On the hunt for cheap party food ideas for a crowd? I got some incredible recipes and ideas for you. If you love throwing parties, decorating for parties, and even love preparing food for parties. But what you may not like is the hefty bill that can come with keeping your party guests fed. When people show up for a bash, they expect to eat, so keeping tummies full can seem like a daunting task.
But don’t fret. Look below at 50 cheap party food ideas for the crowd, and see how simple it can be to feed a huge group of party-goers for less!
Cheap Party Food Ideas
1. Ground beef taco bar with all the fixings.
2. Hot dog/weenie bar with all the fixings.
3. Crockpot beans and weenies.
4. Baked potato bar with all the fixings.
5. Homemade veggies and dip tray using in-season produce.
6. Homemade fruit skewers using in-season produce. In season produce will always be fresher and cost less.
using in-season produce. In season produce will always be fresher and cost less.7. Colorful jello squares or cups.
8. Snack mix made from dollar store pretzels, peanuts, chocolate candies.
9. Roast your own marshmallow bar with all the fixings.
10. Chili and cornbread. Try my White Chicken Chili!
11. Crockpot meatballs. Not only are these cheap, but they are so easy.
12. Fruit salad using in-season fruit and pudding mix.
13. Powdered drink mixes as opposed to canned soda.
14. Infused water (infuse with fruit) as opposed to canned soda. Try my fruit infused ice cubes.
15. Candy bar using dollar store candy offerings.
16. Make your own homemade pizzas using sale items. Or, use fresh in-season produce toppings.
17. Create an ice cream bar using dollar store toppings.
18. Sloppy joes. Make them in the crockpot to make the process even easier.
19. Chips and homemade dip. Head to the dollar store for a huge selection of snacks.
20. Salad bar with fresh, in-season produce. Head to your local dollar store for dressing.
20. Salad bar with fresh, in-season produce. Head to your local dollar store for dressing.21. Homemade macaroni or pasta salad. Since pasta is less than a buck a box, you can make this cheap!
22. Colorful pudding cups.
23. Deviled eggs. You can even add your own flavors like bacon, chives, or paprika.
24. Homemade egg salad.
25. Celery and peanut butter bites.
26. Homemade trail mix. Use dollar store dried goods such as fruit and nuts.
27. Pretzels and peanut butter
28. Mini BLT sandwiches. Cut a basic sandwich into four mini bites.
29. Baked beans. For around .50 a can you can’t go wrong!
30. Dollar store cake/brownie/bar mixes. Check out my Strawberry Brownies!
30. Dollar store cake/brownie/bar mixes. Check out my 31. Homemade potato salad.
32. Seasoned and roasted potato slices.
33. Homemade chicken noodle soup.
34. Homemade chicken and rice soup.
35. Homemade potato soup.
36. Sweet rice pudding.
37. Pea and bacon salad.
38. Mini hamburger sliders.
39. Spaghetti, meatless.
40. Popcorn!
40. 41. Seasoned and baked/grilled chicken wings.
42. Sliced carrots and dip cups.
43. Baked garlic bread.
44. Dollar store frozen appetizers.
45. Grilled brats.
46. Grilled in season vegetables.
47. Corn on the cob. In the summer, you can buy corn as low as .10 cents an ear.
48. Tomato onion salad.
49. Corn salad.
50. Easy s’mores. You can find everything you need to make your own s’mores at your local dollar store.
As you can see, you have lots of options when it comes to cooking for a crowd. Consider these 50 cheap party food ideas for a crowd the next time you have to get cooking. Not only will your guests be full, but so will your wallet!
What is your go-to cheap party food ideas? 