Help me plan a party menu - updated in #11

[Penguin]

The party was today!  I wrote about it in post #11. Thank you so much!

 

I need help planning a party menu.  I am a decent cook, and have thrown many parties over the years BUT I struggle to do it in a small European apartment.  For better or for worse, I am used to cooking for a crowd with a big house, a grill and two full-sized refrigerators. Help!

 

The party: 

 

Sunday afternoon, 12:30 to 4ish

About 20 people.  WIde range of ages, but no small children. A mix of young teens, young adults (20s), and adults over 40.

 

Parameters:

 

We have a small apartment, but we have access to a  courtyard.  Hopefully, the weather will be nice enough that I will not have 20 people inside at any given moment in time.

 

The oven is very tiny by American standards.  If we decide to bake a bunch of stuff, it will have to be done sequentially.

I can make things ahead, but storing them is an issue.  I do not have the freezer space to store anything. I do have a bit of fridge space.

 

Bags of ice are unavailable.

 

I have a crockpot, a microwave and an itty bitty grill.

 

I have plenty of helpers (mom, DH and 2 teenagers).

 

That's all I can think of right now...

 

 

 

[Heidi]

Can you ask people to bring things?

Looking at the times, are you wanting to make a sit down meal or only snack/finger foods?

[Penguin]

Can you ask people to bring things? No

Looking at the times, are you wanting to make a sit down meal or only snack/finger foods? Hmmm. Closer to a sit down meal, but buffet style.

Replies above in blue.

[Heidi]

If it were me, I would make a few loaves of French bread the day before since they can sit on the counter overnight and be fine. A large garden salad in the fridge. Two or three lasagnas would be cooking the hours before the party and then sit covered on the stove top. For dessert I would make a few no-bake chocolate pies, kept in the fridge. Or cookies ahead of time kept in Tupperware.

 

 

Or taco salad! That would be more appropriate for lunch and easier to make. You would want to triple this recipe:

1lb ground beef cooked

1 can corn, drained

1 can kidney beans or 1 cup cooked white rice.

8 oz taco sauce or more

1 tbs chili powder or more

 

Heat it up in a big pot. Serve it over tortilla chips and top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, black olives, avacado. It is easy to buffet- style this.

[ThisIsTheDay]

The taco salad idea is great, because you only have to deal with chilling/heating the lettuce and meat.

 

I'd bake a couple of pans of brownies or cookie bars the day before.

 

What about a sub sandwich bar?  Or shredded bbq chicken in the crockpot?  You can open a bunch of cans at the last minute, banana pepper rings, olives, etc., like Subway. You could set up an assembly line, do-it-yourself bar. 

 

If you make a lettuce-type salad, you can prepare the greens ahead of time, put them in plastic bags in the fridge (because they'll squish a little easier), and pull them out at the last minute to assemble the salad.

 

If you made some sort of Greek pasta salad, you could assemble it at the last minute and not need to chill anything (no mayo, no meat).  Instead of a pasta salad, you could make a few trays of macaroni and cheese that would fit in your oven.

 

I'd cut up a bunch of fresh fruit, and put out a few bags of chips and salsa, and it'd be good.

 

I'm imaging you live on a small, private island where you don't have ice.  :coolgleamA:

[Happy]

Italian beef sandwiches!

 

Italian beef in the crockpot, slice open some buns, have a stack of cheese slices nearby.

 

Brownies and/or cookies are great.

 

We used to do gatherings in our very small apartment in Belgium. I know exactly what kind of kitchen and room you are dealing with! Some of our very best times were in that small apartment.

[Gil]

I love salmon dip.

I love seeing it at parties so much that I almost always bring some because I really do love that stuff and its not really a party without some Salmon Dip.

[Occasionally]

We just did a party with a crock pot of thin-sliced roasted pork tenderloin in gravy (made with a little dijon mustard, apricot jam, and thyme,) baguette, salad and a few cheeses (Camembert, blue and Parmesan.) I put out some pickles, too. Cake for dessert. Pretty easy and everyone enjoyed it!

[Penguin]

Thank you all for the suggestions.  I am feeling so much more confident now !

 

Gil, I am unfortunately allergic to salmon.  I haven't been able to eat it for decades.  Bummer! :lol:

[mommymonster]

As a riff on the taco salad, you could do a taco bar... Make refried beans and rice ahead of time and have it heating in the oven. Make pulled chicken or taco meat in the crock pot. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, avocados in little bowls. Fruit or ice cream for dessert. 

[Penguin]

The party was today and it went quite well. Yesterday, DS baked brownies, then I baked lasagna, and then I baked a cake. I burnt the cake and had to bake another one. Grrr!

 

I also made vegetarian chili yesterday for the crockpot. DH made coleslaw and sliders. We got fresh peas (in the shell) from the market and set out a big bowl of those.

 

We managed to use the grill, the crockpot and the oven. It was too much food, but several guests were unable to attend. We ended up with 12 people, and everyone had at least one friend - so it was fine. And I won't have to cook for a few days.

 

I even managed to teach DS something about event planning, We made checklists for what needed to be done one week before, two days before, etc.

 

And we had perfect weather ! Thanks so much your input.

[Happy]

It sounds like it went very well! Yay you!!!!

 

I have a deep seated fear that someone MIGHT starve to death while in my house. I always over do the food. The best part about that is eating great leftovers for a few days. :)