Creating A Christmas Dinner For Less

Many people will be stuck in University Halls for Christmas, it can be really tricky to have wonderful turkey with all the trimmings which many have been dreaming of all year. However, there are alternatives even for the student on the strictest bud

Nottingham (I-Newswire) November 29, 2012 - Christmas is all about the turkey. The plump, proud bird sitting in the middle of the table, waiting to be carved up by the man with the knives. Many can smell it cooking in its own juices from the moment they wake up, since their mothers put it in before everyone else had risen. A mouth-watering scent which drives everyone wild, but what can be done for those who are stuck at university, without their mother’s fantastic oven skills. It can be very easy to cook a microwave Christmas dinner with nothing but a kitchen and a few cookbooks.

Where mother’s Christmas turkey normally takes prime position there are alternatives. Wafer thin sliced turkey from a local supermarket can be just as delicious as the slow-roasted type family cooking produces. Put a thin layer of oil or butter on the slices, and warm them up in the microwave without fear of dry turkey as the oil or butter will help to keep the slices moist.

Roast potatoes are equally as desirable as roast turkey, with some people even preferring them. There’s nothing that says Christmas quite like crunching into fluffy on the inside roasties, covered in gravy and plucked right from the side of a pig in a blanket. However, a potato is a potato no matter what shape it comes in. With no oven a student can struggle to recreate these staple Christmas dinner counterparts, however potatoes still be cooked in a microwave to produce a tasty result, which will go nicely with warm turkey slices.

Fresh veg is acceptable, but for anyone on a budget with money and time, mixed frozen veg can be as good. The nutrional value is virtually the same, and it takes only four minutes in the microwave. Of course, the veg can be made a little tastier with stuffing on the side. Stuffing mixes are sold throughout Christmas, and any brand will help to improve the quality of a microwaved Christmas dinner.