A pizza party won't break the bank

October 05, 2009

If you love dinner parties but don't want to shell out hundreds of dollars to create a feast for your friends, there are a few affordable and fun ways to feed your guests without breaking the bank.

One option for planning a low-cost fete is a make-your own pizza party. The way it works is this - you provide the building blocks of pizza-making - crust, sauce and shredded cheese. These items are all pretty inexpensive. (Hint: shredded cheese is more expensive per ounce, so to get the most value, buy a big block of mozzarella cheese and shred it yourself.) Most supermarkets offer ready-made pizza dough, and there is often a whole-wheat option for the health-conscious among you.

When party-planning, ask your guests to bring their favorite pizza toppings. Make sure you have the basics covered - peperoni, mushrooms, sausage, onions and peppers - and then encourage them to branch out. A few delicious novelty toppings you might want to try are artichokes, spinach, ham and pineapple, kalamata olives or meatballs.

Then, let the games begin! Serve up some red wine, throw on a Dean Martin CD and have everyone assemble into like-minded teams. Let your guests compete to see who can create the most delicious pizza-topping combination, then let everyone kick back and enjoy their hot, gooey meal.