On a Budget? 8 Cheap Catering Ideas
By Lauren Hamer
Admit it: you’ve blown a budget or two feeding the office. We understand. Keeping the costs of office meals low is no easy feat. According to CNBC, some companies churn through $10 to $15 a day — per employee — on meals and snacks alone. Rest assured. You don’t need a huge budget to order delicious catering for your office. Here are ten cheap catering ideas that won’t compromise on taste — or your budget.
1. Serve breakfast, any time
It’s no secret that morning menus are cheap. So if fueling your team at a reasonable price is your goal, consider serving breakfast or brunch for a traditional lunch. Just ramp up your traditional bagel and juice bar to satisfy bigger appetites. Serve breakfast proteins like ham, bacon, and sausage in hearty casseroles, breakfast burritos, or frittatas. Fruit trays, sour cream cakes, yogurt bars, and pastries help round out the meal. These fun, cheap, catering ideas that will charm your coworkers — we promise.
2. Arrange buffets over boxed lunches
When it comes to cost, buffets win out over boxed lunches every time. (The price per person is almost always lower.) Not only do buffets encourage guests to mingle, but these cheap catering options provide eaters with more variety, too. It’s the perfect solution if food allergies or dietary restrictions crop up when you’re trying to serve a large or diverse crowd of eaters. It’s worth noting, however, that boxed lunches work better for small gatherings where food waste is a concern (i.e., fewer than ten people). Have picky eaters place their own order to minimize waste — and stay on budget.
3. Opt for less expensive cuts of meat
Say “yes” to paella, but “no” to top-dollar filet mignon. Less expensive cuts of meat, like chicken, help keep costs low. Supplement entrées with vegetables, stews, and curries, or build an all-vegetarian menu for your colleagues, instead. Veggie-centric dishes are cheap catering options that save money and address dietary concerns in one fell swoop.
4. Choose cost-efficient cuisines
Some foods are more expensive than others. So if you need ideas for cheap catering options, build a menu around cost-efficient cuisines. Mexican, Indian, Thai, and Chinese foods won’t break the bank — and they can be stretched to feed a crowd. Steer clear of Japanese, French, and Italian dishes, which usually cost more per meal, according to the study.
5. Remember time is money
Not every event has to be an all-out dining extravaganza. Consider cheap catering ideas that emphasize fun over food, like a two-hour time slot for an after-work happy hour instead of a four-hour dinner celebration. People love hors d’oeuvres, while controlling the duration of your event can reduce costs significantly. And let’s face it: finger foods are fun. Chances are people will gladly fill up on delicious apps and leave feeling just as wined and dined as they would by a dinner course.
6. Behave at the bar
If you plan to serve alcohol at your next catering event, these cheap catering ideas for cocktails will keep your bar tab in check. Create one signature cocktail, like a vodka sunrise, and offer it along with wine and beer. Since funding a full bar can be pricey, you could also consider scaling back your offerings to beer and wine, in order to keep costs under control.
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