Mum's Christmas spread for under $20

Penina Petersen is Australia’s number one savings blogger and certainly knows how to squeeze a few dollars. Here are her tips to creating a beautiful Christmas party platter for just $20.

Christmas is awesome, it’s the one time of year us adults get to run around like little kids again. Tinsel and wrapping paper is thrown around, carols are blasting; it’s a joyous holiday – but it’s also a costly one.

Now I know you’re not a fan of the big ‘b’ word, but it is possible to have a fun and lavish Christmas feast on a pretty tight budget.

My Christmas platter is quick and easy, and won’t break the bank!

1. Go easy on meats and cheeses

These add loads to your cost so work on doing more with less. Shop around for a good deal and go for things that are on special.

I purchased 445g of green stuffed olives from Coles for $1.95, and I try to find wafer or rice crackers for no more than $1.00 per box. Carrot sticks are also great to serve with a packet of Philly cheese.

When it comes to deli meats I love cabanossi, and if you shop the day before you prepare your platters, you can pick up products that are discounted because they’re nearing their best before date.

Hot Tip!

Get to know the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates.

Use by is when a product may no longer be safe to eat.
Best before shows quality over safety. Food is still edible after its best before date, but flavour and texture may diminish.

2. Add bulk by using fruit and bread

Seasonal fruit is inexpensive and my two favourites are pineapple and watermelon. To make it a little more fun you can cut up the fruit using star cooking cutters, or skewer them and display in pretty large glasses.

For bread, you can pick up packets of Lebanese bread for around $1.29. Cut these into triangles and bake in the oven to make mini crisps. Cucumber sandwiches are also cheap and easy to make, as is bruschetta.

Tip: Using Up Leftovers

The key to any cost saving exercise when it comes to platters (and food generally) is to use up all leftovers. Stretch out all items purchased as much as possible with the ultimate goal of ‘no food waste’.

3. Make your own dips

Don’t get scared, I promise this isn’t as difficult as it sounds, and you’ll get loads more bang for your buck.

Hummus, tzatziki and salsa are quick and easy to put together, and can be done from fresh and canned ingredients.

Let’s start with hummus; just blend together two cans of chickpeas, ½ cup of olive oil, 1 clove of cooked garlic, 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 cup water, salt and pepper. Serve with a garnish if you like.

For tzatziki, just add grated cucumber and crushed garlic into Greek yogurt. Done.

Salsa is equally easy; blend two cans of diced tomatoes, ¼ red onion, ¼ cucumber diced, 1 clove cooked garlic, cumin or chilli powder (optional), salt and pepper.

4. Presentation is key

The key to a great budget party platter is presentation. Make sure you have a good stock of stylish platters and breadboards.

My best tip of all is to forget buying expensive table runners and finish the whole show by placing Christmas decorations on the table.

Unroll some leftover Christmas wrap across a long bench or table. Take a large branch from the garden and pop into a vase. String up white fairy lights on the branch for an instant and impressive centrepiece.

Throw some Christmas baubles on the table and also add a little tinsel. You’ll have an instant way to dress up any drab scene on a budget.

Grocery List (Price $19.98)

White Bread 650g ($0.89)
Lebanese Pita Bread 5pk ($1.29)
1 pkt garlic chive cream cheese ($2.00)
1 pkt Philadelphia cream ($2.00)
1 kabana ($2.40)
1 pkt water crackers ($0.90)
2 cans chickpeas ($1.40)
2 cans diced tomatoes ($1.20)
445g jar stuffed green olives ($1.95)
1 pkt bamboo skewers ($1.00 use half)
1/4 watermelon ($2)
2 tomatoes ($0.70)
3 cloves garlic ($0.25)
1 cucumber ($1)
6 carrots ($0.50) or ½ a kilo
1 red onion ($0.50)

Ingredients from my home pantry

Note: Improvise with what is already in your pantry.
Cumin or chilli powder (optional salsa)
Mixed (or Italian) Herbs
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Lemon or Lime Juice (optional)
Onion Powder
Fresh Basil (Optional)
Decorations

We even surprised ourselves with what can be achieved with $20 and what was already in our pantry. This was a heap of fun and don’t forget to put on some Christmas music while cooking!

Have a fantastic Christmas!
Stay tuned for my upcoming $50 budget Christmas 3 course feast.

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