Veg Power Communications Manager and recipe creator Claire Wright shares our top tips to save you money, stress and time (and add a little more veg) this Christmas!
Food at Christmas is about so much more than Christmas lunch. If you’re not careful, you can be a slave to the kitchen conveyor belt and so much food can go to waste.
Simply Veg is all about eating a little more veg in a simple, affordable way. We’ve gathered some seasonal tips to show you how to save time, effort and money when it comes to Christmas food this year.
“How do I get the amount right so I don’t overspend or end up throwing food away?”
The single most important step you can take to be more Christmas savvy is to plan for it. Ask yourself:
How many people am I feeding?
Are there any dietary restrictions?
What are the foods I must have on my Christmas dinner table? What can be cut to save money and stress?
What is a portion and how many do I need? WRAP have a great guide on this here!
Check recipes to see how many servings it lists – most recipes can easily be halved if it’s too much! Order or go out and buy only what you need, and keep costs down. Over-ordering can lead to food waste and money in the bin, so a list is your best friend here!
“I feel like I miss so much of Christmas Day as I’m stuck in the kitchen!”
A delicious Christmas dinner is a lovely thing to share, and there are a lot of expectations wrapped up in it, but the first thing to remember is that a lot of it is hype and you don’t necessarily have to make 3 different sauces, stuffing, 4 different sides and all the trimmings. So don’t heap pressure on yourself and just pick a few things you will be able to make well.
Next, think about where you can cut corners. Perhaps you can save the hassle of loads of separate dishes and washing up with a one-tray Christmas dinner (or 2 trays if doubling) like this one or this one. Or perhaps you just want to take the stress out of sides with a one-tray trimmings dish.
Ask for help. If you have guests coming, ask them to bring the pudding, or a couple of sides, or drinks. It means less to think about, spend on and do on the day.
Finally, keep it simple! Veg sides are the easiest bit to simplify with options like pre-cut fresh or frozen veggies you can just pop on a tray with a little oil and salt to roast, picking just the simplest of sides that have barely any prep, or prepping in advance by trimming sprouts, cutting root veggies, or slicing cabbage.
“I’ve barely finished tidying up Christmas lunch and the kids are already asking what’s for tea!”
After all the kitchen stress of Christmas dinner, it is best to have a simple tea. Either prep ahead or buy some ready prepped crudités veg and dips. Maybe put out a little cheese and crackers as well. Keep it light, minimal in prep, and easy. Something you can pull out of the fridge and put straight on the table.
“After a day of cooking, the last thing I want to do on Boxing Day is get back in the kitchen!”
Boxing Day kitchen stress is best avoided one of two ways: prep ahead or use your leftovers. Prep ahead by batch cooking one of your favorite meals you are making in the few weeks before Christmas. Just double up and pop one in the freezer to pull out for thawing and cooking through.
Leftovers from Christmas Day can be served as is (most are just as good cold as reheated to piping hot), or popped in a sandwich. Or you can grab a roll of puff pastry and put some leftover turkey, gravy and root veg in a pie dish with a sheet of puff pastry over and bake to create a simple leftovers pie if you like variety.
What to do with leftover turkey
Got more turkey than you know what to do with? Here are some of our favourites:
Wrap it – Try this leftover turkey wrap – it even uses up leftover veg and sauces, perfect for a Boxing day lunch.
Layer it – Who doesn’t love nachos? Try these turkey ones and serve with some shredded lettuce or avocado over the top for a little extra veg.
Mix it – Use up leftover turkey and veg with this turkey casserole to make a simple, but tasty (and different!) turkey meal of Christmas leftovers later in the week.
“What if people pop round over the Christmas period and I need to offer them food?”
Try simple snack platters like crudités veg and dips, cheese and crackers with raw veg and fruit, or similar pre-prepped or minimal prep snack foods. If you need something more, Christmas leftovers or batch-cooking a couple of dinners in the weeks before Christmas just by doubling and freezing food makes it a cinch to feed people at short notice without needing to get back in the kitchen for ages!
“I made too much food – how do I avoid it going to waste?”
If you have a freezer, you can freeze cooked meat, root veg, stuffing and most sauces for a couple of months if you don’t want to throw away food but also can’t face eating the same food for the next week!
Make use of leftovers by shredding leftover meat and popping into sandwiches, salads, tacos or anywhere you would normally add cooked meat; re-use root veg in salads, reheated as a side to a new meal, or served with dips or chopped into sauces and stews; or pop mixed leftovers into a pie if you are feeling a little more creative.
Other tips for a veg-packed, smart Christmas:
1
Check use-by dates
Best before dates are guidelines, but use by is more definite, so make sure you keep an eye on what needs eating/cooking when and make use of your freezer if needs be.
Plan for after Christmas as well as the day itself
Christmas Day can take so much energy we forget to think about the days after it. Pick a couple of simple leftovers recipes or ideas, maybe batch-cook a dinner or two ahead of time, or plan some simple suppers so you have what you need knowing full well that those should be low-energy dishes!
Save yourself making multiple dishes, and share the load with a friend or neighbour. Pick one or two things you can each make a double batch of and swap!
Pick veg that cook in similar times
Roast them all on one tray. Try halved sprouts, carrot coins, and small chunks of parsnip that can all roast in 30 mins. Or cut bigger root veg shapes and just add the quicker cooking veg like sprouts for the last 20-30 mins. One-tray dishes are a lifesaver here!
Simple Sprouts
Sprouts don’t have to be boiled until soft and pungent – convince the sprout skeptics with one of these simple sides:
What are your favourite ways of saving time, money and stress over Christmas? We’d love to hear your suggestions.
Claire Wright
Communications Manager: After leaving Exeter University with a degree in English Literature, Claire worked in various fields ranging from youth work and charities to publishing, before starting up a food-focused website when her first child was born. After being asked to project manage the publication of Veg Power’s Crowdfunder book, Claire came on board as a fully-fledged team member in 2018 to take on the role of Communications Manager, looking after Veg Power’s website and social media platforms.
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