Graduation Picnic Food Ideas

[disneyfanatic60]

My DD-17 will be graduating from high school next month. We are planning a big picnic celebration. I did the same for my son when he graduated.

I'm trying to come up with some new food ideas. We don't have a clue how many people we'll be expecting at this point but figure we'll see a lot of her friends and my son's friend's (he's 21) just "stopping by" for either a brief visit or who knows how long. So we'll need to keep food out most of the day.

We are doing the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, italian and polish sausage on the grill. I was also planning baked beans, potato salad, a taco dip, the usual munchies (chips, pretzels, cheese, crackers, etc) and a fruit salad. I am thinking about a pasta salad as well of some sort. I also need some quick and easy ideas for desserts to add along with her cake.

I'm just tired of the same old stuff. Does anyone have any refreshingly new ideas they care to share? I'm having a hard enough time planning when I don't know how many people to expect. Thanks!

 

[piratesmate]

We don't do dessert very often around here - other than fruit salad. Someone posted a recipe for pasta salad with fruit here once that I've done & we thought it was more like dessert than a side like a vinaigrette pasta salad. Or how about ambrosia? Cookies?

Pasta Fruit Salad
Source:Taste of Home

3 c uncooked medium pasta shells
20 oz unsweetened pineapple chunks -- drained
1 lg navel orange, peeled, sectioned and -- halved
1 c halved green grapes
1 c halved red grapes
1 med apple, chopped
1 lg firm banana, 1/4" slices
8 oz plain yogurt
1/4 c orange juice concentrate

Cook pasta. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Place in a large bowl. Add the fruit.
Combine the yogurt and orange juice concentrate. Pour over salad and toss to coat.
Cover and chill for several hours.

Substitutions:
Raspberry pieces - dried raspberries
Mandarin oranges
2 Fresh peaches
vanilla yogurt
orange-strawberry juice blend

 

[saucymb]

I have a large family, and we always rely on the quick and easy Dump Cake when it comes to graduations, pot-lucks, reunions, etc.

Ingredients:
one can of cherry pie filling
one large can crushed pineapple
one yellow cake mix
two sticks of butter
1 cup of chopped pecans (optional)

Pour cherries and pineapple evenly into 9x13 pan; don't mix. Pour dry cake mix evenly on top. Then pour melted butter on top and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake at 350 for one hour.

Mmm mmm good!

 

[SoonerKate]

I've brought this to a couple of barbecues, and it always goes quickly:

Caramel Apple Salad

2 large Granny Smith apples or 3-4 smallish apples
1 box instant butterscotch sugar-free pudding mix
1 container fat-free cool whip
1 can crushed pineapple, in its own juices

Mix the pineapple and pudding mix (do not make the pudding, just use the mix) in a large bowl. Chop the apples into bite-size pieces and fold in, then add thawed Cool Whip. Chill for one hour, then serve. Mini-marshmallows and mandarin oranges go well in here, too.

 

[Madaboutthemouse]

CARAMEL APPLE SALAD
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
2 red delicious apples, cored and diced
1 (6-pack) Snickers candy bars, diced small
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 small container Cool Whip
Mix all ingredients. Let set 1/2 hour, then serve.


If you use the Snickers miniatures (the bite size ones) you really only need to cut those in half.

 

[disynut]

Here's one from Paula Deen, my favorite!

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
Recipe: Paula Deen on Food Network

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

[denisem]

My all-time favorite pasta salad:

Antipasto Pasta Salad

It's a salad where you can play with the ingredients, depending on your likes/dislikes. I substitute multicolor rotini, halved grape tomatoes & add some vidalia onion to the basic recipe.

 

[clh2]

What about one of the ramen noodle salads? This is one of my favorites:

Sweet and Crunchy Salad

Or - if these specific ingredients do not float your boat, there are many other ramen noodle salads at: allrecipes.com

 

[yummy72]

We had a graduation party this past weekend, my husband graduated from college, and my nephew from high school. We served:

Beer Brats
Hot Dogs

Sauerkraut
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Potato Salad
Pasta Salad
Cole Slaw

Potato Chips
Homemade French Onion Dip (Alton Brown's recipe from food tv)

Texas Sheet Cake
Cheesecake with raspberry sauce
Chocolate Pie
Pecan Pie

and two guests each brought those big decorated cookies from the cookie place at the mall. Those were a big hit!

 

[kelleigh1]

I love to cook and try new recipes. I'm also a Pampered Chef consultant and recently tried a new recipe for a show that I was doing. It was excellent.

It's called Apple Berry Salsa. Basically it's 2 granny smith apples, 2 kiwi, and a pint of strawberries all chopped up. Add some orange zest and about 2 tbsp of orange juice and brown sugar. It's delicious and refeshing. I think it would be great over ice cream but served it with cinnamon crisps. To make those, take flour tortilla's. Spritz with water and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar. Slice into wedges and bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Delicious!!

 

[piratesmate]

That recipe is a bit hit around here, kelleigh1! We usually serve it as either an appetizer or dessert when we have guests for taco night. There were a couple minor differences though. My recipe called for 2 Tbl of apple jelly in addition to the brown sugar and the zest & juice of a whole orange.

One tip about making those cinnamon chips, though....do not spritz both sides with water like I did! It makes them stick to your baking sheet.

As usual, I have substituted freely in this recipe.....and had great results. I’ve replaced the apple jelly with orange marmalade, replaced the kiwi with ½ cup raspberries or just replaced both kiwi & strawberries with raspberries, skipped the brown sugar & used canned mandarin oranges with OJ & dried orange zest..... Tart apples work best.

 

[kelleigh1]

Oh yes! Good catch! I forgot all about the apple jelly or apricot preserves. I baked mine on my stoneware, so no problems with sticking, but thanks for the tip. I'll have to tell people that when I demonstrate it at my next show.

My husband loved this. And anything to get him to eat a little healthier...I'm all for it. He has enjoyed the fact that I've joined Pampered Chef because he gets to test all my recipes. I think this is his new favorite.

 

[piratesmate]

Eating healthy isn't really a problem around here...we all like our veggies, but I'm a pain! I get bored with the same things over & over, where DH would gladly eat the same thing day in & day out - including as leftovers. So I'm always glad to come across somethingnew that's both tasty & simple!

Have you seen the one for Fresh Fruit Tacos? I'm not sure whcih PC tools you'd use for that, but it makes another really nice dessert for Mexican night.

BTW - Good luck with your business!

 

[kelleigh1]

Eating healthy isn't really a problem around here...we all like our veggies, but I'm a pain! I get bored with the same things over & over, where DH would gladly eat the same thing day in & day out - including as leftovers. So I'm always glad to come across somethingnew that's both tasty & simple!

Have you seen the one for Fresh Fruit Tacos? I'm not sure whcih PC tools you'd use for that, but it makes another really nice dessert for Mexican night.

BTW - Good luck with your business!

I haven't seen that one. I'll have to see if I can find it. It sounds pretty good.

 

[piratesmate]

I can't believe how many typos were in my previous post! I'm usually more careful than that!

Here's the original recipe....I've substituted freely with this one also, depending on what I have in the house.

Fresh Fruit Taco
3 Tbl sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 flour tortillas, 6” size
2 Tbl water
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 pkg instant sugar free pudding mix (four ½ cup servings)
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 DOLE Banana, peeled, sliced
1 DOLE Mango, peeled, sliced
1 DOLE Kiwi fruit, peeled, sliced
½ c DOLE Raspberries


Combine sugar and cinnamon. Brush tortillas lightly with water. Sprinkle sugar mixture over both sides of tortillas.

Spray large custard cups with vegetable cooking spray. Gently press tortillas into cups. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

Prepare pudding according to package directions. Stir lemon peel and vanilla into pudding.

Combine banana, mango, kiwi and raspberries, in small bowl.

Arrange tortilla shells on dessert plates. Spoon about ½ cup pudding into each shell. Spoon fruit onto pudding in shells.


260 calories, 3g fat (0g sat.), 0mg cholesterol, 500mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate, 4g protein

 

[kelleigh1]

Thanks! I'm going to have to try that one for sure!!

 

[piratesmate]

We really liked that one, too....and I'm sure you don't need to use sugar-free pudding mix. The original recipe said vanilla or chocolate pudding, but the thought of the chocolate with the fruit....well, I did use white chocolate once & that was good. I guess it was just the dark brown with the fruit? Although I really like chocolate covered fruit LOL. Lemon pudding works really well also.