Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Easter Lunch – feed 6 for under £10: Including Vegetables at 19p!
Rachel Hazelwood
20th Mar 2024
Easter is traditionally a time for getting together with family or friends or neighbours. For some it is a deeply religious festival, for others it’s an excuse to eat their body weight in chocolate eggs. For most of us though it’s just a great reason to cook lovely food, sit down with our nearest and dearest and celebrate Spring and all that it has to offer.
This year, while we’re still in the depths of the cost of living crisis, trying to work out what we can afford this Easter is challenging. Food is just so expensive right now. But don’t worry, we’ve done the hard work for you.
Read on to find out how you can feed six people on Easter Sunday for under a tenner.
STAYING IN BUDGET
The biggest difference you’ll notice this year compared to previous years is how much more expensive meat is. Lamb, beef, chicken – whatever your preferred Easter meal centrepiece, it’ll take up the majority of the budget this year.
The trick is to bulk out with tasty veggies that’ll help your dinner stretch further while still filling your guests up.
Aldi does a bone in leg of lamb for £8.49 per kg. Remember, too, that being part of a supermarket’s loyalty scheme can knock serious pounds from your shop – Tesco’s lamb half shoulder joint is currently £10.20 per kg, but if you’re a Clubcard member then it’s half price at only £5.10.
One kilo of lamb usually feeds four people – but when you consider that Aldi are cutting the price of some of their veggies down to 19p this Easter from 26th-30th March, it’s easy to see how adding some extra potatoes and veg makes the meal stretch without feeling mean. This is their first year reducing 7 veggies and not just 6 and it includes good old garlic. Meaning we don’t need to scrimp of flavour. That’s the sort of bargain we like here at MoneyMagpie.
Affordable Alternatives
Consider trying alternative cuisine such as a Persian lamb tagine, which makes the most of cheaper neck meat cuts and slow cooking to bring out the flavour for a less costly Easter meal. If you have a local butcher, make sure you pop by – you may find some excellent deals on cuts of meat and your butcher will be able to de-bone and prepare meat for you, too.
Of course, you don’t have to have lamb at Easter.
A beef casserole is always a hearty and delicious way to share a meal with guests, and with Waitrose offering two 400g packs of braising beef for £8 you can get a lot of bang for your buck. We love Jamie Oliver’s Easy Beef Stew recipe for something you can throw together with ease and enjoy with friends when you’re ready – taking the stress out of entertaining on Easter Sunday.
And, of course, chicken is a reliable favourite that can feed a crowd. Lidl’s Extra Large Chicken is just £4.29, offering plenty of meat for everyone including some for leftovers – even more savings! Even if you spend a few quid on some premium vegetables, you’d still have enough in your budget for a help-yourself ice cream bar for dessert, with ice cream at £2.89 a tub and sprinkles at just 99p.
For more affordable ideas for Sunday Roast on Easter Day then click here for the cheapest meal deals we could find.
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