Chili is an inexpensive party food you can serve as a main course.
Entertaining on a budget can be difficult. Party foods can be found cheap, on sale or at a dollar store, but it takes savvy to plan a budget party menu to begin with. Believe it or not, you can plan an inexpensive party spread and still make it look top-notch. The type of food you serve depends upon the time of day you are having your party. Once you have a few cheap party food ideas, you can decide which will fit best with your next event. Does this Spark an idea?
Chili
Chili is inexpensive to make, and it is easy to prepare. Yet many people love chili. You can throw all your chili ingredients into a crock pot and forget about it until your guests arrive.
Brown two pounds of ground beef. Put the ground beef, diced onion, diced green and red pepper and kidney beans in a crock pot with two 32-ounce cans of crushed tomato. Add spice to taste preference. If you are serving the chili to kids too, you may want to make a batch without beans, and replace the beans with corn.
Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is inexpensive and easy to make.
Baked ziti is a cheap party food. It goes a long way, and it can be made with or without meat. To make it with meat, brown one pound of ground beef, then blend the meat into spaghetti sauce to make a meat sauce. In a bowl mix 24 ounces of ricotta cheese, one cup parmesan cheese, two eggs, two cups meat sauce and two cups mozzarella. Blend this mixture in a casserole dish with one 16-ounce box of cooked ziti noodles. Top with two cups of meat sauce and two cups mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. To make meatless baked ziti, prepare the same way without the meat. Serve with garlic bread.
Stromboli
Stromboli is a quick, cheap party food.
Stromboli is a cheap party food that can be made quickly. You can roll whatever you want into the stromboli loaf. Pepperoni and cheese, ham and cheese, and veggies and cheese are popular choices. To make a pepperoni loaf, roll out bread dough, which can be purchased in the deli section at most grocers, or use pre-made pizza dough. After you roll out the dough, spread the ingredients in the center evenly. Then roll the dough into a loaf shape, and pinch the ends shut. Bake on a non-stick baking sheet at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let the stromboli cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then slice and serve.
Fondue
Fondue is inexpensive, and fun for dinner party guests
Fondue is an inexpensive yet elegant meal to serve when you are entertaining. All you need are a few different fondue pots with sauces like cheese, broth, marshmallow and chocolate. Serve foods to dip into the fondue, such as meat cut into chunks or strips, bread broken in pieces or chunks, fruits, veggies and candy. Then everyone can chat, dip and eat.
Tags: party food, cheap party, cheap party food, ground beef, meat sauce, Chili inexpensive