hoasting a party and want a cheap and easy food menu?

Answer 1

You can watch the Food Network Chanel for ideas. The most useful show for me is Thirty Minute Meals starring Rachel Ray!

Answer 2

You could stick with finger food, always a hit or serve a big pot of chili or spaghetti with caesar salad and garlic bread. Try this garlic bread if you do, you will get raves.

Take a loaf of French or Italian unsliced bread: slice thickly (about 1") but not through the bottom crust:
Mix some softened butter (no substitutes) about a quarter cup with some garlic powder (to taste) (not garlic salt) and dried chives or parsley.
spread on the insides of cut bread slices,
Shred cheddar or mozzarella cheese ( I use a mix of both) and stuff in between the slices of bread. Start in the centre...it's easier.
Wrap the whole thing up in foil and bake at about 375 for approximately 35-45 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is hot.
This bread can be assembled ahead and frozen but thaw before baking. Put the loaf out in a basket or on a bread board and let guests rip off a slice.
It's delicious!

Answer 3

The very easiest thing to cook and clean after is one of those bag in cooking spice things. Every market has one for everything from Chicken to roasts. You can place a piece of meat with a couple of vegetables in the bag, it has spices, then place it in the oven and not worry. The next thing I would do is make a great salad for a starter with garlic bread you can make the day before and put in under your broiler at the last minute. Dessert could be some cake with ice cream and topping which is very easy. I usually buy a pound cake, put the ice cream on a slice with either hot fudge or caramel, whipped cream and some nuts or sprinkles. If you chose chicken for the entree it can be very economical and if you put wine in the bag instead of water you can have a real gourmet sauce for it. Bon appetit.

Answer 4

Honestly, the easiest thing is to go to a Sam's Club and buy the two pack of lasagna (one is meat and the other is vegetable). Serve that with a salad and some breadsticks or garlic bread - cheap and easy and delicious. Then just add a dessert.

Answer 5

What time of day are you having your party? If you have it during cocktail hour then you're talking appetizers. If you're having it during dinner, then you have a dinner option as well. I personally vote for appetizers. Here are some of the few I've used before:

1. Salami and cheese platter with water crackers
2. Hot artichoke dip with tortilla chips
3. Salsa and chips, or salsa poured over softened cream cheese
and chips
4. Deviled eggs
5. Cheese and fruit platter: Pick 3 cheeses such as Cheddar,
Brie, and smoked gouda or pepper jack. Serve with red and
green seedless grapes and crackers
6. Vegetable platter with dip
7. Nuts and pretzels
8. Dessert platter of cupcakes, brownies, cookies
9. Wine and Beer (BYOB)
10. A variety of olives and marinated mushrooms

Answer 6

When hosting a dinner party, the easiest thing to make is Spaghetti with meatballs or meat sauce with a green and red vegetable salad. Garlic bread and simple store bought desert.

Another good suggestion would be lemon pepper chicken. Not only is this economical but it looks fancy and so simple to fix...sprinkle a chicken with lemon pepper seasoning and bake. I like to roast vegetables with this to serve all on one platter. For vegetables I use, potatoes, green peppers, carrots, onions, eggplant, zucchini and garlic or a combination of your favorite vegetables...clean and chunk veggies, place on a cookie sheet with sides, sprinkle veggies with virgin olive oil and seasonings.
Cook until tender. Serve with a bread/dinner roll of your choice. Serve with a pudding parfait, layering pudding, maybe some raspberries, crumbled cookies or cake and keep layering until glass is full to the top...(I use champagne glasses).
Simple, inexpensive but extremely elegant.

Answer 7

Serve mini meatballs and raviolis. Cheap and since they come pre made in ready to bake packages, they couldn't be easier. If you want mexican themed go to that section of the freezer aisle.
Same for chinese or french or german. Cheap and easy is all in that section. I would be surprised if you had to spend more than 20$ to feed 20 people.

Answer 8

buy chips with dip and make your own sushi make your own potato salad Buy few things at the store and make your own food..and buy few soda and ask everyone to bring little thing...It not that expensive if you have small group of people.. how much can you feed them.. hehe
And it can be dinner party just invite them at night time and make your own dinner.. or have friend help you out..
it very easy to cook your own food.. just look up recipe and buy the stuff you need..

Good luck hope all the best

Answer 9

Fruits have seeds; "vegetable" is a non-scientific word for cultivated edibles

Answer 10

make tortilla roll ups get flour tortillas spread a mixture of cream cheese, green chillies, and cheddar cheese roll up and then slice. you could also make ham roll ups the same way but use cream cheese , and green onions then roll up and cut round slices. also sasuage balls are always good!