Turkey Free Festive and Family Meals:

 

Can't Afford Turkey This Year? Try these poultry, beef, pork, fish, vegetarian/vegan and main courses.  Includes section on budget friendly family meals.

 

TURKEY FREE CHRISTMAS DINNERS (posted Sept '25)

    (Please check against current prices)

Vegetarian Pate & Mushroom Dome with
Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy

If your household is opting for something smaller than turkey this year but doesn't want to stint on the usual trimmings, these recipes from the archive offer scrumptious main courses.  They run the range from spectacular to frugal, some are quite healthy, most are easy and some are  prepped ahead.  Many budget friendly family meals are included, as are dairy free recipes.

Buy the best you can afford but common-all-garden supermarket meat, presented in an exciting new way, can provide a delicious, satisfying crowd-pleaser for the festive table. 

The usual alternative to the Big Bird is Chicken but other poultry include guinea fowl and capon. Pork is popular this year, but don't forget cuts of beef and lamb, slow-cooked for the budget wary.  Fish, vegetarian or vegan delights are a lighter - but no less worthy -alternative for the festive meal.  

 

POULTRY

Easy Christmas Chicken 

This is a perfect recipe for beginners.  It's a prep-ahead one-stop chicken that   virtually cooks itself.  Two rubs are available, one rich with paprika and orange, the other with orange, 5-spice and hoisin.  Either steeps the bird with rich flavour.  This festive season (1975)  M&S's Oakham Gold large Higher Welfare chickens (1.6k) are under a tenner at £9.50. 

Lightly spiced roast chicken; baked white & sweet potatoes; mixed veg  
 Extras: pineapple dessert & pull-apart fan rolls 
: 

Slow-cooked Shredded Asian Chicken Pittas

Easy-peasy buffet meal of shredded exotical slow-cooked chicken is different and fun, stuffed into fluffy round; goes further than you think

Chilli Con Turkey: frugal, low-cholesterol, low-salt, frugal

Roast Oriental Chicken: wallet-friendly, exotic, for the adventurous   

          

Armagnac Partridges with Apple:  

Boozy, fruity and fanciable; low fat/cholesterol; slow cooker; low cost if you stocked up on birds in August  

       

Pheasant with Mid-Eastern spices and Orange: order from your butcher 

Peking Duck for Pancakes: lower-fat, authentic flavour, wallet-friendly opt,  easy, guilt-free, easy

Selection of sassy Chicken Wings:  Chicken wings are a given in the Blog's Frugal  section; they're high in protein and take easily to different flavours.  Usually offered as footie snacks, they are also great with rice or chips and salad for lunch or supper  

BEEF

Brisket, Melt-in-the-Mouth with rich tomato sauce: wallet-friendly, low-fat, slow cooker

 

Beef & Black Beer Stew 

 One of 67goingon50's signature dishes; easy-peasy Skinnier indulgence; wallet-friendly 

Luxury Steak, Potato & Onion Pie:  

wholly indulgent guys' favourite, tender beef with potatoes in plenty of gravy, with alcohol

Hamburger Soup: thrifty, another multi-generational winner from across the pond; easy; makes lots of hearty bowlfuls of tender beefyness.

LAMB

Irish Stew: frugal, ambrosial peasant food

Lamb Shoulder with Savoury Gravy & Mint Sauce:  

gorgeous lower-fat roast for small households

Lamb Mongolian Style: fabulously low-fat; slow cooker; eat two ways - a stew or crispy meat lollipops  

PORK

       Exquisite Barbecued Pork: 

Wonderfully tender meat; nearly fat free; lower-sugar & salt, easy-peasy

 

Spiced Spare Ribs: almost no sugar, low-fat

FISH

Festive Fish Pie in White Wine Sauce: (dairy free option)

Creamy slightly boozy sauce and a crunchy top makes this pie so special.  Go indulgent with fresh mixed fish or go thrifty with frozen seafood; top with goldencroutons (pictured), mashed potato or puff/shortcrust pastry.  Lower fat.  

Spicy Oriental Salmon: 

Moist, succulent and subtly flavoured; sugar-free, sassily simple, prepare-ahead, healthy

 

Sweet Chilli & Ginger Salmon:  lower sugar, Healthy, 

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