Kids Party Food: Affordable Ways to "Cater" Your Next Kid PartyWhen you're looking for kids party food ideas there are a million places on the web where you can get tons of great recipes. But although lots of them are fun and tasty, they aren't always wallet-friendly. And some require time that I don't always have. The ideas here are for what to do about kids party food when you need to save time and money but still throw a fun bash. First, save tons of money by throwing the party at a location that won't cost you anything. That means do it at home, or at grandma's house, or an aunt, an uncle, a friend; whoever is willing to loan you the use of their house or yard for an afternoon if you can't use your own home. If it's during warm months look into having your party at a local park. Some provide pavilions with picnic tables and grills on a first come, first reserve basis. Granted, this will require more work from you, but having a party at one of those "kid themed" venues can start at $100 for as few as 8 kids. Also, the kids party food you get usually ends up not being enough. You can throw a really fun party, and feed a house full of kids, for much less than that. All you need is some time, some creativity....and a little help from the fun frugal mom. :) Once you've decided on a theme for your kids party, plan the menu. Is it going to be a preschool party, in which case the food choices can be very simple. Or are you throwing a bash for your "tween" daughter who wants everything "just so" or else she'll "just die"? ( I have one of those.) At this kind of kids party, food choices can be more varied. Thinking outside the box is key. 
Chips, Dips...some nifty tipsIf you're going to do chips and dips, kids party food staples, use the absolutely least expensive brand you can find. That usually means the generic/store brand, unless something is on sale. Mix it up and save. If the potato chips are most expensive, grab just one bag and round it out with some variety. Pretzels, corn chips, cheese curls. Make some simple inexpensive dip with sour cream and onion or vegetable soup mix. Again, if you stick with generic brands you will save big and the kids will never know the difference. (There usually isn't a difference in these types of items.) My kids devour the onion dip. Easier on your wallet than ordering pizza for 20! This is probably the easiest kids party food to serve IF you can afford to purchase enough for everybody to have at least two slices. If you want to serve pizza consider making it yourself. Some shops will sell you just the dough to make the crust or you can find it at the grocery store. Spaghetti sauce in a can is the same stuff as those little jars of sauce labeled "pizza" sauce and you get 3x as much for less money. Buy Mozzarella cheese by the loaf and grate it yourself. To keep the cost down forgo adding toppings. The classic outdoor kids party food. Look for a sale and then buy plenty. Baking them in the oven makes them more flavorful and saves you time because you don't have to watch them on the stove. Put them on rolls and serve on a platter. Consider cutting each in half and serve as finger food. Doing that also helps cut waste. Don't forget the condiments. Putting mustard and ketchup in small bowls with a spoon for serving make for a more festive table than just putting out the bottles. This is a nice inexpensive alternative to pizza. Make your favorite pasta the way you normally would (leave out the meat to help keep the cost down). Then put it in baking a pan. Sprinkle with cheese, (mozzarella, Parmesan or both) then bake in the oven until the cheese melts and gets golden. This pasta bake can go right from the oven to the table and party goers can serve themselves. This is nice for older kids. The following is a list of traditional kids party foods that can still be affordable if you buy them in bulk. If you have a warehouse shopping membership (or have a friend who does and will let you tag along) look for these items there to get the most for your party dollars. Wings: Buy them cooked and frozen. All you have to do is heat them. Or, buy fresh and bake them in the oven seasoned with a little salt and pepper. When they're done put them in a tupperware bowl, (or any bowl with a lid). Pour some BBQ sauce over them, shake to coat. Serve. Meatballs: Again, nice for older kids and can be purchased fully cooked and frozen. Just heat and serve. Put a container of toothpicks next to a platter of meatballs and serve them like appetizers. Pizza Pockets: These come in giant bags of bite sized pockets. All kids like these and they are simply heat and eat. Chicken Nuggets: Soon to become their own kids party food group....No, not really. But I've never met a little kid that didn't like a chicken nugget, especially if it's shaped like a star or a dinosaur....I cringe at the thought also, but hey...it's a party. Another simple heat and eat. Serve with BBQ sauce, honey mustard or ranch dressing for dipping. No heat. Just eat. A neat, and easier variation of the sandwich. Just spread large flour tortillas with mayo or ranch dressing. Then layer any combination of lettuce, cheese, lunchmeats, tuna, chicken or egg salad, and roll. Cut in 1/2" or larger slices and lay the spirals on a platter. Cubed Cheese is a great snack and simple party food. Check the deli department at your grocery store and see if they will sell you the "ends" of the cheese at a discount. These are the chunks that are left when they can no longer make even slices from a log of cheese. You can ask for the deli meat "ends" as well. Both are great for cubing and putting on a party platter. Add a basket full of Ritz, or Club crackers. Mozzarella sticks are fun, but to keep the cost down buy a loaf of cheese and cut it yourself. If you want to add fruit but the price makes you cringe, not to worry. Find what's on sale and buy a small quantity. Apples are great because they can be cut into wedges and spread out on a platter with the cheese. Grapes are another great addition to a cheese platter. Even if you just buy a pound. Break them up in bunches of 3 or 4 and spread them throughout the other foods on the platter. OK...You do have to heat this, but just to pop it. :-) If you use microwave popcorn start with two bags and pour it into your most attractive bowl to serve. Normally, I would say make your own cold salad, but prepared macaroni and potato salad are fairly inexpensive so it might be worth it to buy ready-made and save the time. You can always add seasonings of your own if you aren't thrilled with how it tastes right out of the container. These are great for outdoor parties as well as Spring and Summer themed parties.
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