Think you need to break the bank for your holiday feast? Think again.
With a little forethought and elbow grease, you can easily serve six people a festive, luxurious, no-skimp spread — three full courses from soup to cake — for under $100. Including wine.
Because no matter what, this Christmas should be special.
How did we manage to stock up at the grocery store, butcher and liquor store for under $100?
The ground rules were simple. Feed six people for $100 and make them feel feasted and wined in a way that merits the occasion.
To make the $100 mark, we allowed ourselves a few “pantry” items that we didn’t have to shop for: Salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, a couple of eggs, and small amounts of baking basics like flour, sugar, and leavening.
We decided to split the budget, leaving $60 for food and $40 for wine. Our final totals? $57.94 for food and $39 for wine. That left us $3.06 to rub together (or spend on a snack for the cook).
One commitment we made up front: We wouldn’t skimp, especially on meat. We wanted naturally grown, well-husbanded meat, even knowing that it would eat up over a third of the budget.
The rest of our shopping list was vegetarian, which we already knew was the first and best way to save money at the grocery store.
We found that time spent planning more than paid for itself in savings. We studied circulars and adapted our menu to ingredients that were on special.
Savings ratchet way up when you shop the bulk bins for dried fruits, nuts and grains. We measured out only what we needed. This is especially effective with spices — why pay six bucks for a jar of nutmeg when all you really need is one?
We were flexible. We’d planned to use cherries in the stewed fruit, but when we saw the golden raisins in the next bin for a third of the price, we adapted our recipe. Instead of delicata squash, we chose kombucha. Wheat berries gave way to pearl barley. And so forth.
With planning, fortitude and a little elbow grease, we were able to realize our goal: An impressive holiday-worthy feast that we wouldn’t balk at serving even our foodiest friends — and that we wouldn’t regret in the morning.
So can you.
A Hundred Dollar Holiday
All items were purchased at area grocery stores and specialty shops. (Note: Prices don’t include sales tax.)
Food
WATERCRESS SOUP
Whole milk (1 pint): $0.89
Watercress (2 bunches): 2.99
Onion (1): 0.18
Russet potatoes (2): 1.12
Organic vegetable stock: 2.09
Sour cream ( 1/2 pint): 0.79
Total: $8.06
PORK ROAST
Pork (6 ribs center-cut): $22.75
Carrots (2 medium): 0.33
Garlic (1 head): 0.25
Onion (1 medium): 0.18
Parsley (1 bunch): 0.50
Total: $24.01
STEWED FRUITS
Apricots (about 16): $0.64
Prunes (about 12): 0.91
Golden raisins ( 1/4 pound): 0.48
Thyme (1 bunch): 1.99
Lemon (1 small): 0.79
Total: $4.81
BAKED BARLEY
Barley (1 pound): $1.49
Kabocha squash (1 medium): 2.14
Shallots (handful small): 0.69
Organic vegetable stock (borrowed from soup)
Total: $4.32
CABBAGE
Red cabbage (1 large): $2.71
Red onion (1 medium): 0.29
Granny Smith apple (1 large): 0.72
Orange (1 small): 0.25
Cider vinegar (1 small bottle): 2.09
Total: $6.06
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Brussels sprouts (about 36): $2.45
Almonds (borrowed from cake)
Total: $2.45
ALMOND BROWN-BUTTER CAKE WITH SUGAR-FRIED PEARS
Butter (2 sticks), $1.98
Almonds (about 1 cup), 1.04
Pears (2 large), 1.11
Fresh ginger (1 thumb-sized knob), 0.52
Organic heavy cream (8 ounces), 1.59
Sour cream (1 pint), 0.79
Honey (1 small bear), 1.99
Total: $9.02
Total for food: $58.73
Drink
Cava, $8.00
Pomegranate juice, 2.69
Sauvignon Blanc, 10.00
Pinot Noir, 8.00
Port, 11.00
Total for drinks: $39.69
