Food: What to Serve at a Party

by Cambria VandeMerwe on June 29th, 2012 | No Comments »

Party—Let’s have a party! And you get to host it! What can you serve to make it different from last year and save money? Everyone knows the party revolves around the food, so you want to make sure you have super easy and yummy snacks.

Party planning can be stressful, but it doesn’t need to be. At a recent MomItForward Twitter #gno party sponsored by Tostitos, Tweeters shared their tips for making party food unique. All you need for a perfect party is something on the grill, good friends, and maybe some chairs.

8 Crowd Pleasing Party Food Ideas

Large parties call for lots of fast finger foods. Many of our Tweeters suggested chips and dip, including salsa, layered bean dips, guacamole, and cheese. @Techtembo888 suggests shish kebabs and shrimp cocktails as other tasty finger foods. @MyMansBelly gave a recipe for glazed nuts, a great go-to party snack.
Salsa it up! @DearCreatives suggests having a variety of choices, especially when you have kids in the mix. To change it up, @ohsweetbasil suggested a fruit salsa with cinnamon sugar crisps, or you can try this recipe for Chipotle Salsa from @Fritolay.
Main dishes can fill up the crowd. @AndersonsAngels serves cheesy potatoes and @KouponKat makes baked ziti with spicy sausage in a really large pan.
Save money by buying big and cheap. @soulfliesfree along with other Tweeters tipped buying in bulk and shopping around for the best price. “You can always freeze it or store in your pantry,” said @AndersonsAngels. @beebsbarney suggested going to the farmers market as a great way to save.
Pot Luck!! Ask others to bring something to save money and delegate tasks. @DearCreatives, along with many other Tweeters, suggested this as one of the best ways to save and relieve stress. You can either give assignments or leave it up to them. “I love a good potluck!” @Themiraclemomma said.
Give your food a makeover with herbs and seasonings. Tired of the same party food year after year? @MyMansBelly suggested changing up the foods you serve by making familiar dishes with different seasonings. @KouponKat suggested garlic and red pepper.
Experiment with pairings, such as sweet with spicy or crunchy with creamy. @beebsbarney crumbles the tortilla chips in a hot dip with cheese. @BudgetGourmetM suggested pairing mango with chili pepper and pineapple with jalapeno for sweet & spicy tastes. “If you want a good sweet with creamy, put sweet pepper jalapeno jam over cream cheese. Yummy,” said @AndersonsAngels.
Decorate! Decorating doesn’t need to be stressful or extreme, keep it simple. Try twinkle lights around the deck for night parties or, a tip from @Techtembo888, tiki torches and paper lanterns.