Affordable Party Recipes

One of the keys of making affordable foods for a party is creative shopping. Use premade items wherever possible.

Pesto Spread

Ingredients:

6 oz. pesto
1 cup mayonnaise

Preparation:

Blend together the two ingredients. Add the spread on all of the wraps, or place a dish in the center and let guests add the spread themselves.

Be sure to use a complementary flavor. You could do horseradish and sour cream if you are serving roast beef wraps, or mustard and honey for ham.

You might also want to buy some veggie sandwiches for those guests who don't eat meat.

Ingredients:

5 medium ripe tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
1 qt. chicken broth
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. red-wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
lime juice
cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in food processor and puree. Place in fridge overnight so that the flavors meld together well. Garnish with a small squeeze of lime juice and cilantro. Garnish with a small squeeze of lime juice and cilantro. Add a breadstick as well if desired.

You can purchase a plain cake and dress it up yourself for less than $10 or $12. Here's how.

Ingredients:

two store-bought angel-food cakes
canned frosting
food coloring

Preparation:

Blend another color of food coloring with coconut for a colorful garnish around the bottom of the cake (figure B). Add decorative flowers and candy on the top for a final garnish.

Choose napkin colors that match the cake and add flower-curtain hangers with ducks on them (figure C) for a final touch.