How to host an elegant holiday meal, on a budget

Hosting holiday dinners can be expensive, but Melissa D’Arabian, host of “Ten Dollar Dinners” on Food Network, points to plenty of creative ways to have a gourmet spread that won’t break the bank. Here are her tips on hosting an inexpensive celebration that will feel more festive than frugal.

• For more tips on budgeting and spending for the festive season, see our Holiday Financial Guide
  

Offer a signature drink

D’Arabian says instead of offering several different types of cocktails, one way to please everyone -- nondrinkers included -- is to make a tasty flavored syrup you can add either to spirits or to club soda.

“It’s just half sugar, half water and some flavoring,” she says. “You can put in orange zest and a little fresh rosemary or basil that then serves as a great mixer that can go into sparkling wine or sparkling water.”

D’Arabian says if you’re looking for variety, you can make several different syrups: “It’ll feel festive and fun, but won’t be super expensive.”

Buy day-old bread for stuffing

D’Arabian points out that stuffing is “essentially dried cubed bread flavored with a little butter, onion and celery.” One quick way to make stuffing less expensive is to get the cheapest version of that main ingredient -- day-old bread. “You want stale bread anyway,” she says. D’Arabian says stores often keep day-old bread by the dairy case instead of in the bread aisle.

Include beans or eggs

One frugal way to fill up is to make dishes with beans or eggs -- and your guests won’t guess that you cut any costs. D’Arabian suggests using beans and eggs to stretch fancy ingredients. 

“You can do a bruschetta with white beans or sauteed shrimp on top of white beans on toast. There are lots of elegant ways to serve beans, and your guests will feel satisfied and special,” she says. “When they sit down to dinner, you won’t have to serve everyone three-quarters of a pound of shrimp.” D’Arabian says she once made deviled eggs with tuna tartare on top.

Look for loss-leader proteins

D’Arabian says grocery stores sometimes offer serious deals on certain meats they lose money in hopes you’ll buy lots of other goods: loss leaders.

“When protein goes on sale, you save a lot more than when produce goes on sale, so look for proteins, something like prime rib, as a loss leader,” she says.

As for Thanksgiving turkey, D’Arabian says many stores often offer deals in the form of freebies with a purchase or as a loss leader.

Let the guests help

D’Arabian says the best way to answer the question “What can I bring?” is to ask guests to show off their favorite holiday dishes.

“A lot of people are actually secretly dying to bring their version of green bean casserole because they think their mom’s is the best thing ever and they want to share their secret recipe,” she says. “Keep in mind that entertaining is not a performance art. It’s about connecting.” 

D’Arabian says letting guests contribute doesn’t mean you’re being a bad host. In fact, it’s an inclusive way of allowing your guests to bring their own holiday traditions to the table.

Seek out gift-card specials

D’Arabian says to keep an eye out for gift-card specials. Sometimes, she says, grocery stores sell gift cards to other stores and will offer bonuses along with the cards.

“Some of your favorite local grocery stores might have a special like buying a $100 gift card to a department store gets you a $25 gift card to the grocery store -- that’s free groceries,” she explains.