Easter Dinner on A Budget
Grocery prices seem to just going up and up these days. But if you utilize your grocery stores sale flyer, you can create a delicious Easter Dinner on a Budget.
While this meal may not be a typical Easter dinner, I think your family and friends will love this Easter Menu.
How to save money at the grocery store
Mariano’s is my favorite grocery store, and has been for at least 8 years, if not longer. Before Mariano’s was built in Crystal Lake, I used to go to the location near my office in South Barrington. Did you know most Mariano’s stores have an indoor grill? At least once a week I would go to Mariano’s on my lunch hour, pick a small steak, pay for it and have them grill it while I shopped for my groceries. I would hit up the salad bar and then when I got to my office I would slice up the steak and top it on my salad.
- create your menu based on the sale flyer – jumbo shrimp was on sale for $8.99 a pound, and that’s what I chose as my protein for the meal at only $2.25 per serving
- only buy what you need – I made a gremolata for the topping of my carrot soup, so I bought a 1.5 ounce package for $1.25 that was by the checkout counter, instead of buying a one pound bag
- the arborio rice was the only ingredient that served more than my recipes, so with that into consideration, my total meal cost $62.31 or $15.57 per serving for these four courses
Carrot Bisque
This creamy carrot bisque soup is so delicious and a budget friendly start to your Easter dinner or for a light lunch with a sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- .75 ounce roasted almonds
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Toss the chopped carrots and garlic cloves with olive oil on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the carrots are tender and slightly caramelized.
- In a blender, combine the roasted carrots and garlic with vegetable broth, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, salt, and almond milk.
- Blend the mixture until smooth and creamy. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender.
- Once blended, transfer the soup to a pot and heat it over medium heat until warmed through. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- While the soup is heating, prepare the gremolata garnish. In a small bowl, mix together chopped parsley, roasted almonds, and lemon zest.
- To serve, ladle the carrot bisque into bowls and sprinkle a generous amount of the parsley almond lemon zest gremolata on top of each bowl.
- Serve the soup hot and enjoy!
Notes
As of the date of this publication, each serving is 3 WW points. Click here for the WW tracker.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 173Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1627mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 8gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g
Spring Salad
This bright spring salad has sugar snap peas, strawberries and pairs perfectly with poppy seed dressing.
Ingredients
- 8 cups mixed spring greens
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- 1 cup sugar snap peas, sliced in half
- 1 cup radishes, julienned
- 4 tablespoons crumbled feta, peppercorn seasoned
- 4 tablespoons poppyseed dressing
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Divide the greens between four plates.
- Top with strawberries, snap peas, radish, feta cheese and dress with 1 tablespoon poppyseed dressing per plate.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
As of the date of this publication, this is 4 WW points (3 points on the regular diabetic plan). Click here for the WW link.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 146Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 357mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 5g
Asparagus Risotto with Shrimp
This risotto dish with asparagus and shrimp makes a showstopper of a meal for Easter, or for a nice night in served with a crisp white wine.
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups fresh asparagus, cut into small pieces
- 16 jumbo shrimp (approximately 1 pound)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 4 tablespoons shaved parm
- 4 teaspoons lemon zest
- 4 teaspoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Begin by heating the chicken stock in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to low to keep it warm.
In a large skillet or pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and season them with salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until they are pink and cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set them aside on a plate.
In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the arborio rice and toast it for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the rice becomes slightly translucent.
Pour in the dry white wine and stir continuously until the wine is absorbed by the rice.
Begin adding the warm chicken stock to the rice mixture, about 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently. Allow each addition of stock to be absorbed before adding more. Continue this process for about 20-30 minutes or until the rice is creamy and cooked to your desired consistency (it should be tender with a slight bite).
About halfway through cooking the risotto (after adding about half of the chicken stock), add the chopped asparagus to the skillet. Stir it into the risotto and continue adding the remaining chicken stock as needed.
Once the risotto is cooked and creamy, remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley and shaved Parmesan cheese until melted and well combined.
Divide the risotto among serving plates or bowls. Top each portion with the cooked shrimp, lemon zest, and fresh chopped parsley as garnishes and additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
As of the date of this publication, this is 13 WW points. Click here for the WW tracker.
This is a generous serving. If you make 6 servings, it would be 9 WW points.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 1069mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 24g
Classic Tapioca Pudding
This classic tapioca pudding reminds me of childhood. We didn't have it often, but it was a prominent food memory from my childhood. This is the recipe on the side of the box of Kraft minute tapioca pudding. I used no calorie sweetener, unsweetened almond milk and added cornstarch to thicken.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 2 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/3 cup monk fruit (or non calorie sweetener of choice)
- 3 tablespoons minute tapioca
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
- 4 large strawberries, sliced
Instructions
- Whisk egg, milk and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Bring to a full boil, stirring every minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Let cool for 20 minutes and serve warm with strawberries.
- Alternatively, you can chill and serve chilled
Notes
As of the date of this publication, each serving is 2 WW points. Click here for the WW tracker.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 95Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
We hope you enjoy these recipes with your friends and family.
Need an even more budget friendly dinner? Check out our Easter on a Budget Meal from 2023 – only $7 per person!
