Party food (ideally finger food)

[debthaven]

As you may know (depending on which threads you read), DH is turning 60 this weekend. We are hosting about 90 people at home. DH went a bit crazy with the guest list. 

We are providing all the wine, champagne, cake, and plenty of food. Many friends have offered to bring a dish (it's customary in our circle.) If someone offers, I say yes, which is unusual for me. I have asked for savoury dishes rather than desserts, since I'm ordering DH's birthday cake.

DH is fantastic at feeding large quantities of people. I do know nobody will starve. I had planned to do this on my own but DH said he preferred to have more people, and help with the food. He really enjoys it, it's his birthday, so obviously I said yes.

But I'm looking for suggestions for easy things I / we can do (DH has his regular dishes). Ideally finger food, and ideally not too expensive.

We are planning: rice salad, pasta salad, potato salad, Nicoise salad (with real tuna), cole slaw. chicken tenders, roast beef, pate, cheese, smoked salmon, mini brochettes of mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. There are some savoury "cakes" we will get from the great frozen food chain here (Picard). We will have plates and cutlery, it won't only be finger food. But, finger food is obviously easier.

Any suggestions?

ETA: We have one person who is gluten-intolerant, and several who are vegetarian, so if your suggestions are gluten-free or vegetarian, please mention that. 

I have another, really dumb question. I do a lot of soups and DH wants me to do a soup. I do a potato-leek soup (so no meat), but I use chicken bouillon cubes. So to me, it's not vegetarian. DH says "bullion cubes don't count". I say they do. If you're vegetarian, you don't use chicken stock! Doh!

Any suggestions? You can buy gluten-free veggie bullion cubes at the health food stores here (but not in the supermarkets). I used to buy them years ago when DD was with her celiac BF, but they tasted awful. Maybe that has changed?

[debthaven]

Sorry I need to go to bed now but I hope to see some suggestions tomorrow! 

[Cookies Galore]

I use veggie bouillon all the time for soups. I don't think it tastes weird. Of course, I haven't had chicken in 19 years so what do I know? Lol.

My favorite dip to make for parties is muhammara, a walnut and red pepper dip. I have to go back and see what's already on your menu.

www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/muhammara-350402

[Apple]

Stuffed mushrooms? Can be cheap or as expensive as you want, depending on what you stuff them with. Cook ahead of time and serve cold.

When we visited the family in Auzits, they made a really good baked bread and cheese pinwheel type appetizer. Don't know what it was called though, or even if it's common in France, or just with them, but it was good (And we had to wait until it had cooled, even though I made the "mistake"of eating one warm.)

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

You can do a roasted garlic white bean (I don't care for chickpeas) hummus with cut up veggies that's pretty good.  Add some pita too.

Can you find a non bullion vegetable stock to use for the potato leek soup.

A local restaurant has an appetizer that we order a couple of and make a meal of them.  It is very easy to make.  A lightly toasted slice of a good baguette (easier for you to find than us!), with a smear of chived cream cheese.  Add a sprinkling of finely chopped red onion and capers, and top with good smoked salmon.

[debthaven]

My very close friend from NY is bringing all their Knorr veggie cubes, so the soup issue is dealt with!

[alabamagal]

Use knorr veg soup mix dip. You just add sour cream, mayo and frozen spinach. Recipe is on knorr box. Then get kings Hawaiian bread bowl.

Deviled eggs - no one ever claims to like them but I make them all the time for group gatherings and they always disappear.

DO NOT under any circumstances get a store bought shrimp ring. We have hosted pot luck parties and lots of people bring them. They are terrible.

[milee]

Apr 6, 2016 18:53:04 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

Deviled eggs - no one ever claims to like them but I make them all the time for group gatherings and they always disappear.

Who claims not to like deviled eggs?!? That's just crazy talk. I love those things but am way too lazy to make them myself. Love, love, love potlucks because people less lazy than me make and bring deviled eggs.

[busymom]

Goodness! You're already serving a big variety of food. I don't think, IMHO, you need to serve soup on top of everything else.  That's too much work!

We tend to always have a plate of meat & cheese, so people can make up cheese & crackers. We serve a variety of crackers so people can pile them however they'd like.  I like serving things that I can make up or cut up the day before.   

[chiver78]

I claim not to like them, those things are awful!
(I hate anything to do with the mustard family.....I don't think it's possible to make those things w/o some)


debthaven - do you guys like spicy food? I can write out a bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeno recipe for you. it's gluten-free, too. when I bring a sheet pan of it anywhere, it's typically gone in about 5 minutes.

[Tennesseer]

Probably purely American, but spinach rollups? Good finger food.

Spinach Rollups

What special roll will the Eames chair be playing at your husband's birthday party?    

[Apple]

Apr 6, 2016 19:05:03 GMT -5 milee said:

Apr 6, 2016 18:53:04 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

Deviled eggs - no one ever claims to like them but I make them all the time for group gatherings and they always disappear.

Who claims not to like deviled eggs?!? That's just crazy talk. I love those things but am way too lazy to make them myself. Love, love, love potlucks because people less lazy than me make and bring deviled eggs.

I need to make some next week since I didn't make any for Easter.  I'm not ashamed of my love for deviled eggs

[wvugurl26]

Deviled eggs are just ick!! And that was my opinion before developing an egg white allergy.

I make this hashbrown casserole that gets gobbled up. It's a knock off of cracker barrel. Not sure if they sell cream of chicken in Paris? Probably not. Desserts are much more my thing.

[Pants]

I love a good cheese plate and olives. Bacon wrapped dates (gf) or dates stuffed with blue cheese (veggie and gf). Mini toasts of variety - blue cheese honey and marcona almonds, tapenade and chevre, avocado toasts. All veggie. 

[MarleyKeezy78]

Mini quiches are always nice, I think Costco sells them for a easy small plate. Spinach pie cut into finger size bites? Off to check out Pintrest, I'll be back with a couple more ideas 

[MarleyKeezy78]

They have prosciutto wrapped asparagus over there.   I mean, at least it has a veggie in it    Baked brie with cracker or bread? 

[chiver78]

Apr 6, 2016 20:09:22 GMT -5 MarleyKeezy78 said:

They have prosciutto wrapped asparagus over there.   I mean, at least it has a veggie in it    Baked brie with cracker or bread? 

^this is amazing, but done right, it's broiled and doesn't hold well for something like a party the OP is describing (IMHO....)

as far as Costco, I don't think they have expanded to France. I could be wrong, though.

[MarleyKeezy78]

Apr 6, 2016 21:16:50 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Apr 6, 2016 20:09:22 GMT -5 MarleyKeezy78 said:

They have prosciutto wrapped asparagus over there.   I mean, at least it has a veggie in it    Baked brie with cracker or bread? 

^this is amazing, but done right, it's broiled and doesn't hold well for something like a party the OP is describing (IMHO....)

as far as Costco, I don't think they have expanded to France. I could be wrong, though.

Good to know for the asparagus, and lol, I forget some posters are not in the U.S.  
Bet they can find some fantastic quiches in France though 

[cronewitch]

Bagels with topping like cream cheese with flavors or meat and cheese platter and mustard, you can use little bagels. Crackers or little party breads with meat and cheese platter. Raw veggie platter is always good too.

[weltschmerz]

Apr 6, 2016 17:57:39 GMT -5 debthaven said:

As you may know (depending on which threads you read), DH is turning 60 this weekend. We are hosting about 90 people at home. DH went a bit crazy with the guest list. 

We are providing all the wine, champagne, cake, and plenty of food. Many friends have offered to bring a dish (it's customary in our circle.) If someone offers, I say yes, which is unusual for me. I have asked for savoury dishes rather than desserts, since I'm ordering DH's birthday cake.

DH is fantastic at feeding large quantities of people. I do know nobody will starve. I had planned to do this on my own but DH said he preferred to have more people, and help with the food. He really enjoys it, it's his birthday, so obviously I said yes.

But I'm looking for suggestions for easy things I / we can do (DH has his regular dishes). Ideally finger food, and ideally not too expensive.

We are planning: rice salad, pasta salad, potato salad, Nicoise salad (with real tuna), cole slaw. chicken tenders, roast beef, pate, cheese, smoked salmon, mini brochettes of mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. There are some savoury "cakes" we will get from the great frozen food chain here (Picard). We will have plates and cutlery, it won't only be finger food. But, finger food is obviously easier.

Any suggestions?

ETA: We have one person who is gluten-intolerant, and several who are vegetarian, so if your suggestions are gluten-free or vegetarian, please mention that. 

I have another, really dumb question. I do a lot of soups and DH wants me to do a soup. I do a potato-leek soup (so no meat), but I use chicken bouillon cubes. So to me, it's not vegetarian. DH says "bullion cubes don't count". I say they do. If you're vegetarian, you don't use chicken stock! Doh!

Any suggestions? You can buy gluten-free veggie bullion cubes at the health food stores here (but not in the supermarkets). I used to buy them years ago when DD was with her celiac BF, but they tasted awful. Maybe that has changed?

Mushroom bullion cubes are very good. I use them a lot.

Vegetarianfinger food? Spanakopita Delicious!

[janee]

Everything sounds wonderful! Some easy ideas:

1. dried apricots with 1/2 tsp of blue cheese and pistachios on top (optional drizzle of honey)

2. 2 cubes of cream cheese on a rectangular dish.  Alternate toppings of chopped dried tomatoes, pesto, chopped nuts.  serve with bread or crackers.

3.  slice potatoes into thick rounds.  Put some olive oil on and bake until tender.  Top with shredded cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, parsley for a take off of loaded baked potatoes.

4.  Hot dip:  combine 1 chopped tomato, 1 cup chopped swiss cheese, one or half chopped onion, 8 slices of  cooked bacon, 1 or 2 teaspoons of basil, bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Hope you have a blast and your DH has a very happy birthday!

[buystoys]

Maybe an olive and pickle assortment? 

[HoneyBBQ]

Bacon wrapped jalapenos with cream cheese. Very easy, not spicy, and TASTY!!!!!!!!

I think the original recipe might be from pioneer woman but I might be wrong.

[yogiii]

Eggplant dip

minimalistbaker.com/creamy-eggplant-caramelized-onion-dip/

[chiver78]

Apr 7, 2016 9:55:20 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Bacon wrapped jalapenos with cream cheese. Very easy, not spicy, and TASTY!!!!!!!!

I think the original recipe might be from pioneer woman but I might be wrong.

so my browser is telling me that this is the link I use as a starting point - Sally's Baking Addiction

but I will say that I don't use smoked paprika or garlic, but we do load up on the chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, grated habanero, etc.

you can easily make it as hot or as mild as you want, but the gist is to halve and clean out the jalapenos, stuff with your cheese blend, wrap with bacon and bake at 400° until the bacon is crisped to your liking.

[Gardening Grandma]

One of my favorite things to make (because they are easy) are little wraps.

You can vary the filling, it is easy to take salmon flavored cream cheese, stir in some chopped olives and spread on a large (burrito sized) tortilla.  Roll it up and chill (a few hours or overnight).

Slice it & serve (I cut off the ends and eat them ahead of time).

Other fillings - cram cheese, salsa, chipped olives - thin sliced roast beef & mustard

A fruit plate is easy and people like having a healthy option.  Or mix fruit & cheese.

[Tiny]

I don't have the recipe  this is more of a 'brainstorm - ask the google' idea:

I used up a sheet of prepackaged phyllo dough with a recipe from the back of the box (the dough came in).

Basically it was spinach and cheeses rolled in the dough - and then sliced the roll and baked.    I rated them so-so - but my guests couldn't get enough I could have made more.   They were easy to make, stored/re-warmed ok, and looked very pretty on a platter.   I'd totally make something like this again (easy, crowd pleasing), but I might choose a different filling...

This is a 'slide show' and the first few recipes are kind of what I did:  

www.myrecipes.com/how-to/7-ways-with/recipes-using-phyllo-dough#a7

Here this works better:

www.myrecipes.com/how-to/7-ways-with/recipes-using-phyllo-dough

Ok, this is petridgefarms recipe site - I did one of the "pinwheel" or "swirl" type recipes...

www.puffpastry.com/recipe-category/1/appetizers

[weltschmerz]

Apr 7, 2016 11:46:47 GMT -5 Tiny said:

I don't have the recipe  this is more of a 'brainstorm - ask the google' idea:

I used up a sheet of prepackaged phyllo dough with a recipe from the back of the box (the dough came in).

Basically it was spinach and cheeses rolled in the dough - and then sliced the roll and baked.    I rated them so-so - but my guests couldn't get enough I could have made more.   They were easy to make, stored/re-warmed ok, and looked very pretty on a platter.   I'd totally make something like this again (easy, crowd pleasing), but I might choose a different filling...

This is a 'slide show' and the first few recipes are kind of what I did:  

www.myrecipes.com/how-to/7-ways-with/recipes-using-phyllo-dough#a7

Here this works better:

www.myrecipes.com/how-to/7-ways-with/recipes-using-phyllo-dough

Ok, this is petridgefarms recipe site - I did one of the "pinwheel" or "swirl" type recipes...

www.puffpastry.com/recipe-category/1/appetizers

That's spanakopita....spinach and feta cheese in phyllo dough.

I love them.

[weltschmerz]

You can bake a wheel of brie or two, with anything from caramelized onions to cranberries on top. Serve with crackers.

[weltschmerz]