Super Bowl Spread, Party Platters, Weekend Entertainment - get the snacks out!
For our family on a budget, this is our go-to snack spread for main events.
Keep them snacking without breaking the bank on Super Bowl Sunday or any Sunday
I don't know about you or yours, but my family has different tastes and different requests from vegetarian to low-cholesterol. Let's put together enough snacks to please everyone, keep them full, and keep it cheap! Let's cover a few food groups including vegetables, meats, chips and dips, crackers, cheese and fruit.
Tips:
Veggies - rather than buying a pre-made veggie tray, we're going to buy the basics and cut them up (much cheaper)... if you have the dough, buy the tray!
Meats - I'm going to shop frozen meatballs and salami options. If we land meatballs, use simple things in your fridge to create a sauce! BBQ, grape jelly, ketchup and brown sugar all make great options and mix them up!
Fruit - Be flexible and shop the prices. Sometimes strawberries and blueberries are great options on sale, but a couple of good apples will also do the trick.
Crackers and cheeses - See what options your local store has. Often, the bulk box of crackers won't break the bank, and you can save them for next weekend too. Cheese is a bit harder, because good quality cheese is not cheap. Tip - buy the brick and cut it up! Don't shell out your hard-earned cash on the pre-cut cheese if you're capable (or even better, have a cheese slicer).
Chips and Dip - Again... be FLEXIBLE. Have your heart set on Tostitos? Grab the store-brand instead and let the dips do the talking. Pick 1-2 dips, but don't over do it.
Building the Menu
The more I plan for meals and keeping to a budget (meaning, I shop the sales and do my best), the more I appreciate being able to shop online - even if I pick the shelves at the store myself! It's much easier to see what's available, what's on sale, and plan my purchases. I use kingsoopers.com (Kroger brand) and safeway.com (Albertson's) primarily. I do wish we had a Publix!
Here's what I found...
$29.46 - Cucumber, baby carrots and yellow bell pepper; Tortilla chips and ingredients to make the dip below (cream cheese, salsa, jelly from my fridge); meatballs and barbeque sauce; Honeycrisp apples (7 apples, I'll only use 2) and a brick of Colby Jack cheese (I used 1/3 of the brick).
Yes, this is more than $20 - but I'll have leftover dip, apples for the week and this will feed four of us most of Sunday!
Creamy Salsa Dip Recipe
What you'll need for the easiest, delicious creamy salsa:
8oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons jelly (red pepper jelly is the best, but use what you have on hand)
1 cup salsa
Instructions:
Mix the cream cheese and jelly until there are no lumps.
Strain the salsa to remove some of the extra liquid.
Add the salsa to the cream cheese mixture, and fold it in.
Voila! Dip and enjoy with your favorite chips or crackers. (This is a great one to pre-make in the morning and stick it in the fridge.)
Note: My mom doubles this recipe and keeps the excess in the fridge, secretly refilling the dip bowl when no one is looking. It goes fast!
Meatballs!
Don't bother from scratch, just make this sauce and heat them on the stove. This sauce will do the trick for a skillet full of frozen meatballs.
2 parts bbq sauce (~ 1 cup)
1 part ketchup (~1/2 cup)
2 tbsp grape jelly
2 tbsp brown sugar
Put a little oil down (or Pam) and warm the frozen meatballs in a skillet on medium heat about 7-10 minutes. Keep them moving so they don't cook to the pan.
While those meatballs are warming, mix the sauce ingredients until most of the lumps are gone.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the skillet and turn them until they are all covered.
Put a lid on the skillet, turn to low/medium heat and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes stirring and turning them frequently.
Be FANCY - Put some toothpicks out and ENJOY!
Prepping food is most often much cheaper than buying it pre-prepped. From veggies, to cheese plates, use the 20 minutes to slice and dice. Everything else in this spread is easy:
Slice the cheese and apples. Serve them on a plate with crackers from your pantry (We use Club Crackers typically, but Ritz and Wheat Things are also great!)
Wash and cut up the veggies, put them on a plate and drop some Ranch in a small bowl in the center.
Got pickles? put them out in their own bowl! Cashews or nuts? They don't need to be plentiful, but a couple of small containers help fill out the options.
Hope you enjoyed these recommendations and didn't break the bank to enjoy a party the way it should be enjoyed - with friends and family. Food just helps :)
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