Savvy Shopper: How to throw a dinner party for just $20
Having friends over for dinner is one of the simple pleasures we can look forward to once again. And it doesn’t have to break the bank.
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Dinner parties were a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic, but as some of us emerge from long months of lockdown, having friends over for dinner is one of the simple pleasures we can look forward to once again.
And it doesn’t have to break the bank. Believe it or not, you can host a dinner party for four adults – complete with two courses, booze and table decorations – for just $20.
MAIN COURSE
Like any dinner party, the focus will be on the food, and the main event can come in at about $10. The Australia’s Best Recipes website (bestrecipes.com.au) has several dishes that are firm favourites in this budget category, like an easy chicken curry with vegies ($7.40 for four serves), chicken pad Thai ($12.80) or spinach and feta quiche ($11.76).
DESSERT
An affordable menu doesn’t have to mean you skip dessert. You can make a basic pavlova with cream for about $3.30. Spend a little more to decorate it with fresh berries. Or you can make an easy lemon self-saucing pudding (recipe above) for only $2.68 – that’s only 67c per serve.
DRINKS
What is a party without booze? The best way to stay economical with alcohol is to premix a cocktail. And few come in cheaper than sangria. Spain’s national drink is not only a summertime pleaser but calls for a more affordable bottle of red in the list of ingredients.
For just $5 you can make a jug using a 750ml bottle of South Australian Precious Earth Shiraz from Aldi ($2.99), a 1L bottle of Coles lemonade ($1) and some chopped fresh fruit, like apples, orange and lemon. Just mix it all together and there will be plenty to go around.
TABLE DECORATIONS
You will even have a little left over for table decorations. Start off by choosing a simple theme. A rustic setting, for example, is a great way of making basic and affordable items look stylish.
See what you have around the home that could work as a centrepiece. Try a cluster of candles of different shapes and sizes, some foliage and flowers from the garden or even herbs from the fridge in a cute jar wrapped in hessian and string. You can buy hessian from Spotlight for $4/m to use as a table runner, and to decorate your jars. Silver wire string lights from Kmart for $4 will add atmosphere.
And remember, for some, after months of staying indoors and foregoing the simple pleasures of seeing family and friends, the focus should be on laughs, good company and shared experiences – and you can’t put a price on that.
BASIC BAKED CHEESECAKE
SERVES 8 / PREP 20 MINS / COOK 1 HR 25 MINS
Ingredients
• 250g biscuits
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 100g butter, melted
FILLING
• 500g cream cheese
• ⅔ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 4 eggs
Method
Grease a 20cm springform tin.
Crush biscuits in food processor and add mixed spice and butter.
Line base of tin with foil and brush sides with oil. Press crumbs over base and sides of tin. Place in fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 180C. Meanwhile, to make the filling, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour mix into tin and bake for 45 minutes or until just firm to the touch.
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