I Need Some Recipies of Easy Food for a Birthday Party

Here are some ideas that are quick and delicious. They have large casseroles at Sam's Club, or other grocery stores - some HEB's too. My aunt got a wonderful lasagna-vegetarian and we had it when we visited her in Connecticut- so they have these prepared foods all over the country. We could not believe that it was not home made. You can order cakes from bakeries- HEB, or Sam's Club again. Make a salad to go with the lasagna and have people serve themselves. Use paper plates. Also, if good friends are coming, you could ask them to bring extras like chips and salsa. Get some Italian bread and heat it up in the oven. Viola. A quick and easy meal that everyone will enjoy and you don't have to put too much work into it. J. K.

In the last year, I've discovered the joys of morning-time parties. Cut up fruit, croissants, perhaps some donuts, and I also threw some taquitos in the oven.

I learned about "brunch rings" from pampered chef. You can use a regular cookie sheet if you don't have a stone. My favorite is ham and cheddar cheese. All you need is two cans of crescent rolls. You separate them into triangles. You put them in a circle overlapping them about 1/2 inch with the short flat sides in the center and the long points pointing out (it will look like a giant sunshine). Roll over the overlapping sections gently with a glass or rolling pin to make a decent area for the filling. Layer ham in a circle all the way around, you may have to cut slices in half and double layer them. Layer slices of cheese (I use block cheese). Now fold pointy edge over the filling to a diagonal and tuck it in in the middle of the hole. I PROMISE this is REALLY easier than it sounds and it is delicious! You can use any sandwich filling. I like to take two tuna can sized cooked shredded chicken, wet with a little mayo, add hormel real cooked bacon (salad dressing aisle), a bit of shredded ( not grated) Parmesan. All you do is bake the ring at the temp on the package for 20 min or till golden brown. My favorite dip for it is mayo mixed with a dash of Dijon mustard. It isn't too strong and tastes great! NOTE: except for a bit of mayo, do not put dressings or sauces, or lettuce/tomato inside the ring, it will make the sandwich soggy. You can do taco rings with meat, cheese, olives etc and dip in salsa or do pepperoni and mozerella and dip in pizza sauce. If you have questions, feel free to ask!

Hi M., You are in the right season for a big pot of chili or soup (you can prepare in advance and heat up the day of). That's always a great idea. For my son's first birthday, I set out lunch meat, cheese and little rolls from Costco (to make mini sandwiches). I also did a pesto pasta for the kids(Penne with Central Mkt's pesto sauce). Then I added salt, pepper and grape tomatoes cut in half. The real hit was the second pasta I made. The kids won't like it but the adults raved over it and I had to send out the recipe to many. Here it is, if you are interested. If anything, I make a half recipe sometimes for weekday lunches. I also had chips, gold fish a some Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches. A big jug of homemade lemonade is great too. The recipe is on the side of a bottle of lemonjuice at the grocery. All of these things I made in advance and pulled out the morning of the party. It did require a little prep-work but I did it all by myself the night before the party. The pasta is inexpensive to make too.

2 pkg farfalle pasta (cooked al dente)
1 pkg of fresh basil (roughly chopped)
1/2 of a red onion (sliced as thinly as you can)
2 (15 oz) cans whole black olives (halved)
1/4 pound cubed salami
a big handful of grape or cherry tomatoes (halved)
a big sprinkle of feta cheese.

Dressing:
2 cups of good Italian salad dressing (I make mine with Good Seasoning Pkts and use a mixture of balsamic and white vinegar for more flavor)
8 garlic cloves (minced)
2 lemons (juiced)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Pour half of your dressing over the salad. Toss and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, add the last half of your dressing (because the pasta will soak it up and it will be dry).

For my daughters 1st birthday we just made a couple of casseroles (King Ranch Chicken) and bought sides like beans and rice from a mexican food restaraunt. For the kiddos I bought the Smuckers pb&j sandwiches (they are really good, I actually eat more of them than my kiddos do!) in the frozen isle. and cut up some fruit for a fruit salad. Casseroles are a one stop meal that you can make ahead of time and just stick in the oven before the party. Anything even lasagna that your family likes and just by a couple of pre prepared sides. Good Luck!!

Try food network .com and look up rachel rays 30 min meals. Also doing a lazanga or spegetti. Home made pizzas are great. My mom use to make pizza with french bread sliced in half and then long ways so you get four pieces. Then put spegetti sauce on top with cheese and peperoni. She also use to make her lazagna with pepperonis. We liked it as kids. Who dosent still like a grill cheese with some tomato soup. For the adults they could put tomato sliced on the sandwich or with a slice of ham. There is also a site that I drool over but havent tryed any of her recipies yet. www.http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ Hope you get some great ideas. We plan on doing a western theme for our son 1 yr and I just thought about the saying "Western Spegetti" and serving that!!! Hot dogs could be bad for kids this ages still. Good luck.

I made these one time after I saw a chef friend make them for a party. They're easy and tasty and they look like you spent a lot of time.

All you need: bread, cocktail sauce and smoked baby oysters or baby shrimp (the kind in a tin can - usually by the canned tuna).

You toast the bread and cut it into small rounds (he used a lid from a large juice bottle to make the little cut outs of bread - about the size of a silver dollar). Dobble some cocktail sauce and drop an oyster or shrimp. That's it!

Adults and kids can eat fruit, as well as cheese and crackers. You can make a fruit dip out of cream cheese and marshmellow creme (one part cream cheese to one part marshmellow). Brew flavored tea for adults and juice boxes for kids. You can usually find some kind of juice on sale.

Good luck!

You could purchase cheese tortollini. Usually for sale in the cold pasta section of the grocery store or you can purchase it frozen. You just boil it. Have (HEB Brand is good)marinara sauce (just microwave) and keep it warm in a crock pot that people can put on top of the tortollini or the kids may want to dip into it. Have some grated parmesan on the side.

Have a giant salad for the parents and veggies and dips for the kids, a fruit platter is also good. Warm Italian or french bread, with a garlic butter on the side.

Dear M.,

Everybody loves spaghetti. Get a bag of frozen meatballs, and put in crockpot. Cook on low. Later add spaghetti sauce. Cook noodles in big pot on stove. Wa-La! A meal.

Or, hot dogs and chili and buns. Fritos.

Or, stacked salad. Cook ground beef with taco mix. Buy bagged salad, pour into a bowl. Put out cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, shredded cheese, more salad type vegies, and, be sure to end with Chinese noodles. And dressings.s Everyone builds his own salad.

Have fun!
J.

Making your own pizza is quick and simple. Just buy you some flat bread, a can of tomato sauce, shredded cheese, meat or veggies. Just put them together and bake for 10-15 minutes, cut and place on a platter.

You can also do veggies and ranch dip, chips and salsa, rolled up deli meat and cheese, fruit salad, and burgers please almost everyone.

Are you in the Odessa/Midland area?

WIther it's finger foods or a sit down dinner, a hit I've seen around here is raspberry chipotle sauce (I get it at Kroger, sometimes in the meat dept and sometimes in an end aisle display towards the back of the store, but you could always ask for it.) Put a block of cream cheese on a dish, surround it with raspberry chipotle or a bowl of jalepeno jelly, and add a bowl of triscuits or other similar crackers next to the plate. It's a Texan fave!

I went to a little boy's party once and the theme was fire trucks. The mom served '3 alarm chili' in a crock pot. Serves lots of guests cheaply and easily and also is perfect for the recently cooler weather...

Cheese and crackers are also a big hit w/ little kids and adults.

Hello M., You really did not indicate if this was finger food or sit down dinner. So the answer could be a wide variety. Could you let me know which and I have some I am sure that could work.

Good moorning M. G.,

You can't fo wrong w/ Lime Sherbert and GingerAle. Per pint of Lime Sherbert add 1/2 bottle of Ginger Ale.

Also to make quick nachos

Brown ground meat and pan sausage, add diced rotell
After done through in the crock pot and add small block(diced) of velvetta cheese.
Serve over fritos,doritos or plain nacho chips

Go to www.familyfun.com. They hav a ton of recipies and kid friendly birthday fun and ideas.

I like chalupas when I'm in a hurry. Buy shredded cheese and lettuce mix already done for you. Buy some picante sauce and tortilla shells. Warm up some canned beans and cut up some tomatoes. You could also buy chopped canned tomatoes if you're really in a fix. You can make it a little fancy if you get sour cream and guacamole, if you want to delight some guests. It's a complete meal that both adults and kids like.

pizza, hot dogs, or pigs in a blanket :)

There is a spinach dip recipe on the back of Knorr's Vegetable Soup Mix (it's in a green and yellow box) that I make all the time. For presentation, buy one of those round Hawaiian bread loafs, but out the middle of it (leaving just the outer rim and the bottom) so that it looks like a bowl and put the spinach dip inside. With the bread you cut out, tear it into little pieces for use in dipping and also serve with butter crackers. I always have to double the recipe because everyone loves it so much. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and even the kids love it. Another quick and easy dip is to get a block of cream cheese and pour hot sauce over it. For the substance part of your meal, you can either put together a real quick meat and cheese tray or go to the freezer section and buy some plain chicken tenders and heat them. To spice them up, buy a couple of different sauces (on the aisle with the ketchup, etc. and the aisle with the oriental food/sauces) to dip them into. Another meat that is quick and easy is to buy those little sausages and pour some flavored BBQ sauce on them while heating. Set these things up in a buffet style setting and everyone will think you've worked all night to get the food ready when all of these things will take less than an hour. Have fun!!

You don't need to plan a meal for everyone! Finger foods will do! I always serve the rotelle dip: grab a croc-pot throw in a bar of velvetta and a can of rotelle (I also add in 1 lb of cooked ground beef) Everyone always loves it! Add a bag chips and there is snack one! Pigs in a blanket are great and easy! Grab a can of biscuits, cut each in half and roll up the little sausages, cook em and your done! Just provide snacks! Chex-mix etc... Good Luck!

I did a buffet spread for my boys 1st birthday. I cut up lots of fruit like pineapple, cantalope, strawberries, oranges, and grapes. I only did fruit that would not turn brown and would taste great even as it sat out. I made chocolate chip cookies, I buy the great value chips at wal-mart and just follow the recipe on the back, people love those cookies. I made box brownies. I also made tortilla rolls. You just take a tortilla, spread cream cheese on it, spread a little salsa on it, put a little thinly sliced lunchmeat and then roll it up tight. Then you cut it up in slices. If you do a pack of 12 tortillas it will be super easy and you will have a ton of little rolls. You can also make little sandwiches, like tuna fish, pimento cheese etc. and then cut them in half. We just bought sandwich tray, it was easier! I also made queso carne dip. You just brown a pound of hamburger meat and drain it, we put Tony's seasoning in our meat and then cook it but that is a matter of taste. Then cut up some velveeta cheese and melt it over your meat along with one can of rotel tomatos. Then we sprinkle in a little more Tony's and just just put out the dip and bowl of tortilla chips, people love that stuff! You can order a cake, I made my own from a box but I freeze it the day before I frost it and people just love my cakes because they are really moist due to the freezing. Well I hope that gets you started!! It was a lot of work, but the cost was minimal. I got all my supplies at Food Town and Wal-mart and had enough food for about 50 people! Best wishes and have fun!! If you have any questions feel free to email me:)

For our daughter's 1st birthday (and every birthday since because it was such a hit) we made hot dog octopus and shells and cheese for them to sit on. It is the cheapest, easiest, and most entertaining meal. Fresh veggie sticks with ranch and the meal is complete. You can add chilly or chicken kabobs for the adults if you want, but most are fine with this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw9MWkjHCnE

Mini Pizza's - use english muffins, spagetti sauce, cheese and pepperoni - put out all the ingredients and have everyone make their own. You just pop them in the oven until things are melted and brown

Pigs in blankets - hot dogs (I like the all beef) and canned crescent rolls, roll the crescent rolls around the hot dogs and bake according to the directions on the rolls can - just have ketchup and mustard as a side

Also, I have made a huge pot of sloppy joes (I have a great recipe. If interested just send me a note) and those are a big hit for all ages. My seven year old LOVES them and has for years and her 19 year old sister LOVES them and so does dad.

Just remember - keep it simple, you don't need a bunch of food. It is about the birthday boy!!!!!

Good luck and ENJOY this special time.