My daughter graduates high school next month. We are having her ceremony and celebration to follow (homeschool).
It is scheduled for 1-4. I am wanting to serve finger type foods and am thinking sliders, fruit tray, veggie tray, chips and pinwheels. For dessert we're serving key lime pie (daughter's favorite that she will make with her grandmother) and I was thinking about cupcakes.
Thoughts?
Thanks so much to everyone who responded. I love Diane's idea of the non traditional fruit bowl. I hope to be able to incorporate it into my menu.
Militarymom, yes just wanting feedback. I haven't attended a grad party in YEARS. She's my first kiddo graduating high school. I just wanted reassurance I hadn't forgotten anything obvious.
If anyone thinks of anything else, please continue to post. I'm a bit overwhelmed putting together a graduation, celebration, senior trip, and boot camp prep. 😊💕
If you are feeding teens I would add chicken wings, nachos (cheese, salsa, ground beef, etc) Maybe some finger sandwiches too. Fruit, pie, cupcakes. I always have extra food.
Congrats! After all your work as a home schooling (and traveling) mom, this is a great milestone!
I think it's great that she's making the pie with her grandmother!
Something fun to serve is a watermelon "porcupine." Get some plastic skewers (in colors or just plain) with an "arrowhead" end, vs. an ordinary pointed end (they are longer than regular toothpicks, which is good). Scoop out a half watermelon (regular or seedless, but if you use the seedless, use both halves because they are smaller). Invert the scooped watermelon half on some paper towels to let the juice drain. Poke holes in the rind with a knife point or a metal skewer. Toss those first paper towels, and put some new ones inside and right on the edge of the inverted melon - you can scatter some fruit pieces or use lettuce leaves or other greens to hide the edge of the paper towels. This keeps the whole thing from becoming a mess.
Select other fruit based on color: wedges of kiwi, various berries (cut the larger ones), chunks of the watermelon as well as other melons and pineapple, some grapes (halve the big ones), whatever is in season. Create fruit kabobs by alternating colors on the skewer and then sticking the arrowhead end into the holes you poked in the rind. Each skewer will have 4-5 pieces of fruit on it (not all will be the same - that's fine). When done, the thing looks like a burst of color! The arrowhead ends keep the last piece of fruit from sliding off. People like grabbing a skewer or two and putting them on their plates.
What are you serving on the sliders? If it's something that is only good when it's hot, you might consider other small sandwiches to round things out so you don't have to keep things warm. Use bruschetta bread or slice up a small baguette. Top with bruschetta, make mini-sandwiches, or use a tapenade.
You can use regular potato chips, or you could use the "scoops" type of tortilla chips and serve that layered Mexican dip with refried beans, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, some jalapeños or other peppers, salsa and so on. It looks festive it it's in a glass bowl so you can see the layers.
Whatever you do, I'm sure it will be fun!
I think that sounds terrific and I'm making note of this because you seem to have everything covered!
I think the cupcakes are good because not everyone likes key lime pie (I have never met a pie I don't like but I know my kids can be fussy about it).
Am trying to picture Diane's watermelon idea - that sounds quite fantastic.
Sounds good. I would add in a tomato pie and perhaps a tray of shrimp. Costco has great party trays of food so food prep is really no work at all.
Updated
Sounds good. I would add in a tomato pie and perhaps a tray of shrimp. Costco has great party trays of food so food prep is really no work at all.
Man, Diane B. Answer is fabulous! Lol..
My mom did chocolate dipped strawberries and mini Key lime pies for my graduation party. My favorite pie is Key lime too. I think cupcakes are a good idea, especially since you already have a fruit tray.
A good potatoe salad or pasta salad is simple to make and goes with anything.
I can share what my grad menu for the last couple of kids has been (and it has worked well for us) is we did walking tacos and hotdogs. I did both in the crockpot and that saved me a lot of time. I also did chips, fruit, veggie tray and one salad (like an Asian coleslaw - nothing with mayo since it was outside and I was worried about the heat). For drinks, we had little bottles of water and a keg of 1919 rootbeer. Of course, we did a grad cake with her kindergarten and senior pictures on it :)
Your menu sounds wonderful - are you just looking for input or additional ideas? Good luck and congrats!
Sounds like a wonderful party. Congrats to her.
Is there a way to make the key lime pie into a finger food? Maybe as tartlets?
