Summer Entertaining on a Budget

Ellen Ferlazzo of Pleasanton, Calif., blogs on budget cooking and agreed to do a guest post for us about how she threw a casual, fun party for her daughter’s high school graduation spending roughly  $280 for 50 guests, including decorations.

“I also wanted it nice and a bit special,” Ellen says. “While I didn’t go ultra cheap, I made several key decisions that helped keep the cost down while making the party fun and memorable.”

The most important thing is Ellen’s daughter had a great time at her party. Here’s Ellen’s own story of how she pulled the party off:

Although I wasn’t doing a potluck, some friends and family asked if they could help and I took them up on it. Between them they brought a couple of salads, some chips and salsa, hummus, cheese and crackers.

I looked into renting tables and tablecloths but the price made me pause. Some friends offered me some rectangular folding tables and chairs. They didn’t match but the price was right! We bought inexpensive colored plastic tablecloths at the party store and a dozen helium balloons in shades of the same color. We lined up my card tables so they made two more long tables. Since they all had a similar shape they looked great once they were covered with the matching tablecloths.

Keep the Menu Simple

My daughter wanted barbecued burgers and hot dogs. I added chicken and Portobello mushrooms. I bought frozen hamburger patties, chicken breasts, hot dogs and buns from the big-box store. In addition to beans, we had salads -- green, potato, pasta and fruit salads. For appetizers, we had cheese, crackers, chips, dip and a big bowl of a pub-like mix. At the last minute I also made over a dozen deviled eggs.

The largest single expense was the cake, which was $1 per person (plus some leftovers) and was much nicer than I could have made. I used my picnic coolers to store wine, beer, and sodas.

Plan out your Timing and Mechanics

Make a timetable so you know what you can do ahead of time, when to start cooking and when to pull things out of the refrigerator. Post the plan somewhere visible and check it often. I made a few salads in the morning as well as plates of fixings for the burgers and stored those in a neighbor’s extra refrigerator. I started a huge batch of beans in the crock pot and marinated the chicken in large freezer bags.

The least last-minute stuff you need to do, the better. Plan out what serving platters you need, including utensils. Set out the silverware and napkins and cups early on. Next time I would organize the food a bit differently: I had someone grilling the meat and mushrooms, and we were carrying them inside to put on the counter with the rest of the food. Next time, I’ll just keep the buns inside and let people fill their plates and walk outside for the meat to keep it simpler.

Now, relax and enjoy your party!

Please visit Ellen Ferlazzo's blog at www.CheapCooking.com.