Here’s How To Throw A Fancy Dinner With Little Expense

4. Classic Combinations

A classy dinner needs to have classy food, so keep away from the crazy exotic dishes and foods with obscure names. Picking simple, classic dishes is your key to have the most elegant, yet cheapest spread. Something like chicken is the best when it comes to taste and being budget-friendly. Pair a well seasoned and spiced chicken breast with some vegetables and you’ve got yourself a winner!

You will also need to make sure you take time in doing the prep work. If you aren’t skillful with the knife, you’d be better off buying the pre-cut varieties at the supermarket. But, keep in mind that those do cost extra, so maybe you could start practicing at home.

5. Give it a Twist

Sure, we said to stick to the classics, but there’s nothing wrong with giving he classic a small, yet digestible twist. For example, instead of serving plain old mash potatoes, why not try a sweet potato mash or a celeriac mash? Instead of chicken breast, confit some chicken thighs (not as difficult as it sounds, and definitely way tastier). It’s different enough that it piques the interest, but familiar enough that it doesn’t veer off into gimmicky-territory.

6. It’s All in the Plating

Cooking tasty food is one thing, making it look elegant on the plate is something entirely different. Since we’re trying to cut corners wherever possible, we’d say use plain white plates (or any other light color). Steer clear of those with designs on them as it can look tacky.

Visualize all the components that need to go on the plate, make yourself a little diagram, and maybe even practice plating them up a couple different ways beforehand to pick the best one. And remember to keep it clean; don’t overload the plate, and wipe up any spills. You’d be amazed to find out that anything can look fancy if plated the right way!