I just got married last March (we eloped to Hawaii) and we also bought a new house in March. It's been a crazy-busy year and we are just now having a housewarming party where we plan to show our wedding and honeymoon photos. It's not really a wedding reception; we're calling it a housewarming/marriage celebration and asking people not to bring gifts or anything like that. We've set it up for a Saturday as a come-and-go event from noon to 5:00. We plan on having champagne and maybe a cake but also wanted to provide some more substantial food, but neither of us wants to be in the kitchen the whole day, keeping up with refills, keeping food hot, stirring crockpots, etc. What kinds of foods have you used before that were low-maintenance and lasted over a 5-hour period? Oh, and we've invited around 60 people.
Just realized I never filled out the "what happened" on this; sorry if anyone was actually waiting :( We looked into catering but decided to make our own in the end. I made an avocado/mango salsa and a tomato sauce-based pasta salad. Hubby made those little sandwiches you make by rolling up tortillas, and a chip dip. We had crockpots with little smokies and meatballs and also a veggie tray, the old standbys. At the last minute we decided to slice up a summer sausage and some cheese, and added crackers. My mom made some great cupcakes and some cheesecake bites. I think that was all. We had enough food to feed an army for sure!
How about a large antipasto platter containing cold cuts like ham and hard salami, provalone cheese, marinated mushrooms, roasted peppers, mini mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, an assortment of olives, sliced fennel and slices of nice crusty Italian bread? Yum!
I would set out things like crackers, little breads, brie, block cheeses, fruit salad, finger sandwiches, nuts, cookies, etc.
Cheese ball
Cream cheese, chives, and chopped beef
cut chives and chopped beef in small pieces and mix together with cream cheese and served on ritz crackers. Yummy so good and easy and cheep to make:)
Mini weiners in bbq sauce in a crockpot.
Blocks of cheese on cutting boards w/grapes and crackers.
Homemade beandip (cream cheese mixed with a can of chili beans in a pot on stove).
Tortilla roll ups (flour tortillas spread w/creamcheese, sliced ham etc rolled up and sliced).
You can also order from a Mexican restaurant and have some food delivered (beans, rice, tamales, tacos, mini burritos etc).
Brownie bites (Costco)
Potatoe salad (store bought)
Green salad
Enchilada trays
Sandwich meats, sliced cheese, mini rolls.
Buy a box of chocolates, take them out and put out on a fancy tray.
Also, a station of sodas, wine, champagne, juices, beer etc.
Congratulations on your wedding.
These are just easy things
For this all you have to do is use those Food Warmers with the candle under it
Non Fat Refried Beans (bottom layer)
Grilled chicken breasts (cooled then shredded in the food processor)
Salsa (recepie below)
Cheese
Then start the layer over again and layer as many times as you like serve with warm tortillas and or tortilla chips
Salsa
1 bunch Fresh Cilantro
Lime Juice from 1/2 a lime
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
2 roasted red peppers (in th jar any kind you like really)
a few rings of jalepeno peppers and some juice
Make as much as you need for your guests, this is enough for 11x13 pan two layers of salsa.
People love this and is very popular at parties
Walmart and other stores with delis have meat or meat and cheese trays. We 'catered' our wedding through Walmart. We used the "dollar" rolls from the bakery and the meat and cheese trays and nice bowls with condiments.
They also do chicken, subs, veggie trays, fruit trays. Mom and I made sausage balls the day before and she brought homemade cookies.
For our housewarming we made pimento cheese sandwich quarters and maybe ham and cheese too, cant remember, cookies, brownies and such. It was more of a 'drop in though' not really a party.
Congrats!
Little smokies with bar-b-que, cheese platter, chips, vegetable platter with ranch dressing including carrots and celery, of couse mini sandwices cut in squares with cheese and han or roast beef (no mustard or mayo needed), alcohol, garlic bread heated up and cut up, cakes, and fudge. Serve not so expensive alcohol like beer and wine first, have food getting warm that needs to be warmed out second. An hour before the end of party serve the champaign and let people trickle out the door when time is up. Make sure anyone to drunk to drive not drive. You could pull this off for less than $200. Practice safe eating, use condiments.
What about cheese fondue with all kinds of things to dip? Yum :)
People are definitely going to want food! Make BBQ meatballs in a crock pot (pm me with your email & I'll send you a wonderful recipe!) they won't need attention at all in a crock pot. I just served them at a jewelry party and I plugged mine right in on my window seat and served fruit, cheese, pepperoni & nice crackers too. Easy!
