<p>Hi folks - My 18 yo d is planning a Cabaret Evening at the hs. It was done years ago, but long before us, so I don’t have history on how it was done. It’s for high school kids and adults, dress up, live music and dancing, in the gym, for about 2 hours. She’s hoping for 100-200 people and they envision some seating for folks, and tables manned by PTA folks - with 7" plates made up of food (ie, the PTA will put food on the plates, and an attendee will just take a plate, rather than helping themselves to food from a serving platter).</p>
<p>Their budget is tiny ($150?), so she’ll probably augment by having some families send it items (plates, napkins and clearly defined edible items).</p>
<p>I’m looking for food suggestions and ideas…</p>
<p>my daughters school did something like this. But it was a little smaller. Served salad, spaghetti & bread. Families may have brought dessert?
Didn’t have dancing, except by the kids- it was a preview of the musical, with duets & solos & other short bits.
The PTA kept paper items stocked so they didn’t have to buy any.</p>
<p>Appetizers for 200?
Sounds like pita to me and by that I mean pain in the ass- not pita bread.
However pita & hummus or baba ghannouj is yummy but it would be a stretch for less than $1 ea.</p>
<p>I don’t know what it would cost but maybe submarine sandwiches?
Is this for a meal or just to have some thing for nibble?</p>
<p>For this budget I’d do tea sandwiches. You can get small loaves or you can buy bigger ones and cut them smaller. Crustless is cute. You should be able to have cucumber, egg salad, tuna, some sort of cream cheese spread for relatively little. I’d supplement it with cute condiments like cornichon pickles and/or good olives, maybe some carrot sticks. For dessert cookies or brownies are probably the easiest, if you can afford it itty bitty tarts are fun. You can buy puff pastry or filo ones and fill them with things like yogurt mixed with lemon curd or honey and topped with a berry or two. I get lots of compliments when I’ve made those. A little different, but still super easy.</p>
<p>Our hs did Jazz Cabaret every year - two evening performances and one Sunday mid-afternoon as I recall.</p>
<p>They did dessert only and coffee (other beverages that I forget). Easy on the budget as many can be baked by the always supportive parents/boosters ;).</p>
<p>This certainly makes it a lot easier - no concern about food being at proper temperature (a nightmare imo if you are trying to serve spaghetti or other hot meals to that size crowd with “amateur” (no offense intended at all) prep and serving staff.</p>
<p>If the hour is 7 pm or later, dessert makes more sense anyway, doesn’t it?</p>
<p>If you decide to do a meal or appetizers, I would definitely recommend food intended to be served at room temperature.</p>
<p>Have you checked prices on appetizer trays at a couple of nearby grocery stores? I don’t know how much they generally run, but it seems like that might be the way to go.</p>
<p>If she’s charging admission, why is the budget for food so low? Or is the intent that all the food will be donated? </p>
<p>If you’re asking for food donations, I’d suggest that you make it something like a cookie event, where you ask many many volunteers to donate two dozen cookies (or more) of their favorite recipes, so that there are many options.</p>
<p>I agree with the dessert-only idea, but make sure the options include some cheese and fruit.</p>
<p>Ideally, I’d put together a short list of recipes and ask donors to make them. It’s a lot easier to serve several hundred people if the offerings are standardized. But then I’m a control freak. :)</p>
<p>Agree with Consolation…dessert, cheese, fruit and crackers. Hopefully, can get lots of people to make desserts…get paper goods donated and .use the $150 for cheese, fruit, crackers and beverages.</p>
<p>If need to have something more substantial, maybe she can get some friends to volunteer to make tea sandwiches. Tuna, Egg salad, cold cuts could all be store bought and nice little sandwiches made with different kinds of bread. Or…a few of those 3 foot heroes cut into really small pieces. Not necessarily an evening food…but…would be something for those who may not have been able to eat dinner…</p>
<p>Also…look at the food clubs like Costco. They have some nice wraps and pinwheel sandwiches…although…probably couldn’t get enough for 100 -200 people with a $150 budget…</p>
<p>An online sign up where families can look and see just what you need and what has been offered would be helpful. Asking for donations of specific paper products and drinks (cases of bottled water and juice) will help take a chunk out. I’d then work with a retailer or grocery on some cookie, fruit, cheese tray options. Perhaps they would be willing to give you a break on the price or even donate a few. Based on the price from the store you could ask parents for a donation of a ‘deluxe cookie assortment tray from grocery store X’ OR a cash donation for the cost. If you have a parent who is busy but willing to donate $30 for a fruit tray it is easier for them (write a check vs. making it themselves) and you (more uniformity of offerings). Ordering them yourself, arranging for pick up etc. puts you in control of a more streamlined process. Just a thought…</p>
<p>I would go to Costco and browse for ideas. They have great stuff & I use them for lots of cheap volunteer parties. </p>
<p>How about finger sandwiches? Costco has great dinner rolls - 35 rolls for ~$4. Pull that together with some sliced deli meat and you could probably probably do it for $150. </p>
<p>You could always put out a small basket out with a small sign asking for donations - I doubt if people are that hard up they couldn’t toss $1-2 in it.</p>
<p>We used this for a dinner event after a sporting competition. It was nice because so many folks came from far away and could bring what was easiest (non-food). The organizer just figures out what is needed, plugs it in and people pick what they’d like to bring. Also a place to recruit volunteers for set-up and clean up</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>ps…I vote for dessert only. No one expects more at 7pm, IMHO.</p>