Hosting two small Christmas dinners without breaking bank?

[Anonymous]

I’m single but have agreed to host two small groups during Christmas week. I don’t make a ton of money nor do I have a lot of extra cash, but I’d like to make these visits as nice as possible. Help me make this work without breaking the bank! The first group will be an elderly adult couple and their 40-something son, the second, two 30-somethings and their elementary aged child and baby.

Ideally I’d like to have a nice appetizer presentation to serve before dinner, dinner, and a drink. I’m hoping they’ll ask what they can bring and I’ll say dessert (is it improper to ask them to bring dessert?)

It would be ideal if there are things I can make or cook in large batches to serve both days that can be frozen or served again. I hope that makes sense! Any ideas what to serve that will be nice but won’t cost a fortune?

[Anonymous]

How formal do you want it to be? Do you know the two families well enough to know their tastes?

[Anonymous]

Are these events on consecutive days or spread out? Any dietary restrictions?

You can get away with cheaper cuts of meat if you have the time to braise them for several hours, after which they should be tender. Also, those kinds of dishes can be made ahead of time. Rice is cheaper than baguettes, so do rice or some other grain. Or, you could do a one-pot stew-type dish, and potatoes are filling. Cheese plate for first group; homemade pigs in blanket and similar for younger family. These can all be assembled beforehand. Crudite aren’t that expensive and can also be cut up beforehand. If you aren’t serving beef as your main dish, you could pick up some frozen meatballs and put them in a crockpot with some pasta sauce; people can eat those with toothpicks or in little bowls with forks.

I wouldn’t ask them to bring dessert, personally. They will likely bring you a bottle of wine, which you can either serve or stash away for future use. No shame in a Trader Joe’s frozen apple tart, according to Ina Garten. I’d do that with some vanilla ice cream.

When you are trying to save money, make everything look nice and fancy. If it’s festive, if your hosting is gracious and people are comfortable, if there is enough alcohol for anyone who wants a beverage, and if the food is tasty, you can get away with spending less on the actual ingredients for the meal.

[Anonymous]

19:15 here. You may also like to have a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese on hand. I don’t know how old the elementary kid is, but if the kid is fussy or otherwise off their game somehow, it’s always nice to have something on hand they would happily eat. Or a frozen pizza. A fed kid is better than a hungry agitated kid!

[Anonymous]

The wonderful thing about hosting is that you can do it at whatever budget level works for you.

For appetizers, I'd get a handful of things to assemble an antipasto platter (cheese, olives, crackers, prosciutto, grapes, roasted peppers, you get the idea) and serve the same thing both nights.

For the family with an elementary kid, keep it simple! Spaghetti and meatballs (with ability to deconstruct as needed for the kid taste), roasted broccoli, and a green salad.

For the adults, I'd look for something easy with simple ingredients but interesting flavors - this sheet pan chicken w olives is great (https://anewsletter.alisoneroman.com/p/sheet-pan-chicken-video) but you know your guests. Then roast some potatoes and use the same leafy greens for another salad (maybe with a different dressing or more interesting toppings - toasted pine nuts, candied almonds, gorgonzola, etc).

[Anonymous]

Many grocery stores have ham on sale. It's pre cooked easy and you can keep it in the fridge for quite a while before you cook it. Meat is the most expensive part of most meals.

[Anonymous]

Do you have a sense of what type of foods the guests would enjoy? I might do something like chicken and dumplings (I do the puffy dumplings not the ones that are like noodles). You could make the chicken and vegetable base, freeze half, and make the dumplings fresh for each meal. For appetizers, homemade cheese straws won't be expensive, or you could do crackers with pepper jelly.. I think it's fine to ask for dessert if the guests offer to bring something.

[Anonymous]

I've done arroz con gandules with a baked marinated chicken.

[Anonymous]

Cornish game hens and wild rice is an option. Cooking hens is just like roasting a chicken. After they are cooked, cut them in half. 1/2 a hen is plenty of meat for an adult.

[Anonymous]

Lasagna? You could make 2 and freeze one. The most expensive thing is the cheese but it's much cheaper if you buy block cheese and shred it yourself. Serve with a baguette and a tossed salad.

I agree with the pp who mentioned having some boxed mac and cheese on hand for the elementary school aged kid.

For appetizers, crudite and a dip for the older couple. A fruit tray for the family. I know my elementary kid loves fruit. Apples and grapes are fairly inexpensive and would be fine.

It's perfectly fine to ask them to bring dessert or drinks. Truthfully, wine probably costs more than a quick dessert.

There are usually coupons for cheese and pasta sauce on the Safeway app. I also shop at Aldi or Lidl sometimes and they have good quality things at good prices.

Good luck and try to remember the most important thing is spending time together, not impressing them with the menu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cornish game hens and wild rice is an option. Cooking hens is just like roasting a chicken. After they are cooked, cut them in half. 1/2 a hen is plenty of meat for an adult.

Sorry, but I know a lot of healthy eaters for whom half a Cornish game hen would not be enough. They aren’t large.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever made popovers? I think they always make a meal seem more fancy. I would probably see what is on sale that week and plan around the sales.

[Anonymous]

For the younger couple, I'll say baked ziti.

For the older group, maybe simple but delicious baked chicken thighs, like with an olive oil, thyme and lemon juice marinade? Serve with roasted potatoes and garlicky green beans, maybe some dinner rolls?

I think they will both ask what they can bring, and it's fine to suggest dessert!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cornish game hens and wild rice is an option. Cooking hens is just like roasting a chicken. After they are cooked, cut them in half. 1/2 a hen is plenty of meat for an adult.

Sorry, but I know a lot of healthy eaters for whom half a Cornish game hen would not be enough. They aren’t large.

If you're eating that along with green beans and rice and appetizers it should be plenty.

[Anonymous]

You can roast grape tomatoes, onions, eggplant and serve over pasta with feta cheese to make an easy one dish supper.