The $35 Appetizer Challenge: 4 Game Day Appetizers on a Real Grocery Budget
Four party appetizers, a dip, and a full board for $35 — that was the challenge my sister and I set for each other. Crack dip, homemade pizza rolls made with street taco tortillas, burger bites on Ritz crackers, and three-ingredient Scottish shortbread from the pantry. Everything but the pizza rolls and burger bites can be made a day ahead, the whole thing feeds a crowd of kids and grown-ups, and I will show you the exact receipt (I went $1.37 over). If you have got a game day, a holiday party, or just a house full of people coming, this board has a little something for everybody.
A Little Story From My Kitchen
My sister Laura and I love a good challenge. Earlier this year we each took $20 to ALDI and cooked a meal, and it was so much fun that we wanted to do it again. This time the rules were: $35, at least three different elements, and neither of us tells the other what we are making. I still have no idea what she fixed. You will have to go over to her channel and find out with me.
I set that budget because I wanted this to be something anybody could recreate at home. Grocery prices are different everywhere, but we really tried to shop smart and pack as much into $35 as we could. I leaned on pantry staples wherever I could — the shortbread cookies are nothing but butter, flour, and sugar, and the dried chives in the dip were already sitting in my spice drawer.
Now I have got to tell y’all what happened. At the very last minute I decided I wanted an apple on the board for a little something sweet, so I sent Darren to the store for one apple. He asked if I wanted the largest one, and I said no. I did not tell him why. He came back with two of the largest apples in the store. Bless him. In fairness, he did not know about the $35, and if you have ever bought a single apple you know they charge you by weight. So we had a laugh, we alternated the two colors on the board because it looked pretty, and I told him we would blame him if we busted the budget.
True confession, though: it was the chips. I did not need two kinds of chips. I really, really wanted them on the board, and that is what put us over. So I will take my share of the blame too.
College football was starting that day, so two of our grandsons came over to taste test everything. Their mama had a baby shower, so we sent a goodie box home for her. The burger bites were Darren’s favorite. The pizza rolls got cleaned out. And I got a very good English accent out of one of the boys when he tried the English cucumber.
What It All Cost
| Recipe | Cost |
|---|---|
| Crack Dip | $6.40 |
| Homemade Pizza Rolls | $9.29 |
| Burger Bites | $5.74 |
| Scottish Shortbread | $0.67 |
| Veggies, apple, and chips | $14.27 |
| Total | $36.37 ($1.37 over) |
Pantry staples (mayonnaise, butter, flour, sugar, mustard, garlic powder, dried herbs) were not counted since most of you already have them.
Crack Dip
I had seen this dip floating around for years and had never made it. Once you look at what is in it, you already know it is going to be good. It has got ranch seasoning, so it works just as well with veggies as it does with chips. This is a recipe you cannot mess up — do not worry about being precise with the mayonnaise. It is on the salty side as written; if that is not your crowd, use half to three-quarters of the ranch packet.
Crack Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup crumbled bacon 3 thick slices or 6 regular, cooked
Instructions
- Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch packet with a mixer until smooth, scraping the bowl once. Start with half the ranch packet if you prefer less salt.
- Add the cheddar, garlic powder, chives, and bacon. Mix just until combined.
- Cover and chill at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days ahead.
- Serve with wavy chips, pita chips, or cut vegetables.
Notes
- Make it a day ahead — the flavor deepens overnight.
- On the salty side as written; use 1/2 to 3/4 of the ranch packet for a milder dip.
- Fresh green onions can replace the dried chives.
- Store-bought bacon crumbles work — use about 1/2 cup.
Crack Dip Questions
Can I make crack dip ahead of time?
Yes, and you should. It needs at least an hour in the fridge, and it is even better made a day or two ahead.
Why is my crack dip too salty?
The ranch packet. Start with half, taste, and add more if you want it.
What do you serve with crack dip?
Wavy potato chips, pita chips, crackers, baby carrots, celery, and cucumber all work. It has that ranch dip flavor, so it is just as good with vegetables.
Can I use light sour cream or mayonnaise?
You can. It will be a touch less rich but still very good.
Homemade Pizza Rolls
These are the kid-friendly option, but the adults go right after them too. Street taco size tortillas are the trick — they are the perfect size to roll around a piece of string cheese. One thing I learned while rolling: put the sauce along one edge, not down the middle. Darren pointed it out and he was right — sauce in the center squeezes out when you roll.
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
- 12 street taco size flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce plus extra for dipping
- 36 pepperoni slices
- 8 mozzarella string cheese sticks cut to 2/3 length
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Stir the garlic powder, basil, and salt into the melted butter.
- Cut each string cheese stick to about two-thirds its length so it fits the tortilla. Save the ends for extra rolls.
- Spread a thin line of pizza sauce along one edge of a tortilla. Lay 3 pepperoni slices along the sauce, top with a piece of cheese, and roll tightly from that edge. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet.
- Brush the tops with garlic butter.
- Bake at 350°F for 6 minutes. Turn the rolls, brush again with garlic butter, and bake 3 to 4 minutes more until crisp.
- Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Keep the sauce along one edge, not the middle — it leaks out otherwise.
- Roll and brush a few hours ahead; bake right before serving.
- Swap in cooked Italian sausage for some of the rolls.
Pizza Roll Questions
Can I make pizza rolls ahead of time?
You can roll and brush them a few hours ahead and keep them on the pan in the fridge. Bake right before serving.
Why is the sauce leaking out of my pizza rolls?
Too much sauce in the middle. Put a thin line of sauce along one edge and roll from that edge.
Can I use regular flour tortillas?
Yes, but they will be bigger and you will want a whole string cheese stick and more pepperoni per roll. Street taco size keeps them bite-size.
Can I air fry pizza rolls?
Yes. About 350°F for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once and brushing with butter.
Burger Bites on Crackers
Little cheeseburgers on Ritz crackers instead of bread. They are an easy pick-up bite, and the melted cheese holds everything together and hides the mustard. If you keep browned ground beef in the freezer like I showed in my freezer hacks video, these come together in minutes.
Burger Bites on Crackers
Ingredients
- 24 Ritz crackers or any round buttery cracker
- 1/2 pound ground beef browned and drained
- yellow mustard
- sharp cheddar cheese cubed or shredded
- dill pickle slices quartered
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay out the crackers.
- Spoon a small amount of browned ground beef onto the center of each cracker.
- Add a small dollop of mustard on top of the beef.
- Top each with a piece of cheddar.
- Bake at 350°F for about 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Top each with a pickle quarter and serve warm. Leave some without pickles if needed.
Notes
- Brown the beef a day or two ahead, or keep browned ground beef in the freezer.
- Assemble and bake right before serving so the crackers stay crisp.
- Top with ketchup, bacon, or jalapeño instead of mustard and pickle if you like.
Burger Bite Questions
Can I make burger bites ahead?
Brown the beef ahead — even a day or two. Assemble and bake right before serving so the crackers stay crisp.
Will the crackers get soggy?
Not in 8 minutes at 350°F. Just do not let them sit assembled for long before baking.
What else can I put on burger bites?
Ketchup, a dab of mayo, crumbled bacon, or a slice of jalapeño. Treat it like a tiny cheeseburger.
3-Ingredient Scottish Shortbread
Butter, flour, sugar. That is it. I did not want to spend any of the budget on something sweet, so I used what was already in the pantry. These are not very sweet — if you have had shortbread before, you know — and they get better the longer they sit. Stay next to the mixer: it looks crumbly for a good while, and then it suddenly comes together.
3-Ingredient Scottish Shortbread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened (1 stick)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- sugar in the raw for the top
Instructions
- Combine the butter, flour, and sugar in a mixer bowl. Start on low, then increase speed a little. It will look crumbly for a while — mix until it just comes together into a dough, then stop. Do not overmix.
- Press the dough into a small ungreased pan (about 9×6 inches). Smooth and level it with the bottom of a glass.
- Poke holes all over the top with a fork so it does not puff up.
- Sprinkle lightly with sugar in the raw.
- Bake at 300°F for 20 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. It will still feel soft.
- While hot, trim the edges and cut into small squares. Cool completely in the pan.
Notes
- Cut while hot — it cracks once cooled.
- Make 2 to 3 days ahead and store covered; the texture and flavor improve.
- Double the recipe for a standard jelly roll pan.
Shortbread Questions
Why are my shortbread cookies crumbly?
Either the dough was stopped too early or it was overbaked. Let the mixer run until the dough truly comes together, and pull the pan when the edges are just barely golden.
Do I have to cut shortbread while it is hot?
Yes. Once it cools it will crack instead of cutting cleanly.
Can I double the shortbread recipe?
Yes — double everything and press it into a standard jelly roll pan.
Finishing the Board
Chop the veggies a few hours ahead, or even the day before, and keep them covered in the fridge. I used baby carrots, celery, and an English cucumber cut into rounds. For the apple, slice it fairly thin and dip the slices in Sprite or 7UP — it keeps them from browning without the sour bite lemon juice gives. Put the shortbread in its own small bowl so it stays dry, keep the savory things on one side and the sweet on the other, and fill in the gaps with wavy chips and pita chips.
Come See What Laura Made
Head over to Laura’s channel, Make Yourself at Home with Laura, to see what she did with her $35. I cannot wait to find out.
From My Table to Yours
Thank you so much for joining me today here at Mary Katherine’s Table. I hope you will give this board a try for your next game day or holiday gathering — there really is something here to please everybody.
And remember to go out today and find somebody who needs a little bit of kindness and give them some of yours.
