This Christmas, many of us will be looking to spread the festive cheer on a tighter budget due to the cost of living crisis. Thankfully, it doesn't mean that you have to compromise on great-tasting food around the table, as certain supermarkets have been releasing their very own Christmas dinner deals to ensure you get all the seasonal joy without breaking the bank.
Household favourites including Aldi, Asda and even Poundland are getting in on the festive food action as they are offering seriously competitive prices for a whole Christmas dinner, complete with all the trimmings. The budget meals have hit the shelves as new BBC research reveals that Christmas dinners will be 22% more expensive this year, with seven key items rising by £5.36 since 2021.
When I heard that Asda had released a Christmas dinner that costs just £22 for five people, I was really shocked - especially with the sheer volume of food it contained. Shoppers can expect a turkey crown, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, peas, sprouts, and pigs in blankets for just over £20. Each element is frozen rather than fresh, but the value for money is impressive.
Keen to get into the festive spirit a little early, I just knew I had to give this frozen festive bonanza it a try.
Picking up my Asda meal
When I arrived at Asda, I had to go on a wild goose chase to hunt down each element from the dinner deal - as they were all in separate freezers. I tried to find everything myself, but ended up asking a staff member for help - and it's a good job I did.
I was told that in order to redeem this 'offer', I'd need to download the Asda Rewards app because it needed to be scanned at checkout. They also told me that the deal items should have all been at the end in a freezer together, rather than individually across the frozen aisle, so if you do head out to buy this, hopefully that's the case. If not, their staff are more than happy to help.
I grabbed all the ingredients I needed and headed to the till scanned my app and voila! The turkey was mine to defrost - but I was apprehensive. This would be my first time roasting a frozen bird and I didn't have majorly high hopes.
Being the designated chef at Christmas can be extremely stressful, so I'll take any tips in order to alleviate the pressure on the big day. With this in mind, I decided to cook the turkey the day before ('Christmas Eve', if you will) and I made everything else on the day I was going to try it. I find that this makes Christmas Day a whole lot less stressful.
When the turkey came out of the oven, it looked absolutely delicious. Admittedly, I did wrap the turkey in some bacon for extra flavour, but you definitely don't have to do that. The turkey skin was crispy and mouth-watering regardless, and reluctantly I let it cool for the day after.
Then the time came to make the rest of the roast, and I was nervous. Sadly, the meal deal didn't come with any gravy (homemade is the best anyway) so I needed to make that separately from everything else. Cooking the meal was super easy, it was all about timing - as with any Christmas dinner. I then sat down to devour it (with a glass of wine, of course).
The big taste test
Roast potatoes
Roasties are such an important part of a Christmas dinner so I was hoping that these would hit and not miss. Without gloriously golden roast potatoes, the festive feast just doesn't pack the same punch.
Thankfully, these potatoes were really tasty! Not as crispy as I'd usually prefer, but for 88p, I really could not complain in the slightest.
Yorkshire puddings
Yorkshire puddings aren't usually something I'd have on a roast - but Asda's meal deal has converted me. After trying these, I'm going to have to make them a permanent fixture at Christmas and other roasts in between. They were wonderfully crispy on the outside with a soft, fluffy interior - a big yes from me!
Carrots
The carrots were really yummy, despite being from frozen. They had enough bite without being too soggy, which is a major plus, and I loved that they came pre-sliced for minimum effort on a busy Christmas morning. Carrots are one of my favourite vegetables anyway, so it was always going to be a win for me.
Peas
Peas on a roast are unfortunately a gigantic no from me - I'm not the biggest fan anyway, but adding it to my beautiful Christmas dinner is a step too far. The fact I don't like peas isn't Asda's fault though, and I was reliably informed by someone who likes them that they were nice. So as far as peas go, they were good.
Sprouts
Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of sprouts - but these? They were amazing! They didn't really taste that strong, and that's probably why I enjoyed them. Even if you're apprehensive about sprouts, give these a go because they're actually delicious. You'd never usually see me with more than one or two sprouts on my plate, but I ate over double that!
Pigs in blankets
The pigs in blankets were everything you'd want them to be - salty and extremely more-ish. The sausages were succulent but the bacon turned crispy on the outside, which made for the perfect marriage. On their own, this dish would cost just £2.50. Pigs in blankets are a Christmas must-have for me, so I was pleased to see Asda's budget offering included them.
Turkey crown
Now this was the absolute showstopper. It was the most moist, tasty turkey I have ever tasted - I couldn't believe it came from the frozen aisle! I often find that turkey can often be a dry, uninspiring meat - but this blew my preconceptions of frozen turkeys out of the window. So much so, that I'm going to get another one for Christmas Day. And for just £13.50? Madness. Move over expensive turkeys of the past, because this one has hit the top spot for me.
It stated that it served 3-4 because it was a 'small' crown, however, this would easily serve five people, and there's enough of everything else to go around too.
Final thoughts...
I'm genuinely blown away. For £21.48, you can get almost all the ingredients for a Christmas dinner, and likely still have leftovers for Boxing Day. If you make it for five people, it costs around £4.30 per portion. If you're looking to cut the cost this Christmas, I'd definitely recommend heading to your local Asda to snap this deal up, as the meal gets a huge thumbs up from me.
Here's a rundown of the individual prices:
- Asda Basted Small British Turkey, Frozen (approx. 2.6kg) - £13.50
- Asda Frozen for Freshness Sliced Carrots (1kg) - £1.10
- Asda Frozen for Freshness Garden Peas (1kg) - £1.25
- Asda Party Pigs in Blankets, Frozen (12pk) - £2.50
- Asda Crispy Roast Potatoes, Frozen (800g) - £0.88
- Asda Frozen for Freshness Brussels Sprouts (1kg) - £1.25
- Asda Frozen Yorkshire Puddings, (12pk) - £1.00
Will you be trying this Christmas dinner? Let us know in the comments.
