Summer’s here, and most of us can’t wait to fire up the grill and have friends over for a BBQ.
But the cost of entertaining can put a damper on anyone’s party mood. By the time you shell out for the food, the drinks and the decorations, you’ve often spent more than you’d planned.
Host a chic (and cheap) gathering with help from these food shortcuts I’ve learned over the years.
1. Make a budget-friendly appetizer. Deviled eggs are my go-to starter. Not only are they a picnic staple and a tasty comfort food, they are inexpensive: you get two for every one egg you use! I like to jazz them up with capers and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
2. Bulk up a salad. I am a big fan of panzanella, which is a salad of greens mixed with chunks of charred torn bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and basil. I like to play around and see what flavors work. Lately I’ve been mixing red seedless grapes with salad greens, huge hunks of sourdough, spicy pecans, dried currants and a tart dressing of olive oil and champagne vinegar. The bread makes the salad feel more substantial than a side, and it soaks up that delicious vinegar. Plus, this recipe works with slightly stale bread, so if your grocery store offers a discount on day-old baked goods, you can take advantage.
3. Serve kebabs (like these delicious chicken ones with a yogurt-tahini sauce). Because you cut meat into stew-size pieces for kebabs, you don’t end up using a whole chicken breast per person, especially when you factor in all the veggies you can thread on a skewer. I like to mix a protein like chicken, beef or pork with cherry tomatoes, small potatoes, large button mushrooms, zucchini and hunks of green pepper and onion.
How do you keep food costs down when entertaining? We’d love to hear your tips and tricks.
