Graduation Party - Wentzville,MO

instead of the smokies/meatballs....which are both usually in messy sauce - what about an order of fried chicken, trash wings (which are like hot wings, but without the sauce), or a tray of deli/dollar sandwiches?

I'm just thinking of ways to contain the mess....

As for recipes, I love party food! I am soooo thankful that we have great party opportunities each & every year!

Bloody Mary Appetizers: the larger cherry/grape tomatoes, tops cut off & scoop out some pulp. Finely mince the tops/pulp, some cucumbers, & some onion....& combine with some ground celery. Pour a little vodka over the vegie mix, add some Tabasco sauce, S&P, & some garlic powder. You want it compact-able....so you can load it back into the tomatoes! Let the vegie mix meld for a few hours, & then stuff the tomatoes. Yumm.

Italian Salad Shells: use the larger-size pasta shells. Cook, drain, & let cool. Meanwhile, combine your favorite Italian salad....I use a mix of lettuces, red onion, black olives, pepperoncini, pimiento, & marinated artichoke hearts. I have been known to add cucumbers. I use my fav fat-free Caesar dressing. Moving on....mince the salad & stuff the pasta. I sprinkle some Parmesan on top. Very tasty!

Good Luck....parties are fun!

Croissant Sandwiches.
Just buy a whole bunch of Croissants from like Costco, in bulk.
Get some deli meat/ham/turkey or whatever you want. Or even make a Tuna mix.
Get some sliced cheese
Lettuce
slit open the croissants in the middle and make sandwiches with it.
Add mayo or mustard etc., and the slice of cheese in it.
Its good. My family likes these. Easy to eat.

Or, roll ups.
Get a flour tortilla, and evenly put ham and cheese and lettuce in it, then roll it up. And then slice it horizontally and place on a platter.

Or what about Pizza? That is a finger food too.

Salad on a stick.... Toothpick as the stick....cube of cucumber as the base with cube of feta cheese on that topped with 1/2 grape tomato. Sprinkly with fresh Italian seasonings, little lemon juice/cilantro. Yummy and a pretty dish. You can alter the salad dressing to whatever you like... just keep it light so it doesn't bog down the toothpick.

We love bacon wrapped water chestnuts. Drain whole water chestnuts.. wrap with a little strip of bacon and secure with toothpick. Bake until bacon is done (baking is quite messy with the bacon grease.. need a pan that is a little deep to keep grease in the pan). Drain and eat.

Stuffed mushrooms... remove stem, sutf with a mixture of your favorite... breadcrumbs with seafood, artichokes, parmesan cheese.

Tomato caps.. 1/2 cherry tomato stuffed with goodies... parm cheese, bread crumb mixture, moz cheese.

Caprese Salad... use various types of tomatoes to have color, mozz cheese in bite size pieces, fresh basil and toss in a little lemon juice, olive oil and salt/pepper to taste

Tomato/Mozz/Basil salad... nice large slices of tomato topped with a slice of mozz cheese and basil sprinkled on top. Mix dressing and pour over the top... Balsimic vinegar and oil...salt pepper to taste.

Anti Pasta platter with mozz cheese, roasted veggies, small bread slices. olives, salami and Italian sliced meats.

Good bread with dipping sauces

I don't have exact measurements... I just make up what we like to our taste.

Artichokes are always tasty and can be used in good recipes.

I tend to shy away from so many dips because you see that a lot.. I try to do something different with all our parties..

You have good ideas already. Happy Graduation... My daughter graduates next year!

Congratulations to you and your daughter!

Just my observations from recent celebrations.

Food on toothpicks is great. Cheese cubes, meatballs, pineapple and ham chunks, grilled or cold shrimp, etc.
Sandwiches made as roll-ups, cut into 8 slices, make great appetizers.
Folks eat less now that in years past.
Have more utensils, small plates and napkins than you think you can possibly use.
Bottled water is the most popular drink.
Any menu is enhanced by chocolate chip cookies!

Have a wonderful time.

Congrats to your daughter. When my oldest son graduated highschool we did luau type foods so

wings in a pineapple glaze
ham and pineapple skewers grilled
veggie tray
fruit tray
mini ribs (cut into sections of 2 ribs each)
the cakes were pineapple upside down cakes
potato salad and coleslaw

just a note also. if this is a grad party where there are going to be a lot of kids under age I might skip the poster below bloody mary tomatoes. although they sound amazing I think the vodka just not a good plan yet.

-mini sandwich bread rolls w/salami, sliced cheese, turkey deli meat
-artichoke dip w/sliced baguette or crackers
-mini quiches (froz section of groc store. easy)
-bean dip (heat can of chili beans w/block of cream chese). serve w/tortilla chips
-brownies
-Add to these things you mentioned in your post & voila...party!

Congratulations Mom. My daughter graduates a month from yesterday...Boo Hoo!!!!!! We're also having an "open house" party. I'm serving a Mexican Buffet. I'll set it up as a build your own burrito bar and have carnita's, chicken, refried beans, black beans, lime/cilantro rice and homemade salsa and all the toppings available. I'll also do some fruit and veggie trays. I'm ordering a Tres de leche cake to make it easier on myself. Everything I'm making can be made in advance so all I have to do is warm things up the day of the party. I already have the carnita's made and in the freezer. I don't know about you, but I think I'll need some valium for Graduation...I'm not ready for my baby to leave home. This is a BIG milestone in our parenting role. Sending best wishes for your daughter for a bright and happy future.

Spaghetti and meatsauce is cheap to make and goes far.