamper from Lidl, costing €14.99, containing several Irish cheeses, chutney, and crackers, it’s an absolute bargain but only available from mid-December. (€14.99).

If you enjoy your cheese with wine, Leslie recommends pairing with the Chateau Roumieu Sauternes (375ml), €10 from SuperValu (he tells me this will go nicely with the Christmas Pudding too).

And finally, a non-alcoholic option for those tired of the fizzy drinks – Leslie says go for Hollow Leg Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Albariño, €10 from Dunnes Stores. “This is peachy and fresh and as close to the real thing as I’ve found,” he says.

Budgeting advice from a butcher

The cost of Christmas cuts of meats has certainly increased since pre-covid days, according to the recent winner of Meat Producer of the Year by Ireland Food Guides, Rick Higgins. Rick heads up a fourth-generation family butcher based in North Dublin. That increase he says is more than 40% which is a huge rise in the cost of our turkey and ham which can be put down to many reasons.

“There are costs associated with growing turkeys that people don’t realise – feed, electricity, diesel for transport, wages, packaging – and from my end I have the same costs on top of that. Everybody has to make a living and these increases are reflected across the board, not just in your local butcher’s shop.” 

Higgins Butchers only stocks free range meat which can be expensive and that is why I was surprised to learn that many of their customers are on a budget. Rick says that these are people who are conscious of their food quality and either capable of cooking on a budget, or open to being educated by his team.

His main advice for families on a budget this year is to listen to their butcher on the quantities they need. He says that customers often order double quantities and forget that you don’t need a full portion of turkey and ham for the main meal. If the turkey isn’t the star of your Christmas dinner table, why not consider a turkey leg which costs a fraction of the price instead. Rather than a full ham, a shank of ham on the bone or a hock can feed up to 3 people for less than €10. Considering this is free range pork that’s a bargain.

“It’s not about the fillet steak, full dressed turkey or enormous ham, there’s so many other parts that, if cooked correctly, have incredible flavour and value to a cut.” 

What exactly is Rick cooking for Christmas this year? He says it’ll be the traditional meal on Christmas Day to keep the family happy, but that he has it down to a fine art to minimise leftovers. The jewel in the Christmas crown for him is St Stephen’s Day.

“I always do roast beef and roast pork on St Stephen’s Day. My favourite part is getting up on St Stephen’s Day and lighting the BBQ to reverse sear the beef and do the pork on the rotisserie. The festivities aren’t the same without it.” 

Standing tall in his uniform, Rick is at pains to remind me that a butcher is for life, not just for Christmas. I’m wary of comparing his business to a pet but he has a point. Customers who invest in a relationship with their local butcher will benefit from education, advice, and building their local community. It’s rare to get that personal touch from a large supermarket.