Ok, I'm brain dead trying to figure out catering for my husband's 40th bday party and I'm not a good cook. We are doing 1970's theme, although the food doesn't necessarily have to be that. There will be between 30-40 people and a handful of kids.
Cost wise, the best deal I can get is italian: spaghetti with meat sauce, fettuchini alfredo and mac n cheese for the kids. I can easily put together a green salad and breadsticks. What kind of EASY appetizers could I put out also?
Thank You!!!
Antipasta platter with assorted cheeses and Italian meats
I make salad on a stick and it is a huge hit. It does take a little time to put together but it looks like you worked all day on it.... (not) If you are interested, let me know and I'll give you specifics. Basically, it is a small skewer with a bite sized piece of marinated cucumber on the bottom 1/2 grape tomato and cube of feta cheese. It is a pretty dish, light and tasty!
Stuffed mushrooms are easy! Remove stem, chop them up. Saute in butter and garlic, combine with cream cheese and Parmesan cheese add a dash of cayenne pepper stuff the mushroom cap and bake for fifteen minutes and voila! Super yummy!
Ingredients
2 14 oz. cans of artichokes (packed in water, not oil)
2 cups of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 clove garlic chopped
2 splashes of tobasco Sauce
Salt and pepper
1 Drain the artichokes from the can. Coarsely chop them.
2 Combine chopped chokes, Parmesan chopped garlic, and mayo into a microwave or oven-proof serving dish.
I actually like it baked in a 350 oven for 30 minutes
3 Microwave on high heat for 5 minutes, pausing occassionally to stir, to ensure that the dip gets heated evenly. Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.
Serve with toasted, thinly sliced French baguettes, crackers,
Bruschetta (slices of toasted bread with tomato, garlic, basil, olive oil, and whatever else you feel like adding to it)
Stuffed mushrooms (basically take out the stem, fry them with bacon and onion, add cheese and put the stuffing in the hole left by the stem. Bake for maybe 10 minutes at 350)
Sausages cut up with toothpicks
Pesto herb spread with crackers
Go to allrecipes.com and search there as well
what do you mean you're not a good cook???!! Girl!! You contributed some great recipes to the Mamapedia cookbook!
stuffed mushrooms
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mouth-watering-stuffed-mushr...
sliced tomatoes with mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
here's a link I found...I like the panceta focaccia recipe!!!
http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/italian-app...
Kids would love mozzarella sticks. The ones from Costco are great.
Cheese Fondu is really a "70"'s thing. It's a great party food too!
For a 70's themed party, you might consider some silly options, like jello in a bundt cake pan with fruit in it and a cheese ball served with crackers. Check your theme on Pinterest - I bet you'll get some fun options.
Your party sounds like a blast, btw. Enjoy!
You got some good ideas. Stromboli is soooo easy to make. Might make for a good app as well! Caprese is another easy one
Salad: alternate sliced mozzarella, sliced tomato, fresh basil. Season with salt, pepper, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and you are done.
Brushetta is good.
Veggies: sauté some zucchini and squash with italian seasoning and olive oil or make zucchini boats by slicing zucc lengthwise, brushing with olive oil, salt and pepper and baking at 400 until slightly browned.
I have been making my own veggie and fruit trays. I am so disappointed in the quality and small size of the pre made ones. I noticed everyone ate so much of the home made. I put Apple (2 sliced and the rest whole, so I could save the whole ones incase they were not eaten), grapes are in season (cheap and juicy), and watermelon (not in season now). I did a humus veggie tray (cucumbers, red bell peppers and a what ever else looked good).
-Capris salad: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/caprese-salad/
-Anti pasta tray
-oh totally 70's: Fondue. If you have too much cheese, maybe consider a melted chocolate one.
Add these to what you have already listed:
-Little weiners in bbq sauce in the crock pot
-cheese, deli meat platter
-crackers & cheese
-chicken nuggets for the kids
I don't think I would limit the food to 1970's era.
