When you have a party...

[daughtersrus]

Do you have enough of every type of food for everyone?

My DH and I always have this debate. We're planning DD's college graduation party for next week. She just wants picnic type food which is fine. I sat down with her this morning and she said hot dogs/brats are good. We're also having baked beans, her favorite pasta and potato salads, layered jello, watermelon and my famous sweet/sour cucumbers. We'll also have cake and munchies. At night, we'll have a bonfire with S'mores.

When I told DH about the menu, he said that we should add Italian sausage, German potato salad, a regular pasta salad and a fruit salad to the list since some people would prefer these items to what we had already chosen.

We have this debate all of the time. I think that it's better to have less of a variety and enough for everyone than to have more choices but limit the amount. Either way, it's likely that not everyone will get their preferred choice.

We've invited around 90 people or so, about 1/2 of which are children. I figured that most of the kids would want hot dogs and the adults generally prefer brats. To be on the safe side, I figured 1 1/2 brats per adult and 2 hot dogs per kid (in case some eat 2 or if adults have that instead). If I add sausage to the mix, we'll have way too much food. We're planning on cooking it all about an hour before the party and keeping it in warmers. I don't want to be cooking while the party is going on.

The next dilemma is going to be how much of each variety of beer to buy and making sure that we have enough ice to keep it all cold!

 

[minkydog]

I agree with you--more limited menu and plenty of it. By the way, that's a LOT of pork. Be sure you have alternatives for people who don't eat pork or don't eat meat. And that means making sure that your veggies and salads are also meat free.

I have smaller get-togethers all the time. I grill burgers, chicken, and hot dogs, plus some portobello mushrooms for DD17 and her vegetarian friends. Potato salad, chips, veg. baked beans, deviled eggs, cole slaw, olives, pickles, and fresh fruit(strawberries, peaches, watermelon, etc.) Sodas and water bottles, no alcohol when there are underage kids there.

Hope you have fun at your party!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

With 90 people I would include more choices. You menu sounds thin, sorry. I agree with your dh.

 

[Planogirl]

You might want to add more fruit and maybe regular salad or fresh veggies with dip. You could carve out the watermelon and then fill the shell with lots of fresh fruit.

You could include chicken hot dogs too.

 

[mumom95]

I agree with the others, that your menu seems a little thin. I'm not sure how you make your pasta and potato salads, but if they both have mayo, then that's two things people who don't like mayo will not be able to eat. And I also think you need to include some other meat, chicken would be good. If not chicken, then at least burgers.

I tend to be more like your dh, but I've never had a party for 90 people before, usually no more than 25. But I always try and have a lot of different items, that way everyone can find something they like.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Do you have enough of every type of food for everyone?

My DH and I always have this debate. We're planning DD's college graduation party for next week. She just wants picnic type food which is fine. I sat down with her this morning and she said hot dogs/brats are good. We're also having baked beans, her favorite pasta and potato salads, layered jello, watermelon and my famous sweet/sour cucumbers. We'll also have cake and munchies. At night, we'll have a bonfire with S'mores.

When I told DH about the menu, he said that we should add Italian sausage, German potato salad, a regular pasta salad and a fruit salad to the list since some people would prefer these items to what we had already chosen.

We have this debate all of the time. I think that it's better to have less of a variety and enough for everyone than to have more choices but limit the amount. Either way, it's likely that not everyone will get their preferred choice.

We've invited around 90 people or so, about 1/2 of which are children. I figured that most of the kids would want hot dogs and the adults generally prefer brats. To be on the safe side, I figured 1 1/2 brats per adult and 2 hot dogs per kid (in case some eat 2 or if adults have that instead). If I add sausage to the mix, we'll have way too much food. We're planning on cooking it all about an hour before the party and keeping it in warmers. I don't want to be cooking while the party is going on.

The next dilemma is going to be how much of each variety of beer to buy and making sure that we have enough ice to keep it all cold!

I think your menu is fine, but I'd allow for 2 brats per adult, 2 hot dogs per child and a few extra hot dogs. I hate it when there's not enough food at parties.

 

[clh2]

I think your menu is fine, but I'd allow for 2 brats per adult, 2 hot dogs per child and a few extra hot dogs. I hate it when there's not enough food at parties.

Plus - any leftover brats can be frozen, and easily reheated later

 

[Acklander]

with 90 people I'd probably go with a few more choices. Are you doing it on the grill? If so, maybe add some hamburgers or chicken???

 

[PghLybrt]

I vote for more of a variety too. Out of your list all I would eat is the watermelon and the pickles. My GF could not eat the meat choice. I agree with other posters about a fruit salad and some sort of veg option.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I agree with you, OP, more than your DH.

I think your menu is fine, overall. I think if I would add anything, it would be another (non-pork) kind of meat. It might be the area I live in (a bunch of health nerds ) but a lot of people I know don't eat pork and would be very annoyed that they were stuck with just fruits and vegetables and dessert.

I don't think you need another form of sausage, or another potato salad but I don't think a fruit salad would be terrible.

Maybe some kind of sandwiches? Or get one of those Subway party subs.

For the beer, I think if you ask around, you'd get a good idea. Most of the people you know are either family or friends who you may go out with, have you or your DH paid attention to the beer they usually get? I'm assuming some of the people invited are DD's college friends, ask her what they usually get when they go out.

But, if all that isn't possible, I think it's fair to stick with something light (in color), something amber, a little bit of something dark, and something light (in taste and calories).

 

[HeatherH]

I have to agree with those who say that the menu is thin. I don't eat hot dogs or brats and I definitely limit fats like mayo, so that would mean very small servings of your potato and pasta salad, depending upon how they are made. I like most fruit EXCEPT watermelon, jello is just...ick...so yeah, I wouldn't be eating much of the current menu.

Guess you're glad I'm not invited!

Seriously, you need more healthy options in there. Veggie tray, fresh fruit, maybe a big green salad (just get the bagged stuff) with lots of good toppings...that sort of thing. I would be fine without chicken/turkey dogs or anything grilled, as long as there were plenty of good, fresh, healthy side options.

Congratulations to your daughter on her college graduation!

 

[JerseyJanice]

I think you need something more than brats and hot dogs. Burgers, sliced steak, or chicken--not more sausage even if it is another kind.

Here's an idea I got from my caterer cousin that feeds a crowd. He called it "smothered chicken."

Two days before the party, marinade overnight 5 or 6 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast in teriyaki (I like Lawry's). The next day, grill the chicken until browned on the outside, but not fully cooked through. Cut each piece of chicken into serving sized pieces (like 3 or 4 per breast). Place the chicken in a couple of aluminum trays, then top with lightly sauteed mushrooms, peppers and onions, and then with shredded mozzarella. Cover with foil and store in the fridge overnight.

An hour or so before the party, place the covered trays in a 350 degree oven. Bake for a half hour, then remove the foil cover and put them back into the oven to brown the cheese a little (10 minutes or so). Serve in a hot tray rack, if you have one.

 

[SaraJayne]

Your menu is fine. If people choose not to eat what you have available, tough noogies.

I would add some chicken breasts in there, though...and a fresh fruit salad and some veggies and dip.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

Do you have enough of every type of food for everyone?

My DH and I always have this debate. We're planning DD's college graduation party for next week. She just wants picnic type food which is fine. I sat down with her this morning and she said hot dogs/brats are good. We're also having baked beans, her favorite pasta and potato salads, layered jello, watermelon and my famous sweet/sour cucumbers. We'll also have cake and munchies. At night, we'll have a bonfire with S'mores.

When I told DH about the menu, he said that we should add Italian sausage, German potato salad, a regular pasta salad and a fruit salad to the list since some people would prefer these items to what we had already chosen.

We have this debate all of the time. I think that it's better to have less of a variety and enough for everyone than to have more choices but limit the amount. Either way, it's likely that not everyone will get their preferred choice.

We've invited around 90 people or so, about 1/2 of which are children. I figured that most of the kids would want hot dogs and the adults generally prefer brats. To be on the safe side, I figured 1 1/2 brats per adult and 2 hot dogs per kid (in case some eat 2 or if adults have that instead). If I add sausage to the mix, we'll have way too much food. We're planning on cooking it all about an hour before the party and keeping it in warmers. I don't want to be cooking while the party is going on.

The next dilemma is going to be how much of each variety of beer to buy and making sure that we have enough ice to keep it all cold!

I agree with the ones that said that the menu is a bit thin for almost 100 people.

I don't think you need yet another processed meat like sausage. You already have hot dogs and brats. But you do need to do another kind of meat. Chicken wings are very easy to make and you can make ahead. Or places like Costco has large bags of chicken wings that you just heat up. Shredded beef for sandwiches is also very easy to make ahead and just keep warm in a chafing dish. To keep it nice and plain, pre-grill hamburger patties and keep them warm in a steamer.

And definitely add more healthy options such as a variety of fresh fruits and veggies. While your famous cucumbers sound divine and you have baked beans as veggies, they are again things with sauces or processed. You can't go wrong with a plain fruit and veggie plate with some dips on the side.

I also agree with a large green salad.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

At our family reunion every year my Mom plans the menu with typical picnic types of food. I then plan a few things around hers that is more healthy and a few things that are vegetarian as a lot of the teenagers in my family are vegetarians and even though I'm not I know of a lot of good vegetarian and healthier type of things for people that are.

 

[wdwfan16]

I have both a variety and enough so that most (say 80%) could all eat just the one item.

 

[NikitaZee]

I have to agree with those who say that the menu is thin. I don't eat hot dogs or brats and I definitely limit fats like mayo, so that would mean very small servings of your potato and pasta salad, depending upon how they are made. I like most fruit EXCEPT watermelon, jello is just...ick...so yeah, I wouldn't be eating much of the current menu.

Guess you're glad I'm not invited!

Seriously, you need more healthy options in there. Veggie tray, fresh fruit, maybe a big green salad (just get the bagged stuff) with lots of good toppings...that sort of thing. I would be fine without chicken/turkey dogs or anything grilled, as long as there were plenty of good, fresh, healthy side options.

Congratulations to your daughter on her college graduation!

Me too! I think the menu is too thin as well - I'd serve hot dogs or brats, not both. I'd serve chicken or burgers instead. There seems to be a lot of fat in your menu - out of 90 people attending, I'm sure plenty of folks would want something healthier that's also substantial enough to last the day. Grilled chicken would be my choice.

 

[Bluestars]

I would cut a watermelon in half and hollow out both halves. Then I would fill it with sliced fresh fruit. I would also add a couple of vegie trays and some grilled chicken. A pasta salad would also be a good addition.

I think adding some healthy choices will make your entire menu good for everyone.

 

[daughtersrus]

OP here~

Just to clarify, the hot dogs are beef, the potato salad is mayo based, the pasta salad is vinegar based with several different kind of veggies and we will have a veggie tray, chips/dips, cracker/cheese... as munchies.

For those that say to add another meat, how do you figure your count? If I add burgers and/or chicken DH thinks that I should count 1 1/2 brats + 1 1/2 burgers and/or pieces of chicken per person. If we do it his way, we'll have way too many left-overs. If we don't do this, someone that wants a brat may end up with a burger and/or chicken. I know that I can freeze them but we never reheat them so I usually end up throwing them away. Plus, all of the extra buns would go to waste.

I should add that I always have extra uncooked meat on hand just in case. If we run out, we would fire the grill back up.

Not that it really matters but we'll be leaving for Hawaii (Make-A-Wish trip for my youngest DD) about 10 days after the party so I'm pretty stressed right now.

Keep the suggestions/opinions coming.

 

[LilyWDW]

my famous sweet/sour cucumbers.

First thing first... can I have this recipe please? Pretty please? I beg you! LMAO. I love cucumbers and have 4 plants so I will have my fill this summer!

I do think the menu is a bit thin around the edges. You have a LOT of people coming. I would plan for 2 brats per adult and 2 hot dogs per kid rounded up to finish off the packages. I would change the plain watermelon to a melon salad or fruit salad. If both the potato salad and pasta salad are mayo/creamy based then I would add a pasta salad that is not (or an asian slaw, just something NOT mayo). I would also be sure to have a variety of chips/pretzels and dip as well as some veggies and dip.

My menu would look more like this:
Brats (2/adult)
Hot Dogs (2/child)
Potato Salad
Pasta Salad #1
Pasta Salad #2
Baked Beans
Sweet and Sour Cucumbers
Fruit Salad
Chips/pretzels with dips x2 (french onion and salsa)
Veggies and dip