Appetizers may be small but they can cost a lot of money when you are trying to make them at home. Making appetizers for a dinner party for friends or family is a great way to entertain without spending a bundle. There are plenty of delicious appetizers that are easy to make, but do not cost a great deal of money.
Focus on Vegetables
One of the things that drives up the cost of appetizers or any other dish is meat. If you use vegetables to make a selection of appetizers, you are going to save a great deal of money. Even if you replace two or three of your meat options with vegetables, you can save big. Vegetable-based appetizers are also a great idea because it provides options for all kinds of diners. You do not have to worry about vegetarians or those with special dietary needs going hungry at your party. Options for cheap easy appetizers with vegetables include cucumber sandwiches, asparagus roll-ups, and crudite platters.
Keep It Simple
This tip applies to all aspects of your dinner party, but especially to your cheap, easy appetizers. The fewer ingredients an appetizer requires, the easier it is to make. Look for appetizer recipes that only feature two or three ingredients. You can also consider single item appetizers with dipping sauces. Consider baking cheese or vegetables into ready-made croissant dough. You could also make a sweet flavored dipping sauce for fruit. Another option is to serve chips with salsa or dip as an appetizer.
Throw an Appetizer Party
If you find plenty of good ideas for appetizers and you are unable to narrow down your choices, consider only serving appetizers at your party. Though the cost of appetizers will be more expensive than usual, the overall cost of the party will be very inexpensive. Guests can nosh on bite-sized foods all night and enjoy a variety of different tastes. You can make a selection of appetizers that includes complicated choices, as well as ones that are simple and delicious. A good rule-of-thumb for an appetizer party is to serve two very simple choices such as vegetables and chips with dip, two moderately complicated options such as tortilla rolls or quesadillas, and two complicated options such as carpachio and sushi. Though the last two choices will cost more, you will save in other ways, making the entire party affordable.
Plan for Leftovers
Another way to enjoy cheap easy appetizers is to make enough to feast on for awhile. Though you will be spending a little more on your party food, you will guarantee you have enough and save yourself the effort of cooking for a few days. If you and your family can enjoy the leftovers, you will not have to buy food for meals following your party. Typically, making more of a single items is cheaper than making an additional meal altogether. This also gives you a chance to relax and sample all of the foods that were served at your party. The next time you host, you will know what dishes you would like to serve again