How to feed a big BBQ crowd for a little budget

One of the best parts of summer is getting together with friends and family for a backyard barbecue. But how do you get your party on when inflation is driving food prices higher than the hot summer temperatures?

You don’t have to forgo the cookout. You just have to plan carefully to stay within budget. Here are some tips to have the best summer soiree for 20 people while keeping costs under $100 — or even as low as $50.

Let’s start with appetizers. Deviled eggs are a time-honored picnic favorite that can feed your crowd for about $3. Pop your own popcorn and flavor it with your favorites for just a few dollars. Carrots and celery cost just a buck or two and easily can be cut up for a quick crudité with a homemade dip for a total of $5.

The most expensive part of a barbecue, unsurprisingly, is the meat. Figure out those proteins to start your menu. That lets you know exactly how much money you have to fill up the rest of the table.

Luckily, some great, delicious grilling options are very affordable. Chicken leg quarters are routinely under a dollar. Some grocery stores have them in 10-pound bags as low as 69 cents a pound — allowing you to feed your 20-person crowd for $14. The problem right now is availability.

That perennial cookout staple, the hot dog, is another cheap choice. They’re more affordable than hamburgers, more kid-friendly than ribs and are the easiest thing to grill. Hey, some people even like them better a little charred. Buy your franks — and buns — on sale and you could spend $14. Condiments could bump it up a few bucks.

Side dishes can be expensive if you buy them at the deli or the snack aisle, but some of the most classic picnic sides are low cost and easy to make from scratch.

Shredding up one super-affordable cabbage and tossing it with a vinegar dressing can make an abundance of slaw for as low as $3. Potatoes, especially russets, are inexpensive. Egg prices are up, but they are still affordable. Toss them together with a little mayo and you have a filling potato salad for about $6.

Then there are beans. Start with dried beans and you can spend under $2 for a crowd-size vegetarian baked bean dish. Add sausage or a small bag of real bacon pieces, and you can make it meatier for a total price of around $6. Or maybe three-bean salad is your thing. It’s the easiest salad to make — just a couple cans each of green beans, kidney beans and chickpeas and some Italian dressing makes a substantial bowl for as low as $5.

Depending on availability and sales, fresh corn might be a great way to go, but corn salad might be even cheaper. A big bag of frozen corn can be given zesty flavor with fresh onions, peppers and tomatoes or just a jar of salsa that has all of those already blended. Let it sit overnight, and you can get people to beg to eat their veggies for just $7.

Then there’s dessert. The easiest, most crowd-pleasing option screams summer. Buy a watermelon, chill it to icy perfection and wedge it up. Melons are on sale right now for as low as $4 apiece. Kids also can be delighted by those plastic-tube freezer pops available at dollar store prices.

If you want something a little fancier, go for cupcakes. Easier to decorate than a bigger cake, they have built-in portion control. With cake mix and canned frosting, you’re looking at about $5. From scratch, it could be even less, leaving room to get fancier than just vanilla.

And that brings us to bargain beverages. The perfect all-ages choice is lemonade. Make it from scratch with lemons and sugar or shortcut it with a mix. It’s affordable either way. A bag each of lemons and sugar could keep your crowd hydrated for just $5; use a canister of sugar-free drink mix, and it can be under $2 for 3 gallons.

Maybe you want to indulge in some adults-only drinks. Stick with a big-batch alcohol punch to save while you splurge. Mix fruit punch and lemon-lime soda with vodka — definitely not the good stuff — and you could have a fun option for as low as $10.

Tip: Use a bright-colored drink in a different shade than your kid-friendly beverage so you can be sure little ones won’t get any by accidentand teenagers can’t sneak some of the red into their lemonade unnoticed.

Altogether, your party could come in at $96. If you streamline it with just one or two options for appetizers, main dishes, sides and a dessert, you could bring the total down to $47 — a good option if your 20-person crowd contains more young kids.

But the best way to save money on a backyard party is to spread the cost around with a potluck. The hosts can do the heavy lifting with the main dishes and drinks for a total of $48 and ask other guests to fill in the sides and desserts.

Whatever the options, the most important thing is to find a way to not just save money but to have fun.