Prices at the grocery store have skyrocketed so throwing a holiday get-together can be costly. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 81 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Easter and they expect to spend $7.3 billion on food along with an additional $3.1 billion on candy. The most popular Easter Sunday activities include cooking a holiday meal (57%), visiting friends and family (53%) and going to church (43%). Half (51%) of households with children are planning an Easter egg hunt at home.
“Each year, Americans look forward to the celebration of Easter and the renewal of time traditions with loved ones,” NRF President and CEO Mathew Shay said.
It’s possible, with a little planning, to whip up a delicious yet affordable Easter dinner without spending a lot of your hard-earned cash.
If you’re hosting an Easter get-together explore these easy-on-the-wallet tips:
1) Don’t feel it’s impolite to ask guests to bring a dish.
If you’re hosting the party and supplying the main dish and drinks, it’s okay to ask family and friends who are regulars at your Easter table to bring a dish. Assigning a dish, appetizer or dessert to each guest will save you money and create a fun way to combine traditions. Make sure to give them plenty of advance warning about the request so they have time to shop for the ingredients and prepare the dish.
2) Shop seasonal sales.
Plan a cost-effective menu in advance. Craft your menu using lower-priced seasonal produce and common holiday staples when they’re on sale.
3) Throw out the rulebook that says you must serve ham.
There’s no denying a slice of honey-baked ham is delectable- but it’s also expensive. If you don’t want to go without meat, lower priced cuts are available. Buy a pork shoulder and cook it low and slow. A slow cooker is great for this….freeing up time and money.
1) Give New Life to
Leftovers.
Plan for leftovers by making sure you have plenty of clean containers to store them in and make room in the fridge and freezer beforehand so you don’t end up wasting food. If your family turns their nose up at leftovers, send them home with others or take them to work with you; someone is sure to make good use of them.
Easy (and inexpensive)
Easter Side Dishes
Corn Casserole
1 can corn, DO NOT DRAIN
1 can cream-style corn
8 oz. Sour cream
1 stick butter
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
Melt butter in microwave. Mix all ingredients together and put in a greased 9” x 13” pan. Bake at 350 for 50 – 55 minutes. Serve.
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mini-marshmallows
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup canned pineapple tidbits, well drained
1 cup canned mandarin orange segments, well drained
In a bowl, combine sour cream, marshmallows, coconut and pineapple tidbits. Gently fold in mandarin oranges. Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight. Serve chilled.
Pea and Beet Salad
1 (15 ounce) can beets, drained
1 pound frozen petite peas
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. Onion powder
Dice or julienne pickled beets. Toss with peas and onion in a bowl. Combine mayonnaise and onion powder in a separate bowl. Stir into beet mixture. Chill about an hour to let flavors blend.
Pineapple Pudding Cake
1 package (9 ounce) yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (1 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 can (20 ounce) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained well
1 tub Cool Whip
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix batter according to directions; pour into a greased 9” x 13” baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 15 – 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for two minutes. Let stand two minutes until soft-set. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in pudding mixture until blended. Spread evenly over cake. Sprinkle with pineapples, spread with whipped topping. Refrigerate until serving.
Optional: sprinkle with walnuts and garnish with cherries before serving.