If you’re looking to cut costs this Christmas without compromising on taste, why not try this Budget Christmas Dinner Menu? This show-stopping menu includes a Creamy White Bean Soup with Roasted Garlic and Bacon, Christmas Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Apricots and a deliciously refreshing Sugar Free Raspberry Sorbet. Read on for a full shopping list, cooking schedule, complete cost breakdown as well as some delicious extras!
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Why Make a Budget Christmas Dinner Menu?
I love Christmas, don’t you? Every year I look forward to getting out my old Christmas decorations and setting them up in their usual place. I love the smell of a real Christmas tree standing proud in the living room and I love baking up some treats for friends and family.
That being said, for many families Christmas can become a tense time and all enjoyment is sapped away because of the cost of celebrating. That is why I have put together this Budget Christmas Dinner Menu, to help you celebrate in style while keeping within your budget. Not only is it low cost, but it is also suitable for many different dietary needs: low-carb, gluten and dairy free. And if that is not enough, it is also possible to make most of it the day before, leaving you stress free on Christmas day and available to enjoy all of the magic with your family and friends.
Did this menu make it onto your table? I would be honoured if you would let me know in the comments!
Budget Christmas Dinner Menu Starter
I think that this White Bean Soup with Roasted Garlic and Bacon is the perfect starter for a festive table. It’s depth of flavour and silky texture, as well as its subtle colours are like having a White Christmas in a bowl!
This soup is extremely easy to make and requires very little hands on time, leaving you available to be with your family. It is also possible to make it the day before and simply reheat with a little extra water or broth before serving.
For the full recipe, as well as reheating instructions, click on the photo!
Budget Christmas Dinner Menu Main Course
Being British, Christmas dinner for me had to be Roast Turkey with aaaaall the trimmings. However, since moving to France 21 years ago, I have realised that you can really make any meal you like for Christmas. This has been so liberating for me! I have enjoyed my Mother-in-Law’s pork loin with morelle sauce many times, and we have made a leg of lamb on occasion too. Some people like to have a raclette (melted cheese with potatoes and dried meat or charcuterie) while others push the boat out and serve a sea food platter. I love this way of celebrating Christmas with what you enjoy the most!
It also means that, depending on my budget, I can adapt the menu. Which is exactly what I have done with the menu I am proposing here. This Christmas Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Apricots includes perfectly cooked, tender chicken legs (a much cheaper option to the traditional whole turkey) and dried fruit which make a rich sauce that shows off some festive colours!
This recipe is GAPS friendly, gluten and dairy free and, dare I say it, even better when reheated the next day!
Click the photo to head to the full recipe, including instructions for reheating!
Budget Christmas Dinner Menu Dessert
The dessert I have chosen for this low cost menu is an absolute jewel! Sugar Free Raspberry Sorbet will get your tastebuds tingling and refresh you all at the same time. I am not a fan of heavy desserts, especially on Christmas day – for me, this sorbet is the perfect way to finish the meal.
Sweetened with honey, this sorbet is low-carb, gluten and dairy free, enabling everyone to enjoy it! It is extremely easy to make but the only thing you do need to be careful of is timing. Better make it the day before so that you are sure it is frozen through when you serve it!
Want to give it a go? Click on the photo and it will take you to the full recipe!
Shopping List for your Budget Christmas Dinner Menu
This is the full shopping list for the entire menu. You can download a printable version (English or French) below.
{Two things to note here: Make sure you go through your fridge and pantry so that you can use up what you already have. You can also use whatever oil you have available, don’t buy olive oil especially for this meal}
Meat and Produce
- 3 heads of garlic
- 3 onions, chopped
- 1 sprig rosemary (optional)
- butternut squash to serve (optional)
- 500g frozen or fresh raspberries
- 1 orange
- 1 lemon
- 300 g smoked bacon (optional)
- 8 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick) skin on, bone in
- Coriander and parsley to garnish (optional)
Dried Goods and Pantry Staples
- 300g dried white beans
- 2 l chicken stock
- 1 400 ml can tomatoes
- 12 prunes (around 120g)
- 12 dried apricots (around 120g)
- 150g whole almonds to garnish (optional)
- Couscous to serve (optional – quantity according to appetite)
- Ras El Hanout
- cinnamon
- 200g honey
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil for roasting and frying (or any other oil you already have)
Click here for the french version.
Schedule for Cooking this Budget Christmas Dinner Menu
I have included two schedules – one for a mealtime starting at 1pm and the other for and evening mealtime of 7pm. You can obviously adjust the times according to when you are planning to eat. The advantage of this menu is that everything can be kept warm while you are waiting to serve so the timing is not so critical.
You can also make this whole menu the day before and simply heat it up before serving on Christmas day – instructions for doing this are included in every recipe post.
Download the printable schedule in English or French below.
The Day Before:
- Morning:
- Defrost raspberries (if using frozen). Spread them out on a plate for faster defrosting.
- Afternoon:
- Prepare the raspberry sorbet. Blend, sieve, and freeze in your chosen mould or container.
Cooking Day:
10:30 am / 4:30 pm:
- Fry the chicken thighs in batches until browned.
- While frying, prepare the butternut squash cubes (peel, cut, and season with olive oil and salt).
- Prepare garnishes if using: grill almonds, chop parsley and coriander
11:15 am / 5:15 pm:
- Fry the onions for the tagine.
- Add garlic, spices, and tomatoes to make the sauce. Simmer until thickened.
11:30 am / 5:30 pm:
- Roast the garlic for the White Bean Soup:
- Halve garlic heads, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, wrap in foil, and bake at 180°C for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Begin preparing the soup:
- Fry onions, rinse white beans, and combine with stock, rosemary, and salt. Start pressure cooking (30 minutes).
(Tip: Roast the garlic earlier in the day or the day before if oven space is tight.)
11:45 am / 5:45 pm:
- Assemble the chicken tagine:
- Pour the tomato-based sauce into a baking dish, add chicken, and bake covered at 180°C for 30 minutes then uncovered at 220°C for 15 mins.
- Roast the butternut squash cubes on a separate tray (or two trays) in the oven simultaneously.
12:30 pm / 6:30 pm:
- Blend the White Bean Soup:
- Add roasted garlic and blend with a hand blender or standing blender. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Fry the bacon until crispy and set aside on a paper towel.
- Keep the soup warm until serving.
12:50 pm / 6:50 pm:
- Prepare couscous according to package instructions.
- Preheat a serving dish for the butternut squash (if using).
1 pm / 7 pm:
- Serve the White Bean Soup:
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with crispy bacon and parsley as desired.
1:20 pm / 7:20 pm:
- Serve the Christmas Chicken Tagine:
- Bring the oven dish to the table or transfer chicken to a serving dish.
- Move the roasted butternut squash into a preheated serving dish.
1:50 pm / 7:50 pm:
- Remove the raspberry sorbet from the freezer:
- If using moulds, remove portions and place them on plates to soften slightly.
2 pm / 8 pm:
Serve the raspberry sorbet and enjoy dessert!
Download the printable French version here.
Budget Christmas Dinner Menu Cost
So, you may be wondering just how much this alternative Christmas dinner is going to set you back? Let me tell you, this is one of the very best things about this menu – it comes in at just over 5€ per person!
Let me break it down for you:
Note: prices are based on my local supermarket here in France (near Paris) and will vary greatly depending on you location and the quality of the products you buy. I have used mid-range products that I know to be fairly good quality. Please do your own research before deciding to make this menu if cost is an issue for you.
White Bean Soup
| Approximate Price in € for 8 Servings | |
| Dried white beans | 0.89 |
| Onions | 0.50 |
| Garlic | 2.00 |
| Rosemary | 0.20 |
| Chicken stock | 0.25 |
| Bacon | 4.00 |
| TOTAL | 7.84 |
Christmas Chicken Tagine
| Approximate Price in € for 8 Servings | |
| Chicken thighs | 9.00 |
| Tinned tomatoes | 0.68 |
| Onion | 0.50 |
| Garlic | 1.00 |
| Ras El Hanout | 1.35 |
| Cinnamon | 0.04 |
| Prunes | 2.24 |
| Apricot | 2.48 |
| 2 butternut squash | 5.00 |
| TOTAL | 26.79 |
Sugar Free Raspberry Sorbet
| Approximate Price in € for 8 Servings | |
| Frozen raspberries | 3.89 |
| Honey | 2.15 |
| Orange | 0.50 |
| Lemon | 0.25 |
| TOTAL | 6.79 |
Total Cost
The total for the whole menu comes to just 41.42 € for 8 servings (probably with some leftovers too!), that makes it 5.17 € per person.
As you can see, I have not included some of the garnishes in these prices, they will slightly increase the overall cost if you use them. However, I have opted for the more expensive option of butternut squash as a side dish. This is to keep the menu as low carb as possible. A cheaper option would be to serve the tagine with couscous.
If you’re on a really tight budget, you could also leave out the bacon in the soup – it will still be just as good without it!
Optional Extras
This Christmas menu works very well on it’s own. However, if you want to make it even more luxurious, consider serving the creamy white bean soup with this Caramelised Onion and Brie Sourdough Focaccia. The Raspberry Sorbet would also go exceptionally well with this decadent Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cake. And these Sugar Free Cookies with Almond Flour, Honey and Cinnamon would be a great note to finish on, with a cup of dark, hot coffee!
So, will you give this Budget Christmas menu a go? I hope you enjoy it as much as we do, let me know in the comments!
Happy Christmas!
Sarah xxx
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