6 Ways to Throw a Great Party for Less

Throw a party for less Want to throw a great party without breaking the bank?

Getting together with friends to fete the New Year or cheer on your Super Bowl favorite doesn't mean choosing between chips and dip or bankruptcy. Instead, with a little ingenuity -- and some help from a handful of party pros -- you can host a great gathering for a lot less money than you'd think.

Here are six ideas to make it easy, affordable and stress-free.

Co-host with a friend Party pro: P. Allen Smith, author of "P. Allen Smith's Seasonal Recipes from the Garden" and host of "P. Allen Smith Gardens" and "P. Allen Smith's Garden Home."

Favorite money-saving party tip: Co-host with a friend. "Divide and conquer," he says. "Get somebody to work with."

Give it a twist: When people ask, "What can I bring?" Smith takes them up on it, he says. His secret: "I assign a recipe. And people love that," he says. "It gives them a sense of purpose -- they feel like they're making a contribution, and they have fun."

One party hit: Maple-glazed walnuts.

For those who might not cook (or the time-challenged), they "can bring wine, beer or a bag of ice," he says.

Last used this idea: "I'm doing it right now," says Smith, who is co-hosting a holiday party. "You can split the cost and all the harrowing last-minute details."

Recipe: http://www.pallensmith.com/food-and-recipes/recipe?recipe=662

Says Smith, "I never host anything alone."

Throw a brunch party Party pro: Gale Gand, partner and executive pastry chef at Chicago's Tru, and author of "Gale Gand's Brunch!: 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend's Best Meal."

Favorite money-saving party tip: "My secret trick for saving money but still throwing parties: brunch parties," says Gand.

"Eggs are a cheap source of protein, and they're so flexible," she says. "It's faster, it's cheaper, and it's more flexible in terms of what you can serve." And, she adds, brunch is "more family-friendly so you don't have to pay for a sitter."

Give it a twist: Serve a strata -- a layered egg casserole, Gand suggests. With a casserole dish you can throw in things you may have on hand, like the ends of the bread loaf or a half a cup of chopped chicken instead of a whole bird, she says.

One party hit: Quick pear streusel coffee cake.

Recipe: http://www.galegand.com/recipes/2009/04/quick_pear_streusel_coffee_cak.asp

Last used this idea: During the holidays. "I do (brunches) instead of dinner parties," says Gand. "It's not a long night, you're not staying up late and your guests aren't drinking a lot."

Substitutions are the order of the day Party pro: Grace Parisi, senior recipe developer for Food & Wine magazine and author of "Get Saucy: Make Dinner a New Way Every Day with Simple Sauces, Marinades, Glazes, Dressings, Pestos, Pasta Sauces, Salsas, and More."

Favorite money-saving party tip: "The biggest money suck for any big cocktail party is cheese and (smoked meat)," says Parisi. "So I substitute something a little bit more substantial and interactive. Like a whole roasted ham or turkey platter with biscuits or rolls. Or a brined turkey breast served cold."

Give it a twist: "I like to do themes," says Parisi. "Vary the condiments, the rolls and the way you serve it."

Recipes: Whole roasted ham http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spiced-smoked-ham-with-mango-cranberry-chutney and a turkey platter with biscuits http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/perfecting-biscuits

Last used this idea: For a Halloween party. "It's great because you can feed a lot of people for a lot less money. And it's fun. If you've got a ham on a platter with a big basket of biscuits that are overflowing, it looks more festive than a salami on a flat platter."

And when you're serving something more casual, "you can get creative with the drinks," says Parisi. "Punches and sangrias are great."

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