Deal FindingHow To Cook A Roast Dinner For Less

In this blog, we will tell you:

• How you can cook a Sunday roast dinner for less
• How to cut calories in a roast dinner
• What our favourite roast dinner recipes are

How To Cook A Roast Dinner On A Budget

A Sunday roast dinner is the perfect excuse for families and friends to share a meal together and create memories, but many are beginning to reconsider keeping up the costly tradition due to the rising cost of living. Never fear! Our guide on how to cook a roast dinner and save is filled with helpful money-saving tips so you won’t have to sacrifice the quality of your meal just to save a few extra pounds. From keeping up with the latest supermarket sales to staying in season, saving on your next roast dinner is easier than you think!

Reuse food scraps

It may sound strange but you’d be surprised how much you can save weekly just by reusing what you’d usually throw away. The heel of the bread and the crusts you cut off the little ones’ sandwiches can be ground up and made into a delicious stuffing for chicken. Similarly, bones from meat & poultry and vegetable trimmings can be used to make homemade stock or gravy. Why not kill two birds with one stone and try Aldi’s vegetable stuffing recipe? Save on the ingredients you’re missing by using one of our Aldi discount codes.

Shop near closing time

Something many retailers don’t want you to know is that the best discounts come out when the sun goes down. Known as yellow sticker discounts, supermarkets generally release these discounts around 7 pm. Take advantage of these half-price deals by saving your trip to Tesco for later in the evening. Double up your savings by using one of our Tesco vouchers.

Keep up with sales

Signing up for your local grocery store’s newsletter has its benefits! Stay up to date with the latest sales and plan your Sunday roast dinner budget around what’s been marked down. Keep your eyes peeled for sales that come about after the holidays. You can get a ham or turkey for half the price and a variety of other items you can use as roast dinner sides.

Grocery store membership

A grocery store membership comes with a bunch of useful benefits you can take advantage of. Many stores offer programs for loyal customers looking to save a little extra money on their grocery shopping. Some of our favourite grocery store memberships include:

• ASDA Rewards where customers can earn points while shopping for their favourite products and redeem them for vouchers.
• Tesco Clubcard which allows members to collect points while they shop and exchange them for grocery, restaurant or movie ticket vouchers.
• Nectar, a rewards program from Sainsbury’s where customers can get exclusive discounted prices on hundreds of products in-store and online.
• Sparks from Marks and Spencer who offers customers personalised offers on their favourite products and daily gifts.

Buy in season

Not only is in-season produce packed with more flavour and nutrients, but it is also wildly more affordable. Whilst in season, fruits and vegetables are in abundance and it is easier to buy them in bulk and use them while cooking throughout the week. Stores like Sainsbury’s have dedicated an entire section of their online store to offering the best in-season produce. Make the most of these fresh ingredients by using a Sainsbury’s discount code to get an even lower price on your next purchase.

Buy in bulk

This a great way to reduce the use of single-use plastic and the cost of weekly meal prep. Buying in bulk allows you to stock up on your Sunday roast dinner ingredients that you can spread over the month at a fraction of the cost. This rule applies to meat as well! Be on the lookout for big cuts of meat that you can portion out over a couple of meals. Costco is your go-to wholesaler if you’re looking for an affordable bulk buy. You can cut the cost of buying in bulk even further by using one of our Costco promo codes.

Swap to a slow cooker

Rising energy costs are a heavy weight on every family’s shoulders at the moment but swapping your oven out for a slow cooker is a great way to reduce that utility bill. Known to use less electricity than the average oven, a slow cooker is also an expert at slow-cooking cheaper cuts of meat and bringing out extra flavour in them. Best of all a slow cooker is versatile so investing in one means you can cook more than just the Sunday roast in it. ASDA offers a wide range of slow cookers for £30 or less. If that’s still a little over your price range, you can use an ASDA discount code to help keep things within budget.

Cutting Down On Roast Dinner Calories

While we can’t deny that a Sunday roast dinner is the perfect comfort food after a long week, it’s not always the best choice for your health. We here at Love Discount Vouchers have saved you the trouble of searching through recipe books trying to find healthy alternatives, by gathering up a bunch of tips you can follow to help cut down on those roast dinner calories.

Use oil instead of butter

Let’s face the facts, vegetable oils are healthier than butter and margarine. And while avoiding putting butter on your roast vegetables can seem like you’re sacrificing flavour for health, rest assured knowing the healthier alternatives taste even better than you first thought. Next time you’re roasting up some veggies to serve alongside your weekly beef roast dinner, why not drizzle some olive oil on top with a little garlic and rosemary? We can guarantee you won’t go back to butter.

Pick leaner meats

You can never go wrong with a juicy roast beef dinner, except when you’re looking for ways to cut down on saturated fats. Leaner meats such as chicken and turkey are drastically lower in calories and, if cooked right, can be tastier than red meat. Swap out your usual beef roast for a whole chicken or just the breasts. Season them well and drizzle a little olive oil on top and you just might have the next family favourite. Alternatively, you don’t have to cut beef and lamb completely out of your diet. Simply opt for leaner cuts of meat such as silverside.

Try nuts

It may sound strange but nut roasts have become a popular vegetarian option for those looking to cut down on roast dinner calories. Packed with protein and unsaturated fats, nut roasts are a great way to add variety to your Sunday roast dinner without sacrificing your health or pay packet. If you or someone in your family has a nut allergy then you can try making roasts using peppers or cauliflower.

Delicious Roast Dinner Ideas

Whether you need a little inspiration for that next Sunday roast or are just looking for recipes that won’t burn a hole in your pocket, we have exactly what you’re looking for! Below are three of our favourite budget-friendly roast dinner ideas that are guaranteed to make an impression at the dinner table.

Harissa Chicken

A dish made for spice lovers, this spicy chicken roast is our twist on a roast chicken dinner that is also incredibly affordable. Ready to bring the heat?

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 jalapeno peppers
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 chicken thighs

How To Make The Harissa Paste:

• Step 1 Roast the peppers on a stovetop until all sides are charred. Then place in a bowl and seal with plastic wrap.
• Step 2 In a pan, toast the cayenne pepper, garlic, caraway seeds, coriander, cumin and smoked paprika for 2 minutes.
• Step 3 Peel the roasted peppers, remove the seeds and chop them roughly.
• Step 4 Puree the peppers using a food processor or immersion blender.
• Step 5 Add the toasted spices to the paste and continue blending until smooth.

How To Make Harissa Chicken:

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 218℃
• Step 2 Place the chicken thighs on a large sheet tray and season them with salt and pepper.
• Step 3 Coat the chicken thighs with 2 tablespoons of harissa paste.
• Step 4 Roast the chicken thighs in the oven for 45 minutes. Serve with roasted vegetables and plain yoghurt.

Butter Basted Steak

Not only will this succulent steak save you money on your Sunday roast dinner but it will also help bring down that utility bill. You only need 6 ingredients to give your family the steakhouse experience without the bill.

Ingredients:

• 1 ribeye steak
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 garlic cloves
• rosemary
• thyme
• salt & pepper

How To Make Butter Basted Steak:

• Step 1 On high heat, heat up a pan. Once hot add the oil.
• Step 2 Pat the steak dry and season with salt & pepper.
• Step 3 Place the steak in the hot pan and sear on each side for 2 minutes.
• Step 4 Once a brown crust forms on each side of the steak, add the butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and bast the steak using the melted butter.
• Step 5 Remove the steak from the pan and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Roast Cauliflower

Add a vegetarian twist to your typical Sunday roast! This vegetarian roast dinner takes a classic side dish and upgrades it to a main course.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons sage
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 2 teaspoons onion powder

How To Make Roast Cauliflower:

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 200℃.
• Step 2 Remove the stem of the cauliflower whilst making sure the core stays intact.
• Step 3 In a bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, sage, fennel seeds, parmesan cheese and onion powder.
• Step 4 Bast the cauliflower in the butter herb mixture and season with salt & pepper.
• Step 5 Place in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and roast for a further hour.
• Step 5 Slice the cauliflower into steaks and serve with roasted vegetables and gravy.

Save Money With These Roast Dinner Ideas

Now that you know how to cook a roast dinner for less you can keep the weekly tradition alive without worrying about how it will affect your budget. And to top it all off you now have some insight into how you can cut down on roast dinner calories and some recipes with a twist you can try out! Looking for more guides on ways you can save your hard-earned money? Visit our Blog page for more tips and tricks on how you can stretch your money further.