Thanks Retired to Win on the suggestion about veggies, it helped me reign in the normal 4-6 options I normally include with the veggie tray. We're going with carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, and black olives that I already have in the pantry.
Working ideas: deviled eggs, crock pot BBQ meatballs, tobasco/butter popcorn, veggie tray, and spinach dip in pumpernickel bread bowl.
^This is literally my go-to list for a party. Another easy one is homemade beer bread with garlic dip. Google both recipes - can make both of them together for roughly $3.
Another good one is a taco dip. Either a cold one (cream cheese base) or a warm one (rotel, cheese and ground beef or sausage).
If you are looking to make any desserts, any cookie bars work well. Brownies always gets eaten. :-)
If you don't mind my asking, what's your typical number of guests and budget for this menu?
This line-up usually feeds 12-15 adults for $47-50.
Deviled eggs - $3 for 30 halves - fills a 9x13 tray
Taco Dip -$8 - two bags chips, cream cheese, taco seasoning, toppings as desired (chopped tomatoes, onions, olives, shred cheese)
Veggie Tray - $6 - celery, carrots and cucumbers are cheap. Fill in with any other veggies on sale. Pour ranch salad dressing in small bowl vs. purchasing a more expensive tub.
Spinach Dip - $7 - I buy a container of pre-made dip, then add an extra 10oz block of thawed chopped spinach. Extends it and improves the taste.
Beer Bread w/ garlic dip - $3 - homemade bread (no kneading required) and garlic dip
Meatballs - $8 - I usually make them home made using ground pork (cheaper) but if you find a good deal on pre-made, go for it.
Pulled Pork - $10 - two pack of hamburger buns, bottle of BBQ sauce, and a smaller pork shoulder or pork roast.
Brownies - $2 - Baked using the mini-muffin tin option and sprinkle some powder sugar on top to look fancy.
Never made fancy popcorn but that sounds like a great idea.