Cocktail party on a budget

[sheshe21_au]

Can anyone give me some budget recipes for cocktails and alcoholic punches?
Even if you plan it out the party for me it would be great (lol) There is about 30 people going to be there. Any ideas would be appreciated, thank-you

[perSue]

oooh for a cocktail party you can ask your guests to bring their alcohol of choice.
otherwise, rum, gin, vodka, tequila are all relatively standard (and can be bought cheaply), as well as wine in a box (serves a lot for less cost). Unless you think that's tacky, go for a couple bottles of red/white, or if you're in doubt, buy blush.

food is easy... finger foods are best!
crackers, cheeses, deli meats...
buy a block of cheese, and slice it yourself (saves money!).
ask at the deli counter for "remnants" (since most ppl will simply fold and lay on cracker anyway!) if you're saving money... otherwise, deli meats at the counter are usually better priced and better quality.

trays of veggies too w/dips (you can buy veg and cut yourself into fancy pieces, it's really not hard to make it "look" fancy, just a different cut).... make your own homemade ranch dip or dip of choice.

and there should always be a dessert tray... of fruits and chocolates.
depending on who you're serving... i've done the hershey chocolate bar... it's already "portioned" up for ya! lol
otherwise, you can do a fondue, or melt the chocolate ahead and dip some fruits in and set out - so no work on the party-goers part.
OR if you want.... make mini tartlets... tiny pies or custards in small dishes.... fruit custards go well OR mini pecan pie tartlets or pumpkin pie tartlets...

it all depends on what YOU want to do tho. chopping veg, cheese, and making your own dressing will save a lot in the long run... but if you're short on time, convenience can mean a lot!

you can also have those large pretzal sticks... maybe dip a few in chocolate too!
a simple take off of a prosciutto appetizer is taking bacon (maybe w/some cracked black pepper??) and twist around the pretzal sticks... fun and good!

lots of toothpicks!!! lol

what about making your own cheeseball? (it's mostly cream cheese anyway!)
roll in nuts, bacon pieces, herbs... you choose!

some ppl i've seen do mini "pizzas" on english muffins... just sauce, cheese and those mini pepperonis.
i've also seen pigs in a blanket.
mini bowls (if you have this many tiny bowls) of soups... mostly chili or a stew.
(don't forget toppings for chili - onions, cheese, chives, crackers, etc.)

it really depends on WHO is going... and if you're trying to impress (ie, dh's boss or something).

i've got TONS of ideas... i used to do catering (outta my own kitchen!) for stuff like this.

[Moor]

Also, it will depend on the type of party.

Sue has a lot of good ideas.

One thing that I like to make, is a punch of vodka and fruit.
Get some strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, and pineapple.
Wash them real well, place in a bowl and add a bottle of vodka.
Place bowl in freezer. The vodka will not freeze, but the fruit will.
Take the frozen fruit out and put the vodka in a punch bowl. Add a gallon or two of Cherry flavored kool aid. Then when your guest's arrive, add the fruit. It will keep the punch cold without diluting, and it will add some zing to the punch.
Just don't let anyone eat too much of the fruit, as they will get VERY drunk from it! lol

A lot of the time, we use watermelon balls only and call it Monkey Balls Punch. lol

[Buc-O-Mama]

You could make lots of sangria with fresh fruit and chill it ahead of time along with some Mexican beer. Check out the Aldi's wines with the owl on the label, those are pretty good. No one would know if it's in the sangria.Make a pitcher or two of margaritas as well. Have salsa, layered taco dip and queso or guacamole with tortilla chips. Depending on the crowd, it could be a fun and fairly inexpensive way to go.

[leezza]

http://www.semihomemade.com/

(she has a lot of good entertaining idea's, if you get cable she is also on the food network)

http://www.bevmo.com/

(can check prices and find your local store)

leezza

[Momof3girls]

Brushetta is nice and inexpensive -Slices of baguette, sliced and baked with a tomato mixture on top