Graduation Party Food Ideas

[WDWorld2003]

We're having a graduation open house and need some ideas for food. We don't have a large house and if it rains it will be even smaller! There probably won't be a lot of places to sit down so I want to keep the food easy to eat (no spaghetti, sloppy joes, etc.).

Any ideas out there that you've had success with?

 

[mommytotwo]

Do you have a grill where you could make hamburgers and hot dogs?

How about some finger foods-pinwheel roll ups, deli sandwiches, pigs in a blanket, spinach rolls, chips and dip.....

People could just get a plate, and stand while eatting these items or sit down.

Have you considered putting out a tent in the yard or garage and getting some benches and tables?

 

[nsyncraider17]

For my graduation party last year, we cleaned out the garage and set up some tables and chairs inside, and also bought some tents for the yard. We had some sandwich rings which I believe were from Sam's Club, and were only about $15 each. We also had a few pans of my mom's homemade macaroni and cheese (one of my favorite foods) and some appetizer foods, like meatballs and the mini hotdogs in barbeque sauce. I think there were some fresh fruit and veggies and dip as well. Then we had a graduation cake, and cookies from my favorite bakery. I thought this was a good variety. Most of my friends had similar food at their parties... some people had it completely catered, some had all homemade, some had a combination.

 

[monkeyboy]

Bacon
Beer
6 foot hero

 

[poohandwendy]

I made a whole ham the day before and sliced it for sandwiches, then had a condiment tray with cheeses, lettuce, tomato etc.

I also made pasta salad, a seven layer salad, that strawberry pretzel jello salad, fried chicken, hot sausage sandwiches, my mother made stuffed cabbage, veggie tray, sliced watermelon tray, ...etc

Pretty much everything my DD requested that would work in a picnic setting.

 

[MoniqueU]

Taquitos
Potato Skins
Quesadillas cut in quarters
Chips and Guacomole

 

[mtemm]

fruit kababs and/or chocolate dipped strawberries. mmm...yum

 

[LadyLuc361]

hot dogs and hamburgers are easy.

I have also ordered stuff from Wegmans (upscale grocery store). It really makes the party easier if you want to order veggie trays or potato salad or you could even make it yourself.

 

[poohandwendy]

hot dogs and hamburgers are easy.

They are, but I just didn't want anyone to have to deal with cooking them during the party. That is the only reason we didn't serve them.

 

[christineann]

This is all easy make-ahead stuff.

Ham party rolls
Cold layered Mexican dip and chips
Tortilla rollups
Miniature quiches
Meatballs
Cheese tray
Fruit tray
Cheese spread or dip with crackers
Vegetable tray
Cookies and cake

Sparkling grape juice - very festive, and everybody loves it!

 

[WDWorld2003]

Thanks everyone.... this really helps. I'm really not into entertaining so this is a little overwhelming to me. We have family over for holidays, etc. but not 50-100 people!

We don't have a place to put a tent and our garage is really not a great place for a party. I'm going to cross my fingers for good weather and I'll probably use Costco for some of the things.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

We're having a double graduation party this June. Two sons graduating from college!

On the menu:

Deli lunchmeat tray (ordered)
Meatballs (crock pot)
Sausage w/peppers and onions (crock pot)
Hot roast beef and gravy (ordered)
Potato salad (my mom's)
Macaroni salad (my mom's)
Cole slaw (deli)
Deviled eggs (I make)
Salad ( I make)
Fruit tray (ordered)
Veg tray (ordered)

Potato chips, pretzels, etc.

Cake

 

[Trish Bessette]

If you don't care to fire up the grill for hotdogs/hamburgs you can easily prepare finger sandwiches. Tuna fish, egg salad, seafood salad, PB&J are easy to do. Most grocery stores sell cute finger sandwich rolls in the bakery dept.

Keep it easy. Borrow crock pots and have baked beans in one, meatballs, cocktail franks, sausage & peppers.

Fruit, veggie and cheese & cracker platters are great to have around.

Good luck! Sounds like fun!

 

[WDWorld2003]

Anyone have good recipes for any of these.... especially the meatballs or pasta salads?

 

[RUDisney]

I made a pasta salad last summer for my mother's house. I didn't want to do the traditional one with italian dressing. Instead, I used poppyseed dressing and I added mandarine oranges, pimentos and sliced black olives to the farfalle (bow tie) pasta. It was delicious and everyone kept commenting on how good the combination was. They would never have thought that those tastes would have blended so well. You can also add craisins or dried cherries for color.

We did a big antipasti for our DD's Communion party last year. Let's face it, the food can be the same for either that or a Graduation party. That went over very well. We also had chicken francaise, a virginia ham, eggplant parmesan and sausage and peppers.

Don't discount your garage just yet. We setup our food in our basement that exits to the backyard. I hung a plastic tablecloth behind the food to block the stairs and the under-shelves from the food. In your garage, you can hang these $1 tablecloths, hopefully in your school's colors around the perimeter to block your stored items. It doesn't matter if it goes to the floor, as long as you're blocking the eye-level stuff.

 

[golfgal]

One graduation party I attended they offered several different types of cheesecake and punch. It was a NICE change from the 15 other parties that day that ALL had ham sandwiches.

 

[petchie]

We had a pig roast and it went over really big. We ordered the pig from the guy who does them and he dropped it off right before the party. Added a few cold sides (toss salad, macaroni) and a cake and it was easy!

 

[becjlek]

We are doing "make your own sundaes" with ice cream and a lot of different toppings for people to choose from.

 

[WDWorld2003]

Thanks everyone - great ideas! Would love to hear more!

Also, for the person who hung tablecloths in the garage - what did you hang them with? We live in an older home so we don't have sheetrock and somehow duct tape just wouldn't do it for me. Our garage has bikes, the lawnmower, snowblower, camping equipment, etc. etc. so I don't know if this is an option but we're considering it. Would love to have one of those nice new garages with the new floors and sheet rock!

 

[RUDisney]

Honestly, I hung the tablecloths with a staple gun. One of the tablecloths held up so well that it is still hanging behind the work table we have in the basement so the stairs are still blocked off. It'll be up for one year this coming weekend.