Savvy dad reveals how to cook a Christmas dinner for just £1 per person – but turkey’s off the menu

MIGUEL Barclay's recipe is super simple and uses budget ingredients. You can easily multiply the quantities to make more food for more guests.

Serves one

• 1 chicken leg, de-boned (50p - four for £1.99 at Aldi)
• ½ red onion, finely diced (2p - 11 for 85p at Asda)
• 1 tsp cranberry sauce (5p - 200g for 75p at Asda)
• Small handful of breadcrumbs (2p - grated stale bread)
• 1 large potato, peeled and roughly chopped (12p - 2.5kg for £1.85 at Lidl)
• 3 tbsp dry stuffing mix (6p - 170g for 34p at Lidl)
• Approx 20ml water (free)
• 1 rasher of smoked streaky bacon, cut into three (10p - 14 rashers for £1.39 at Lidl)
• 3 brussels sprouts, separated into leaves (6p - 500g for 90p at Asda)
• 1 tsp gravy granules (3p - 170g for 60p at Asda)
• Olive oil (store cupboard)
• Salt and pepper (store cupboard)

Total cost: 96p

To cook:

• Lay the chicken skin-side down on foil and stuff with a mixture of the onion, cranberry sauce and breadcrumbs. Wrap into a tight cylinder and twist the foil, then secure with string.
• Poach in boiling water for 25 minutes, then cool under cold running water and refrigerate for 30 minutes minimum (you can do this the night before).
• Preheat your oven to 190°C/gas mark 5.
• Rinse the chopped potato under cold running water, place in cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook until soft. Drain, then return to the empty saucepan and immediately drench in generous glugs of olive oil. Tip into a baking tray and roast for about 40 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden.
• Mix the stuffing mix with the water, roll it into 3 sausage shapes and wrap in bacon (secure with toothpicks, if necessary). Bake in a separate tray for about 20 minutes.
• Peel the foil off the chicken (don’t remove the string) and pan-fry in a splash of oil for about 25 minutes, turning to brown the skin (make sure it is hot throughout).
• Just before serving, pan-fry the sprout leaves, seasoned generously, in a splash of oil.
• Mix the gravy granules with boiling water (according to the packet instructions) and serve.

Recipes extracted from (Headline, £16.99). You can also pre-order Miguel’s next book, (Headline,£16.99).