Having people over for dinner can make for a nice evening. The trouble is that sometimes it can get expensive. So, how do you serve a nice, company-worthy meal, without breaking the bank? I think one of the best ways to do so is to make something that stretches instead of individual cuts of meat for example. I like to serve something like Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and broccoli, a salad, and some nice bread. I also sometimes prefer to a buffet style instead of plated meals. There are lots of other alternatives as well. Cooking from scratch also helps me save, instead of buying the prepared stuff. Homemade is better anyway. How do you save while still serving a nice meal?
Pasta is definitely one of the easiest ways to feed a lot of people without breaking the bank. Plus it's pretty forgiving if the guests are a little late - it only takes minutes to boil the pasta and you can make the sauce well in advance and keep it warm on the stove. Another nice thing about it is you can make a really rich red sauce with very inexpensive cuts of meat and let it simmer all day until they are super tender. Good luck trying to find something like that at a restaurant. If not doing a pasta, I would still probably consider some slow roasted inexpensive cuts of meat. Beef Bourguignon, Coq Au Vin, Braised Beef Short Ribs, can all be dressed up a bit and presented as a formal meal. Especially if you broil them a bit before serving to get some nice caramelization on the meat. For the wine used to make such dishes, just stick with your cheap but fantastic "two buck chuck" that you can find at places like Trader Joe's or Marc's. In fact, grab a few extra bottles to serve with the meal too, and just pour them into a nice decanter and they will be none the wiser that they are inexpensive wines, plus it lets the wines breathe before serving. Pay attention to what is on sale/clearance at your grocery store - perhaps the fresh mushrooms are marked down to sell at half off, and maybe they have a particular bottle of Marsala on clearance in their wine department - and if you're really lucky, there might be a pack of chicken breasts on sale too - go with Chicken Marsala, for example.
I would suggest throwing a potluck party. That way the feeding of everyone doesn't solely rest on your shoulders. People really seem to love showing off their favourite dishes. Throw a BYOB moniker on the whole deal & you're saving a ton. You can focus on decor & apps.
This! If you really want to host the dinner part yourself, then when people ask if they can bring anything, let them! Tell a couple people they can bring dessert....or someone can bring the wine, etc. You could also let them bring simple/cheaper things like a side salad. This is one less thing for you to buy and prepare.
It's very easy to economically throw a nice dinner party, especially if you plan ahead. The most expensive items are meats, seafood and alcohol, so stay away from the filet and champagne and keep things simple. Choose dishes that don't requite extensive preparation or more than a handful of ingredients. Serve a soup, salad, and some type of pasta dish for an entree. This last part is personal preference, but buffet style is not my idea of a nice dinner party, nor is potluck.
Yes, well there is the positively grand solution of having a potluck, but if you're looking to serve food by yourself, you might want to play up the idea of a 'casual, friendly atmosphere-type of party' beforehand. Tell your potential visitors to dress down for the occasion, and basically put a damper on their expectations. If you do this, and you actually provide a DECENT meal, which not too expensive but just right, you might actually end up surprising them because of their already lowered expectations. Problem solved!
When I find nicer cuts of meat on sale I try to freeze it for when we have company. Also, I find that decorating the table in an appealing manner and serving appetizers, soups, etc makes the meal seem fancy but really isn't that expensive. You can make bruschetta which is just toast rubbed with garlic and herbs. A nice zucchini or carrot soup is easy to make and adds color. The pasta posts are a great idea but don't forget if you mold your rice and then drizzle a sauce on top of your cut of meat it will make it look very fancy. Also grating cheese or grinding pepper makes people feel like they are in a restaurant. And I agree with saying 'yes' if someone asks to bring something. Ask them to bring the drinks and then just have some water in a pretty vase with decorated ice or something in like manner if that isn't enough. Palette cleansers are another fancy way to make a 5 course meal without breaking the bank. All you need to is your left over coffee or juices and then lost of sugar. Dinner parties are so much fun!
I have several finger food recipes that are fun and delicious, and also stretch the ingredients farther. I will have a big colorful salad and one main dish, and the finger foods. People love finger foods and dips and they get satisfied while enjoying the journey.
The best way to make a lot of food with little money is to find recipes that spread out ingredients wider. For example, if you served steaks then each person would get a solid piece and you might end up spending a lot buying huge slabs of meat whereas if you serve something like lasagna where the meat is ground up you could get away with a lot more because you could fill up your guests a lot faster with less ingredients needed.
You can also do an inexpensive meal such as potato soup and homemade biscuits. I make a huge pot of potato soup that will feed at least 10 people and it costs me less than $10 to make. I love to have dinner parties at my house, but do not have a lot of money myself. Most people who come bring a dish anyway without me even having to ask. I am not sure if all social circles are like this.
Most of my friends and acquaintances look to me for wine selection, lol, so they wouldn't be bringing the drinks unless it were something as a gift. I love to cook and plan my dinners out carefully from nibbles to dessert. The last time I served multiple courses people were too stuffed to have dessert. Love the idea of using a mold - the same can be done with everything from quinoa to polenta. Also love the palate cleanser. One of my favorite things for after dinner is sorbet, but even easier to make is granita. I like it when people bring flowers, but something neutral is good too, like bread.
I think buffets are so much easier than plated dishes so people can help themselves to what they like and want. I'm vegetarian so I always say if people want meat they will have to bring a dish or I make a pizza with some ham on it. Besides a couple of mains like a pie or pasta, I cook lots of sides and people tend to like those more especially potatoes and flat breads with toppings.
The trouble with a buffet is portion control. Someone will always take more of what they like - usually the protein, and not everyone will get to have some of every dish. My last dinner party was all vegetarian (with cheese), though not intentionally, and no one missed the meat or felt the need to bring something else. In fact they all remarked about that repeatedly throughout the dinner. I'm sorry, it may just be my personal opinion, but that's just rude to insist on having your own meat at someone else's dinner party. It's one meal.
A compromise for the buffet style vs protein issue would be to have the side dishes and desserts as buffet-style only. As in, as the host, you should still prepare the main dishes or meats, etc....but then after guests bring the side dishes. Everyone can be served the main dish and then help themselves to whatever sides they like.
Guests can bring their own alcohol to put in the communal batch, and you can buy either fresh ingredients, or some value pre-made products for finger food. If you go light on meat, then you can do it very cheaply indeed.
Absolutely! Having people bring a side-dish, desert or a bottle of wine/drink is a great way to save a bit on the costs of a dinner party. Most people are happy to bring something anyway and ask if they can bring anything over. So essentially, if you provide the main course, drinks, some appetizers and maybe one or two side-dishes, that isn't nearly as much of a cost.
If I have more than 5 people coming for dinner to my home, I usually prepare baked vegetables with tofu, various sauces and cheeses, and a salad, as my friends are mostly vegetarian. And if they aren't they usually enjoy my meat-free meals anyway. Something ordinary like a dish of simple baked vegetables becomes fascinating with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, chilies, tahini, some fresh garden herbs and a bit of shoyu sauce. Easy, quick and cheap.
As with everything else that involves you having to spend money, I feel like organization is key. You can browse the internet for the cheapest ways to throw the best dinner party that you are capable of too. Things that will keep both the host and the guests happy. I do think that asking the guests what they'd like to eat would be a good start, and work from there according to your budget.
That's an idea. Personally, I still prefer to prepare it all myself. I attended a gathering once where the hosts were a young couple and the male's mother was visiting. The female host had prepared this one delicious dish that I asked how to make. The future mother-in-law insisted I make her dish and insisted I write the recipe. I tried to be polite, but I wasn't at all interested and it was VERY awkward. I want to come and eat at your house, lol! Is there a recipe section on this forum? My non-vegan/vegetarian guests are always amazed they can enjoy a meal with no meat, let alone tofu, or with just a small amount of seafood.
