Tess Rose Lampert is a New York City-based writer, beverage educator, and lover of savings. With over a decade in the alcoholic beverage industry, she strives to enhance consumers' everyday experiences with food and beverage through dynamic and interactive writings, educational seminars, and events.
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No matter the size of your family, you should always be prepared with a menu of easy-to-eat finger foods — especially as football season kicks off. These satisfying dishes are simple and cheap to make, ranging in price from about 50 cents a serving for always-fun popcorn or veggie sushi to about $4 a serving for sliders and ribs worth cheering for. Mix and match to come up with an ideal spread without going over budget.
This easy slow-cooker recipe for queso uses just four ingredients. A batch makes for an instant hit that's much cheaper than any takeout option.
Recipe: Cookie Rookie
Related: Recipes to Keep Your Slow Cooker Bubbling While You're Busy
This classic recipe is quick and easy to prepare with two ingredients: cocktail wieners and crescent rolls. To keep costs extra low, buy ingredients in bulk from a wholesale club such as Costco when making a large batch.
Recipe: Pillsbury
Beans are cheap and filling, which makes this dip a good option for a family. A classic seven-layer-bean-dip recipe can be adapted for what's on hand and customized to taste. It doesn't even have to be seven layers — a dish of flavorful refried beans with some hot sauce on top does the trick.
Recipe: McCormick
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Quesadillas are a favorite game-watching snack and can be made with many different flavor combinations. This recipe for a classic cheese quesadilla is made in the oven to minimize hassle and cleanup. Serve with toppings and fillings of your choice.
Recipe: Add a Pinch
Chicken is less expensive than the red meats typically used to make meatballs, and makes for a lighter snack. This recipe uses a slow cooker to make the dish easy. This is an easy make-ahead option that can be kept warm until kickoff.
Recipe: Chef Savvy
Hearty mini sandwiches are impressive yet can be easy to pull off. This sausage and pepper slider recipe cuts down on cost by using inexpensive Italian sausage as the meat with more filler from onions and peppers. Cooked in a large batch and assembled on small buns, they're quick and easy to serve.
Recipe: Taste of Home
You can hardly gather a group to watch sports without ordering wings, but that adds up. This simple recipe for baked chicken wings makes crispy and tangy snacks without fatty frying, and starting with bulk frozen wings is cheap enough to serve the family as many as they want.
Recipe: Bon Appétit
Just five ingredients and eight to 10 hands-off hours of slow cooking make piping-hot and indulgent pulled pork. Serve it on slider buns.
Recipe: Southern Living
People have long searched for a way to make mac and cheese a finger food. Rolling it into balls and deep-frying is one option. For a cheaper, hassle-free option, follow a recipe for mac and cheese "cupcakes" — small, handheld portions baked in a muffin pan.
Recipe: Chef in Training
One of the best things about potato skins is their adaptability. This version of the irresistible party food features broccoli and avocado cream rather than the more typical bacon and sour cream. Don't feel limited by the given ingredients — add favorite seasonal vegetables or whatever is in the refrigerator. Anything from kale and onions to shredded chicken is guaranteed deliciousness when loaded into a potato skin and topped with cheese.
Recipe: Ellie Krieger
Rather than order pricey pizza delivery, make pizzas from flatbreads and a variety of toppings. This recipe for a classic Margherita version is a good place to start. Set out bowls of toppings and let people make their own customized versions.
Recipe: Let the Baking Begin
Related: From Plain Cheese to Peking Duck, Yummy Pizza Recipes
Guacamole is a favorite at parties, and one of the most nutritious options in a sea of fried and fatty foods. Using larger Dominican avocados, which are a brighter green and have smoother skin than Mexican Hass avocados, cuts costs. Or shop an ethnic market for good prices on Hass avocados a few days ahead of time, to ensure they have time to ripen.
Recipe: Allrecipes
Making ribs in the oven is an easy process that fills the kitchen with delicious and tempting aromas. This recipe for baby back ribs takes more than four hours, but they can be prepared easily ahead of time and kept warm in a low-heat oven. Buy in bulk from a wholesale club for quality meat at low prices and feast on ribs all weekend long.
Recipe: Allrecipes
Related: Fantastic Regional Rib Recipes
Inexpensive to make, cornbread muffins get a kick from jalapeños, which offer just a touch of heat to offset the naturally sweet corn. They cost just a fraction of the price of ribs and chicken but can be just as essential to a game day celebration.
Recipe: Sally's Baking Addiction
A plate of fresh grilled cheese sandwiches cut into quarters will disappear quickly at any party. This easy-to-eat finger food can be made simply with bread and a few slices of cheese, or spruced up with fillings from bacon to apple to onion jam.
Recipe: Modern Honey
For those who like their food on the spicy side, bite-size hot peppers are sure to liven up the festivities. Black beans, corn, and cheese come together to make these little poppers.
Recipe: Spicy Southern Kitchen
Warm finger foods rich with hearty flavors are a surefire way to kick off a party. Pillsbury's take on stuffed mushrooms had one reviewer commenting, "Why have I never thought of this before?!"
Recipe: Pillsbury
Yes, bacon is always a favorite, but the flavors of this recipe take things to another level. While the creator suggests you mix and match, we're loving the suggested blue cheese, Brazil nut, and cashew option.
Recipe: The Healthy Foodie
Egg roll wrappers and cabbage are cheap ingredients. Mixed with other vegetables, pork, and seasonings, they become a satisfying treat. Use ground pork to keep costs low.
Recipe: Food.com
Made from inexpensive chicken, these easy dipping skewers are a light option that's full of flavor. Marinating the chicken overnight makes it tender and flavorful, so don't skip that step, but you can make the sauce and even grill the chicken ahead of time; just heat the skewers before serving.
Recipe: Damn Delicious
Buy chips and salsa in bulk to cut costs on this universally enjoyed snack, or consider making fresh and cheap salsa in a food processor.
Recipe: Hamilton Beach
Related: Game Day Recipes From Jamie Oliver, Bobby Flay, and More
Using frozen spinach and artichokes makes this recipe simple and cost-effective. Substitute more spinach and skip the artichokes, or vice versa. The cream-cheese base makes a tangy dish that always disappears fast.
Recipe: Alton Brown
Carrots and celery are inexpensive staples at grocery stores year-round. Combine with a flavorful, cheap, and quick onion and sour cream dip that beats premade mixes. This recipe works well with other veggies, too.
Recipe: Alton Brown
Bags of premade party mix come with a ton of sodium, plus an extra cost for convenience. Serve more mix for less money with this recipe — or go freestyle.
Recipe: Chex
Popcorn, salty, and sometimes sweet, is the perfect crunchy food to eat by the handful while watching the big game. Pop super-inexpensive corn the morning of the party and dust with different flavors for a dash of variety.
Recipe: Food.com
This classic party platter has stuck around for a reason: It satisfies with minimal effort and cost. A few types of cheese, such as a block of cheddar, a small wheel of queso fresco, and a wedge of brie makes an easy snack centerpiece at any party with a box of crackers.
Recipe: Life as a Strawberry
Leave it to Martha Stewart to share a recipe that offers an incredibly simple yet sophisticated take on basic red peppers. This versatile creation can be served with hearty bread or as a sandwich condiment on game day. A batch will last four days in the fridge if prepared in advance.
Recipe: Martha Stewart
A classic French dish, quiche is one of the least expensive snacks to make for a crowd, and baking it in mini-muffin tins yields perfectly bite-size, crustless versions. This recipe covers the basics, but feel free to customize with different fillings.
Recipe: Add a Pinch
Craving french fries? You could be very happy with carrot "fries" once you taste this clever and healthy baked treat that comes together in a total of 30 minutes.
Recipe: 2teaspoons
Raw fish can be expensive, intimidating, and potentially dangerous to work with at home, but veggie sushi is fun and easy to make, and it costs just pennies per serving. These basic instructions are a good place to start. Make custom specialty rolls and dipping sauces to create a sushi platter as impressive as it is inexpensive.
Recipe: Allrecipes
Crunchy chips made from kale are as satisfying as potato chips. Buying them from the store is costly and often means eating a bag full of preservatives. Follow this recipe to bake easy and inexpensive kale chips at home.
Recipe: Melissa d'Arabian
A simple cupcake adds the right amount of indulgence to a party centered on finger foods. This recipe can make regular cupcakes or minis that are easy to pop in your mouth in one bite. Decorate them for the event to be extra festive.
Recipe: Food.com
These basic sugar cookies make a cheap and easy dessert that can be turned into themed, shaped goodies for any occasion. For instance, use an oval-shaped cookie cutter and decorate football cookies with icing laces.
Recipe: Allrecipes
Ice cream for a crowd can be messy, but make-ahead, chocolate-covered banana bites are a tasty and cheap treat that will be enjoyed just as much.
Recipe: Epicurious
Up your ice cream sundae game with edible bowls. These easy ideas add an extra touch that's sure to lift everyone's spirits, even those rooting for the losing team.
Recipe: All Created