<p>Hi Parents! I thought since many of you have kids, you could help me brainstorm ideas for grad party food. We have the snacks and desserts covered (family friend is making a big cake with my college’s mascot!) but we need ideas for cheap(ish) main dishes. </p>
<p>So, we’re completely willing to do a lot of prep work, but we need the main foods to be 1. vegetarian and 2. economical. I’m not talking extremely cheap, but not lobster, fancy cheeses, etc. This is just a backyard grad party!</p>
<p>I would really, really appreciate your input! </p>
<p>I think little cups filled with something yummy are good. You can buy filo dough or puff pastry cups, but if that is too pricey you can also use bread cut into quarters with the crusts removed in a small cupcake tin. Fill them with one of the following or use your imagination:
tapenade (olive spread)
caponata
sauted chopped mushrooms
ratatouille
creamed spinach
and cook in an oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or according to package directions for the filo or puff pastry.</p>
<p>if you have precooked shells you can fill them with:
hummus
cream cheese topped by chutney or pepper jelly
lemon or honey yogurt topped by small berries
lemon curd
vanilla pudding plus fruit</p>
<p>If your vegetarians eat eggs, deviled eggs are extremely popular at any party I’ve attended.</p>
<p>Oops why didn’t I see main dish?</p>
<p>Wraps with grilled vegetables and thin slices of cheese for those who like it.
Vegetable kabobs
Bean salads - traditional three bean, mexican with black beans, corn, red peppers and cumin
Hopping John (blackeyed peas - skip the ham)
Cold soup - like gazpacho and vicchysoise
Some really good bread (homemade or store bought)
pilaf style rice</p>
<p>My kids loved fruit on skewers…colorful and juicy/cooling on a hot day,</p>
<p>They also like wraps made with soft tortillas with just about anything in them…then slice into 2" pieces. You can make a variety to suit all tastes.</p>
<p>Baked ziti, fried chicken, cold shrimp with cocktail sauce, various salads, fresh strawberries,
maybe a fresh spinach/strawberry salad, a big sub sandwich–you might be able to order half of it with roasted vegetables and the other half as the typical Italian or American sub.</p>
<p>There are the finger food items and dips. Think dolmas and hummus along with lots of others. Greek salad.</p>
<p>Here are some entrees.</p>
<p>Aginares a la Polita: artichokes with olive oil.
Arakas me aginares: fresh peas with artichokes in the oven.
Bamies: okra with tomato sauce (sometimes with potatoes and/or chicken/lamb).
Bri</p>
<p>Went to a party last week that had a taco bar, so it was cheap and easy for everyone. Non-vegetarian, but also very popular in our neck of the woods are meatballs and italian beef sandwiches. In most of our places, it is more about appetizers/finger foods. Pinwheel sandwiches, burritos, even pizza are popular. We plan to grill as well.</p>
<p>Wow. Some of you have great ideas that make me tired just thinking about them.</p>
<p>I would second these items that we had at our son’s party–part outdoors, part inside. But it was not at a meal time; it was an open house with finger foods.</p>
<p>Home-made guacamole and chips</p>
<p>Tortillas spread with cream cheese and salsa, then rolled up, wrapped up, refrigerated and cut into slices</p>
<p>I’ve decided to make it as easy on myself as possible. We’re picking up Chipotle!! (son’s favorite). You can print off an order form online and fax it to store location, so that order is ready when you walk in. We’ve ordered the coolest cake from a really fancy bakery --large chocolate sheet type with graduation cap and photos of son in Kindergarten and then his Senior year…sniff sniff.</p>
<p>I second the taco bar idea. We did one for son’s grad party, and it was a big hit! We had soft and hard shell tacos, seasoned taco meat (which you could leave out), etc., but also had a big vat of queso, so that those who wanted to do nachos could.</p>
<p>Baked potato bar with all the fixin’s.
Leave the baked potatoes on the warmer side of a grill wrapped in foil so guests can help themselves to a warm spud to add desired toppings.</p>
<p>We did all-Middle Eastern for D1’s grad party: pita, hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, tabouli, lentil salad, stuffed grape leaves, olives, feta, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, and baklava. It was all vegetarian (at D1’s request, as she’s a vegetarian), but this is food that’s popular with vegetarians and omnivores alike. It’s healthy food, and meat-eaters won’t feel like they’re having some soy-based meat substitute rammed down their throats. It’s basically all “finger food” so people can eat as much or as little as they like, or just graze—a little now, a little later. Makes great leftovers if the guests don’t eat it all.</p>
<p>It’s so easy to do vegetarian, whether finger foods or salads…</p>
<p>I’ve actually made antipasto on a skewer, along with fruit kabobs. For the antipasto skewers, I cut up in chunks:
cucumbers, olives, cherry tomatoes, feta or asaigo cheese, cold prepared cheese tortellini, any type of peppers (spicy or mild), marinate them in oil, vinegar, italian spices overnight and then load on skewers!</p>
<p>Any combination of pastas & veggies or even orzo & veggies.
Roasted eggplant salad can go with the middle eastern ideas.</p>
<p>Spanakopita spinach pies/triangles.</p>
<p>Go to the Pillsbury website…they have so many ideas on what to make with their crescent rolls! Tons of vegetarian ideas!</p>
<p>Certainly Lasagna too, but that’s awfully heavy for summer. Like the baked ziti idea better And the baked potato bar.</p>
<p>However there are tons of cold food ideas if you don’t want to heat up an oven. I was at a party last summer where everyone brought something, and someone made cold tomato gazpacho and spooned it into individual cups or mugs…it was great!</p>
<p>Just look on-line and you should find tons of ideas! Have fun!</p>
<p>It’s hard to know whether to recommend food for cool weather or warm weather. Here in the midwest, it’s about 60 degrees today. The temp hit 97 two days ago.</p>
And the baked potato bar.</p>