Whenever you’re hosting a party, it’s all about presenting delicious party food that is both simple and elegant. You also don’t want your guests to be laden down with heavy, complicated dishes that require a balancing act whether they’re sitting or standing. Instead, offer them a selection of varied foods that will both satisfy their hunger and free them up for mingling and conversations. And, you won’t be stuck in the kitchen by making these ahead of time and enjoying the party yourself.
Here are some ideas for what food to serve at a party.
Twisted Egg Salad Cups
1 dozen eggs
1 cup (maybe less) mayonnaise
2 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh dill sprigs
Wheat bread with crusts trimmed off and cut into four squares
2 tbsp. butter, margarine, or butter-flavored cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put eggs in two inches of cold water and 1 tbsp. white vinegar until they boil. Simmer on low for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let them sit for 15 minutes. Drain hot water, replace with ice cold water and let them sit another 15 minutes. Peel under a stream of running cold water. Grease a mini muffin tin with butter or butter-flavored spray. Take bread pieces and mold around bottom and side of the muffin pan. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
In a large bowl, mash hard boiled eggs with the tongs of a fork until the pieces are small and fluffy. Add mayonnaise a fourth of a cup at a time, watching that the mixture doesn’t become too soupy. Add mustard and stir well. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Fill small baked bread cups with a heaping portion of the egg salad and top with a colorful sprig of dill. Your guests will scarf these up by the handful!
Personal Antipastos
Make a platter of individual antipastos. Purchase a variety of black and green olives, fresh mozzarella cheese balls, fresh basil, feta cubes, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, Genoa salami, hard salami, and other spiced meats from your grocery store. Using wooden skewers, place meats, cheeses, and vegetables alternately for a hand-held antipasto. Lay out on a platter for guests to serve themselves.
Smoked Salmon Canapés
Lightly bake a store bought Boboli crust and let it cool. Mix together softened cream cheese, lemon juice, chopped chives, and fresh lemon zest. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture over the crust. Arrange smoked salmon over the cream cheese blend. Sprinkle with chopped hard boiled eggs, capers, fresh ground pepper, and more lemon zest. Cut into strips or pizza-like wedges and serve.
Cucumber Sandwiches
1 pound of seedless English cucumbers
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
One and a half tsp. mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Various breads (white, wheat, rye, pumpernickel) with crusts cut off and sliced into finger-sized servings
Peel dark skin off the cucumbers with a vegetable peeler. Cut cucumber in half long ways. Peel, seed (okay, so they’re not totally seedless) and shred one half of the cucumber. Cut the other half and set aside. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and salt. Add in the shredded cucumber and stir it all well. Take two pieces of bread (you can mix and match…whatever you want) and spread about a tablespoon of the mixture onto the bread. Top with cucumber slices before adding the top. Makes about 48 finger sandwiches for everyone to enjoy.
Mini Quiches
Mini quiches are available in most major grocery stores and in warehouse clubs, as well. Simply buy some mini quiches in various flavors such as cheese and spinach, ham, bacon and cheese, and bake them ahead of time. Serve them on a nice silver tray with doilies to spruce it up. Add some simple flowers to make it look like you spent all day in the kitchen.
Chafing Dish Meatballs and Wieners
2 lbs. ground beef
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 package of Lil Smokey wieners
1 bottle chili sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
1 c. grape jelly
Combine first 4 ingredients. Mix and shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Drop into mixture made of the chili sauce, lemon juice and jelly. Simmer 20-30 minutes. (Be sure to keep it VERY low heat.) Serve these with toothpicks.
Criss White writes about family, pregnancy, and baby topics. To check out some baby shower food ideas, visit Baby Shower Ideas.
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