With the holidays just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start planning out your spread!
I have been in the kitchen a lot lately and decided it was time to start my preparations, so I made a collection of my favorite holiday-inspired recipes, modified to fit a tighter budget (especially important now, with the rising cost of living across the state). While these dishes may not be as simple as buying a can and heating it up or making a box mix, they will put you more in touch with what you are putting into your body and provide greater nutritional content.
So if you are looking to up your cooking game this season without going broke, give a few of these recipes a try!
Soft and Simple Dinner Rolls
Makes 9-12 rolls; Total cost: $3.05
Bread: what a great example of human ingenuity. Especially when it is soft, chewy, and fresh out of the oven. These rolls are simple to make and get that familiar, super soft texture of store-bought dinner rolls with much more flavor.
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a small dish, combine the yeast, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of warm water and stir. Let sit for about 10 minutes to bloom the yeast (you should see some bubbles).
2. In a larger bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and 1-1/4 cups water and stir to form a sticky ball of dough. Knead a few times to incorporate all the flour.
3. Grease a clean bowl with about a teaspoon of butter and transfer the dough ball to the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until roughly doubled in size.
4. Butter your hands and split the dough into 9-12 equal portions (depending on how big you want each roll). Keeping your hands well buttered, roll each portion into a ball and place in a buttered 9" x 9" glass baking dish. Cover with a damp towel and let rise another 15-20 minutes.
5. Beat the egg in a small dish and brush over the tops of the rolls (you probably won't use the whole egg).
6. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
* I used Diamond kosher salt. You want to use about half as much if using another salt.
Tart and Tangy Cranberry Sauce
Makes about 2 cups; Total cost: $4.08
Personally, I am not a big fan of the canned cranberry sauce normally seen in grocery stores around the holidays. It lacks what cranberries are abundant in: tartness! This recipe brings out that lovely flavor and results in a slightly thinner consistency for easier spreading.
1. Combine the cranberries, water, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until you hear the cranberries popping. Once most cranberries have popped, use a spoon to mash them against the side of the pan.
2. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cornstarch, making sure to break up any clumps. Cook for around 20-30 minutes or until thickened to your desired consistency. Add lemon zest a few minutes before you are ready to serve.
* More cornstarch can be used if you want a thicker sauce.
** Lemon juice can also be added if you want your sauce tarter.
Roasted Veggies You Actually Want to Eat
Serves 6-8; Total cost: $9.60
Sweet potatoes and green beans are both major components in classic holiday casseroles, but I usually find these to be less than appetizing. Usually, the green beans are way overcooked or from a can, meaning they lose their amazing crunchy texture. The sweet potatoes are loaded with added sugar and marshmallows, which I find completely unnecessary. This recipe adds another classic winter veggie, beets. Enjoy the warm, earthy flavors and delectable textures of these nutrient powerhouses!
1. Preheat the oven to 415°F. Peel the beets and sweet potatoes and chop them into about half-inch cubes, keeping the veggies separate.
2. Trim the ends of the green beans. Gather the remainder into a bunch and cut into thirds.
3. Roughly chop the onion.
4. On a baking sheet, combine the beets, poultry seasoning, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to thoroughly coat the veggies. Bake for at 415°F for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the beets from the oven. Add the yellow onion, green beans, garlic, and sweet potatoes and use a spatula to combine.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for 40 minutes or until the veggies are cooked through.
* I used Diamond kosher salt. You want to use about half as much if using other salt.
Just-As-Good-As-Turkey Roast Chicken
Serves 6-8; Total cost: $18.81
A whole chicken is just about as good as it gets when it comes to simplicity and cost efficiency. Not only do you get some delicious meat, but the bones can be used as a base for chicken broth and the drippings for a delicious gravy. This recipe will also produce a sizeable quantity of roasted garlic, which can be added to many other dishes (including my mashed potato recipe).
1. Preheat the oven to 415°F. Chop the apples into half-inch cubes and roughly chop the onion. Cut the lemon into 8 large chunks.
2. Remove any organs in the chicken cavity and set them aside (leave the skin on). Place the chicken in a large cast-iron pan or other oven-safe roasting pan with the breastbone facing upward.
3. Fill the chicken cavity with the chopped apple, cranberries (optional), lemon, and onion. Any of the mixture that doesn't fit can be arranged in the pan around the chicken.
4. Cut the garlic head in half crosswise and nestle the halves on each side of the chicken (it will probably start falling apart a bit, but that's completely fine).
5. Use your hand to pull the chickens skin up enough to get under it (sort of like a pocket). Rub the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper under the skin.
6. Rub the butter under the skin, making sure to spread to as many areas on the chicken as possible. Any excess butter can be rubbed on the outside of the skin.
7. Place chicken in the oven to roast for 50 minutes at 415°F and another 10 minutes at 375°F. The chicken skin should be well browned, and the juices will run clear when it is done.
* I used Diamond kosher salt. You want to use about half as much if using other salt.
Marvelous Mashed Potatoes
Serves 6-8; Total cost: $4.13
Mashed potatoes can make or break a meal, especially a holiday one, so I focused on getting the best result possible with this recipe. These are just the right level of creamy and are a great way to repurpose drippings. They can also be made with any variety of potatoes, as opposed to many recipes that suggest only specific, more expensive varieties. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family and I did.
1. Peel and chop potatoes into half-inch cubes. Add the potatoes to a medium pot along with 6 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to medium once boiling and simmer until the potatoes are easily poked with a fork (about 30 minutes).
3. Strain the cooked potatoes and return to the pot. Turn off the burner. Use a potato masher (or a fork) to roughly mash the potatoes. Add in the sour cream, garlic, and butter and mash until you reach desired consistency and the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
4. Put the heat back on low and stir in the cheese, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and the poultry seasoning until combined. Continue to gently stir and heat until the cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Serve!
* I used Diamond kosher salt. You want to use about half as much if using other salt.
Oven use
In addition to using simple, cheap ingredients, I made an oven usage plan to reduce energy consumption when preparing all these dishes at once. This reduces time and can save a few bucks on the electric bill by cooking multiple things at the same time and avoiding preheating the oven repeatedly. The plan I used is as follows:
1. Preheat the oven to 415°F.
2. Add in the chicken. Cook for 35 minutes.
3. After 35 minutes has passed, add the first round of roast vegetables (beets) and bake for another 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the temperature to 375°F and add the rest of the veggies. Bake for another 10 minutes.
5. You can remove the chicken at this point if it is fully cooked and add in the rolls to bake for 30 minutes. Veggies and rolls should finish around the same time!
My challenge for this meal guide was to make something that would serve about 6-8 people and still costs under $50. With prices on everything increasing, this was certainly a challenge, but I was able to successfully create delicious results on a budget.
The price of the ingredients was calculated using QFC Capitol Hill prices and dividing those by the amount needed to make the recipe. The Seattle tax of 10.25% was also added, and the grand total came out to $43.73! This just goes to show that good food and hosting a holiday gathering doesn't have to break the bank.
Share your dishes and connect with me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/juliastastykitchen2/. Happy holidays!