$2 appetizers

[SparklyUnicorn]

So if we were making a recipe that called for some flour and and a few eggs we don't figure the cost of the amount used, but the cost of the entire package? We have to assume that the rest of the ingredients won't help for other meals? 

 

I think it would be fair to assume some ingredients could be used.  But some not so much.  If I don't use the entire bunch of celery it probably will end up in the trash.  If I don't bake bread normally, it'll be unlikely that I'll use the quantity of yeast generally available. 

 

Eggs I wouldn't worry about. They last awhile and you can do so much with them.

[IfIOnly]

They're definitely not soggy or wet. I would compare the oily level to that maybe of Ruffles? I found this recipe as well, which does bake them. I'll ask my Mom what she does when I talk to her later today. You would think I would've paid more attention to how she does it, but I usually just snarf them down and am happy someone else made me a snack for once. :blush:

 

https://www.hiddenvalley.com/recipe/hidden-valley-oyster-crackers/

Lol. I totally get that. Thank you for the link!

[SamanthaCarter]

Got it. So versatile ingredients are best or ingredients where the entire package is used. 

 

That Hidden Valley oyster cracker snack is great, by the way. I love those. 

[regentrude]

When I baked bread more regularly I bought the jarred yeast.  It was a bit of an investment up front, but overall was much less expensive.  I kept it in the fridge.  That's just probably going to be a major turn off price wise for people on a very tight budget. 

 

You can bake bread without yeast. Just make a sourdough starter and let it ferment for 2-3 days for free.

[FaithManor]

Without a stocked pantry, apart from a 99 cent bag of baby carrots it is going tp be crazy difficult to do.

 

On option that comes to mind is a $1.00 box of raisins and same store package of mini muffin cups and hand out a mini muffin cup of raisins to a few people. For another $1.00 three m&m's could be put in each cup.

[SparklyUnicorn]

You can bake bread without yeast. Just make a sourdough starter and let it ferment for 2-3 days for free.

 

Except for some people on this board, I do not know anyone who even bakes their own bread. 

 

I don't like baking it.  In winter it is especially difficult.  Takes FOREVER to rise. 

[regentrude]

Not around here!

 

Produce is SO expensive around here.

 

What are bananas where you are? Here they are around 50ct/lb if not on sale. For $1, I can get 3 small apples. on sale, currently 3 lb for $1.60. but that's in the cheap stores, not fancy ones.

Edited December 7, 2016 by regentrude

[saraha]

So if we were making a recipe that called for some flour and and a few eggs we don't figure the cost of the amount used, but the cost of the entire package? We have to assume that the rest of the ingredients won't help for other meals? 

 

Some amount of this can happen for this group, but we are talking about people lacking the basic planning/cooking skills and would be caught out with "Oh, I need to bring something to Joey's daycare Christmas party, what can I make" the night before.  They live on food stamps and do not have a lot in the cupboards as they are inexperienced cooks, which is why they are taking my class.  I myself, with years of cooking experience, can whip up a $2 app, but 19 yo Carrie who up until now has only eaten fast or frozen food is not going to whip up a banana bread...yet  ;)

 

I am not knocking anyone's suggestions, I hope it is not coming across that way.  In fact I have copied all of them into a word document to take out what I can use this month and file the other ideas for later in the year.  I really appreciate every suggestion that has been given, and plan to use them.  The challenge for this month was to help these people come up with some ideas that they can use this month, at their holiday parties, to bolster their self esteem and feel like someone who can contribute more than a bag of chips. But at the same time, they are lacking basic cooking/planning skills, so it is hard.

Edited December 7, 2016 by saraha

[SparklyUnicorn]

What are bananas where you are? Here they are around 50ct/lb if not on sale. For $1, I can get 3 small apples. on sale, currently 3 lb for $1.60. but that's in the cheap stores, not fancy ones.

 

One apple is around 95 cents.  One orange $1.  The banana would be the cheapest.  Somewhere around what you quote here.

 

But then what do you do about the stuff browning after you cut it?  You buy a lemon.  And that's $1 (on sale). 

[regentrude]

One apple is around 95 cents.  One orange $1.  The banana would be the cheapest.  Somewhere around what you quote here.

But then what do you do about the stuff browning after you cut it?  You buy a lemon.  And that's $1 (on sale). 

 

That's why you use the orange: no lemon needed.

[Sneezyone]

Crispy breadsticks might be a good option. Crispy Breadsticks Recipe : Food Network Kitchen : Food Network It just uses refrigerator case dough.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Sneezyone

[QueenCat]

Do people normally bring sweets, such as muffins or cupcakes, as appetizers? I've never seen those kind of things when appetizers were requested. Nor a loaf of bread.

[SparklyUnicorn]

That's why you use the orange: no lemon needed.

 

So you squeeze juice from the one sad orange you bought? 

 

Either way this brings the total to over 2 dollars.

[prairiewindmomma]

Do people normally bring sweets, such as muffins or cupcakes, as appetizers? I've never seen those kind of things when appetizers were requested. Nor a loaf of bread.

 

It depends on the crowd that you're running with. If you're going to a "Bring a snack to share" party at a daycare, playgroup, call center work party, etc., those things are not atypical.

 

If you're going to a higher end gathering, your budget is typically more than $2 for the event. It may even be more than $2/serving.

[QueenCat]

It depends on the crowd that you're running with. If you're going to a "Bring a snack to share" party at a daycare, playgroup, call center work party, etc., those things are not atypical.

 

If you're going to a higher end gathering, your budget is typically more than $2 for the event. It may even be more than $2/serving.

 

Snack to share, yes, I can see muffins or cupcakes or cookies......... but appetizer means something different.

[Sneezyone]

For a fancier event, onion tarts are good. One or two onions chopped and cooked down with a touch of salt, sugar and oil. The tart crust is just flour, salt, butter, baking powder and a bit of milk. If not baking from scratch, use the refrigerated homestyle biscuit dough cut into halves or quarters and rolled out to be thinner.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Sneezyone

[clementine]

How about Christmas crack - saltines, brown sugar mixure, choc chips?  

[mathnerd]

 

One also generally has to have a working oven, and a few kitchen tools as well.  We found the working oven (and knowing how to work said oven) to be a challenge.

In my opinion, this makes it more challenging... we need to take into account the availability of an appliance in working condition, the $ to pay for the utilities in order to use it and a container big enough to take the prepared items to the party (people struggling to make a $2 appetizer might not have a tray or something similar)

[Sneezyone]

I think I'm out of ideas. I tried to come up with something that was stovetop friendly, something that required no heat or pots/pans, something that was fast/easy and kid-friendly and something a bit more upscale. Hope it helps! I realize the stores in your area are a bit pricier than I'm used to but things like the saltines, for ex, are also useful with chicken soups, tummy aches and plain ol' peanut butter. So while a whole package might be $2, the whole box needn't be used for one meal. Crushed up saltines are also great for stretching ground meats.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Sneezyone

[redsquirrel]

Do people normally bring sweets, such as muffins or cupcakes, as appetizers? I've never seen those kind of things when appetizers were requested. Nor a loaf of bread.

 

I am a break baker and I frequently bring a loaf of warm bread and a stick of butter if something like starters are requested. It always seems to be one of the first things to disappear. So, it can't be totally off base.

[regentrude]

So you squeeze juice from the one sad orange you bought? 

 

Either way this brings the total to over 2 dollars.

 

No, You cut up the orange segments and mix it with the other cut up fruit; will prevent browning just fine.

[saraha]

I really appreciate everyone's ideas.

  I was looking for ideas that cost $2.  I didn't put any other parameters on the request because I was hoping to get all kinds of ideas to use.

  The class runs the course of the school year, and as we go, we will be learning skills and adding to our binder.  So maybe this month to their list we will add deviled eggs, cut up hot dogs cooked in bbq sauce (like meatballs) and spiced oyster crackers- $2 and easy.  By the end of the school year, they will be adding things to the list like the aforementioned banana bread.  By then they will have learned about menu planning, smart shopping, stocking up, plus how to read a recipe, some basic baking skills etc. I don't know how it came across, but I am not only looking for easy $2 ideas, I am looking for all $2 ideas.

Thanks!

[regentrude]

Do people normally bring sweets, such as muffins or cupcakes, as appetizers? I've never seen those kind of things when appetizers were requested. Nor a loaf of bread.

 

If it is a fancy sit down dinner where specifically hors-d'euvres had been requested, no, you don't bring sweets or bread.

But if it is a party without a warm sit down meal, "appetizer" is often used for "any food item that does not require sitting down at a table and holding two utensils". So, sweets definitely count. Whenever I bring bread, it is eaten quickly.

[saraha]

If it is a fancy sit down dinner where specifically hors-d'euvres had been requested, no, you don't bring sweets or bread.

But if it is a party without a warm sit down meal, "appetizer" is often used for "any food item that does not require sitting down at a table and holding two utensils". So, sweets definitely count. Whenever I bring bread, it is eaten quickly.

 

This is more like the things the people in this class are going to.  They want to be able to take something to a sunday school social, or after hours daycare party or work party or carry in that they can be proud of.  Something that says "I put thought into this" like a bag of pretzels doesn't. Something that says I am capable of contributing more than a bag of chips is IMPORTANT to this class.  This class is voluntary, and they want to learn.

[regentrude]

There are some inexpensive brownie mixes that only require one egg and vegetable oil and get in under $2.

You can fancy them up by adding a few tablespoons of coffee or some mint chips, or by crushing a candy cane and sprinkling the fragments over the top. Nice and Christmassy.

[prairiewindmomma]

what about roasted herbed carrots? Cut baby carrots in half, roast them, serve with a toothpick from a plate? Or zucchini fries?

 

I realize that I'm tossing out a lot of fruit/veg ideas, but training the palate beyond the usual bag of chips/box of oreos was something I aimed for in my classes.  Showing how to make the food--people would try the free samples, and often a few people came to appreciate fruit and veg more.  Or, they were dealing with diabetes, etc. and were working proactively to eat healthier.

[saraha]

prairiewindmomma, under what circumstances were you teaching your class?

[displace]

Maybe cheese quesadillas? I'm not sure if the cheese and quesadillas would be cheap enough, but if you made half the amount (and ate the rest for a meal at home), it could work.

 

Some type of polenta cakes? After cooking it can be baked in the oven to be a solid. Maybe topped with tomatoes if they're cheap, cheese, oil.

 

Growing herbs can help make things tasty. Access to fresh basil can be very cheap if you grow your own, but super expensive if bought fresh. Even dried herbs are pricey.

[Rebel Yell]

Deviled Eggs

mini quiches

homemade chex mix {uses WIC cereal too}

muffins

cupcakes

Garlicc bread {$1 loaf of french bread on clearance rack, butter & garlic / herbs

Check the current guidelines before recommending they use WIC purchased cereal. It's been a long time for me, but I do remember that the WIC food was only intended to be consumed by the person intended- the young child, pregnant or nursing mom.

 

I imagine that is impossible to enforce if it's still a regulation, but I wouldn't recommend they do so if it is.

[regentrude]

If they can't cook and don't have access to a working kitchen:

black bean salsa with corn and diced tomatoes basically uses cans, except for an onion and some spices.

[displace]

Corn bread, sweet potato fries (depending on local cost), vege fried rice?

[Guest]

$2 is tough.

 

I would go with loaded potato skins, if I could catch the ingredients on sale and I wasnt making more than 8.

 

Bumps on a log.

 

Carrots with peanut butter/honey dip.

 

Bruschetta with a tomato topping

 

Grilled pineapple ($1.49 for whole pineapple today. Lowest I have seen in a decade).

 

Homemade pizza...requires catching cheese at 1.49 for 8 oz, which we have seen at sales, and having yeast.

 

I live in apple country. The best we can do at the store right now is 1.69/lb for apples. If we are doing an elementary school party, one of the room moms will get a donation of fallen apples to make it affordable to feed the group.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Heigh Ho

[displace]

Pumpkin pasta (pumpkin purée as sauce base, need to look up recipes).

 

Beet rice.

[ktgrok]

There's a restaurant by our house that does these baked saltine crackers with some kind of spice seasoning. They're like crack. So addictive. My mom makes some type of oyster crackers in a ranch type oil mix she bakes at Christmas. Also amazing and addictive. I think either or those would be cheap. I can try and find a recipe from her if you need it.

 

My kids and my nieces are ADDICTED to those oyster crackers. So  of course, my mom makes sure she has them EVERY time we go there. Which means at every holiday dinner my kids eat nothing but oyster crackers for hours, then refuse the fancy dinner, lol. Then eat more oyster crackers on the hour ride home in the car, because she sends baggies for them, lol. 

[Tap]

If they have some ingredients at home to utilize, coleslaw is fairly inexpensive. If they have to buy a jar of mayo and all the other ingredients it will be over though.  But still, even with buying all the ingredients including mayo, salt, pepper, vinegar, etc it would still be about $8 or so.  If they decided to invest in these staples for their daily pantry, they would still be affordable and complementary to an actual working pantry. 

 

Some grocery stores will sell you half of a head of cabbage if you ask them to cut it for you. 

 

You can make coleslaw for under $2, but you will need $1 worth of cabbage (half a head), 25/50 cents of mayo, a 25 cent carrot, a teaspoon of vinegar, a sprinkle of sugar and a few seasonings (depending on taste).

 

 

ETA: the other nice thing about coleslaw is that there are so many variations that you can't really go wrong.  It only needs a knife to finely cut the cabbage or a shredder (course cheese option). 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2016 by Tap

[prairiewindmomma]

saraha--it was a church based class for women. I taught it on/off for a few years, in different guises...."Kitchen basics", "freezer meals", "$5 suppers". Our church ran/runs a commodity type pantry for needy families.  Some/many of them also received WIC but not SNAP and were dependent on the pantry for almost all of their food needs for a period of time with the goal of working to self-sufficiency by being able to manage their budgets. It was always a diverse group---young single mothers with multiple kids from unstable backgrounds, young married student couples, middle aged families out of work, families under super tight budgets for one reason or another. Some came from stable backgrounds and had some experience cooking, many did not have basic skills.   They were all people who wanted to be there, but in working with them, a lot of those foundational skills of budgeting, planning, preparing food using basic skills were not in place.  With the older families, diabetes and proper nutrition were big issues.  Sometimes significant food allergies also complicated life.   

 

Almost invariably the following was true for my class participants:

1. They had not had much exposure to vegetables beyond bagged salad or heating up a bag of frozen vegetables.

2. The concept of calculating price per portion/price per meal was new to them.

3. They had had very little exposure in the kitchen. 

4. They wanted to learn, and were willing to try new things but were afraid to show what they didn't know.

5. They were willing to eat samples.

[bibiche]

Some amount of this can happen for this group, but we are talking about people lacking the basic planning/cooking skills and would be caught out with "Oh, I need to bring something to Joey's daycare Christmas party, what can I make" the night before. They live on food stamps and do not have a lot in the cupboards as they are inexperienced cooks, which is why they are taking my class. I myself, with years of cooking experience, can whip up a $2 app, but 19 yo Carrie who up until now has only eaten fast or frozen food is not going to whip up a banana bread...yet ;)

 

I am not knocking anyone's suggestions, I hope it is not coming across that way. In fact I have copied all of them into a word document to take out what I can use this month and file the other ideas for later in the year. I really appreciate every suggestion that has been given, and plan to use them. The challenge for this month was to help these people come up with some ideas that they can use this month, at their holiday parties, to bolster their self esteem and feel like someone who can contribute more than a bag of chips. But at the same time, they are lacking basic cooking/planning skills, so it is hard.

I think it is great that you are doing this. Way to go. :)

[Zinnia]

When I need to take something on a budget, I take:

 

buttered saltines (just butter, garlic powder, dried parsley if you have it on saltines, toasted in the oven).  SOOO good.

popcorn

hummus (homemade) and carrots

deviled eggs

pear salad--pears, mayo, shredded cheddar.  It's retro, but it goes in a flash.  People love it.

 

If I am taking something, and I also need to leave a meal at home, I often do black bean/corn salad.  It's more than $2, but it makes a ton.  A pound of black beans, cooked, a bag of frozen corn, an onion, cilantro, 1-2 chopped jalapenos, a chopped bell pepper (good, but can be left out), mixed with a vinaigrette and the juice of a lime. I use red wine vinegar, canola oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder.  We have an international market for produce, so that helps, but my total cost for a giant bowl of this is about $4.50.  It is enough that it can go for a potluck and still leave about 4 servings at home (perfect for lunch or for the family that isn't going), especially if you add a $1 bag of chips to the stuff at home.  So, for $5.50, I can get 4 lunches and a potluck.  And it's really good.  People like it.

[katilac]

$2 is tough, yeah. Maybe one recommendation could be to find a friend or two to work with? It's easier to make three amounts of something if you have $6 than one amount for $2. You might even be able to make 2 somewhat different items if  you prefer.

 

For $2, my first thought would be the muffin packets where you only add water or milk. They're about $1 here, so you might be able to eke out paper muffin cups as well. 

 

What are bananas where you are? Here they are around 50ct/lb if not on sale. For $1, I can get 3 small apples. on sale, currently 3 lb for $1.60. but that's in the cheap stores, not fancy ones.

 

Wow, absolutely do not see those prices where I am (deep south). We can get bananas for 70ct/lb pretty consistently but that's a sale price. I would be delighted to find any kind of apples on sale for a dollar per pound, that hasn't happened for a long time. Typical sale price would be $1.50 per pound for the most common types of apples. 

 

Another difficulty can be that people are often limited to stores that they can walk to, which means Dollar General, Family Dollar, or convenience stores for lots of people in my area. So they're not getting to a regular grocery store every week, much less an Aldi's or something - we have no Aldi's or discount type groceries in our area, period. There is one Trader Joe's in the entire metro area that just opened, and I don't think they're cheap like Aldi's. 

[Zinnia]

Oh, and another one that my mom used to do to stretch a meal but could work as potluck.  It's a little over $2, but fancy.  Pudding (either homemade or from a box),layered with cool whip, in clear cups.  If a local store sells dixie cups in either white or clear for decently cheap (you'd have to look), then you can take a platter of tiny little "pudding parfaits" for the cost of a recipe of pudding plus cool-whip.  

[AndyJoy]

Hummus can be made with peanut butter instead of tahini. This would assume a little peanut butter, lemon juice, oil, salt, and a spice or two on hand, so not straight up $2, but a possibility.

 

It could be served with pretzels, baby carrots, and/or celery.

[Alessandra]

We just bought a rutabaga, 39 cents per pound. I cut it into cubes and roasted it with kosher salt and oil. Delicious.

 

But you would need toothpicks to use it for a snack.

 

I like the toasted chickpea idea too.

 

Garlic bread, if you can buy the bread on sale. Works with regular oil, not just olive oil.

[LucyStoner]

Mini potato pancakes.

[SparklyUnicorn]

 

 

Wow, absolutely do not see those prices where I am (deep south). We can get bananas for 70ct/lb pretty consistently but that's a sale price. I would be delighted to find any kind of apples on sale for a dollar per pound, that hasn't happened for a long time. Typical sale price would be $1.50 per pound for the most common types of apples. 

 

I live in apple country and I can't find apples for $1.50 a pound.  Sometimes the very mealy super mega cheap crappy ones go on sale in September.  Otherwise the typical price is about $2.49 per pound.

 

I would personally shy away from offering up a fruit platter on such a tight budget because aside from the high prices, the quality is a real hit or miss (especially this time of year).  I don't buy fresh fruit in winter.  The oranges tend to be dried out.  The apples have a lot of brown spots on them.  Bananas are usually fairly reliable, but a couple of bananas isn't exactly a fruit platter.  With my luck I'd buy one of each of these items for a fruit platter and I'd have to cut half the fruit off and throw it out because the quality would be poor. 

Edited December 7, 2016 by SparklyUnicorn

[theelfqueen]

How about crepes?

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Anne in CA]

Caramel corn!

[LucyStoner]

I live in a state that produces 500% more apples than the state that comes in second on apple production. More than 1/2 of all apples in the United States come from here.

 

I can make a small nearly all apple fruit salad that is enough for a small serving for each person in my small household for $2. I absolutely could not make a fruit salad large enough to bring to a shared meal for anything close to $2. We eat a lot of apples and fruit but even by the 20lb case from the fruit stand most apples are at least $1 a pound. Apples are among the least expensive fruit options here. Bananas are the only thing cheaper.

Edited December 8, 2016 by LucyStoner

[frugalmamatx]

Vanilla wafer balls come to mind as well - they are just a bag of powdered sugar, a can of OJ concentrate, and a box of vanilla wafers crushed. It would be about $3, but makes a TON AND they freeze, so it could be made once and split over a couple events pretty easily. They also are a no-bake recipe, so work well with limited cooking facilities. 

[Sherry in OH]

Pickled eggs

Quiche

Cheese puffs (the white bread and Velveeta-style processed cheese variety)

 

Ramen noodle salad is expensive but probably more than $2.

[alisoncooks]

 

For $2, my first thought would be the muffin packets where you only add water or milk. They're about $1 here, so you might be able to eke out paper muffin cups as well. 

 

I was thinking this.  The Martha White brand of muffins is often $1 (or even buy one/get one free).  Add milk (can you do powdered milk, I wonder?) and you can get a few dozen mini-muffins from the package.

 

(They don't taste that bad, either...well, the blueberry don't.  Steer clear of the banana -- though my 8 year old loves those.)