Open House - Landenberg,PA

I love the tought of a tasting table party. It's basically mini bites and bits of dishes. Appetizers, drinks and desserts on a small but tasty scale.

My favorite go to idea spot on the subject is this:
http://www.pier1.com/tasting-party-ideas/tasting_party,de...

bon appetite.

Our friends did a soup open house one year. They had several crockpots with a variety of homemade soups and then a variety of bread, buns crackers, cheese, veggies and desserts. And lots of wine. It was great.

We have friends that throw an open house every Christmas eve. It starts at 11 am and runs usually until 10 pm. They put out different things at different times. There's always meatballs in 1 crock pot and chili in another. Lunch meats, rolls, veggie platter, different dips, potato and macaroni salad, and a rotation of different finger foods all day long. The foods that need to be cold are kept cold by putting them in a tray on top of a tray filled with ice.

So you need to figure out a couple things first. What hours will people be there? Will they be standing to eat (which means everything should be easy to juggle on a plate) or be able to sit down (which means you can serve stuff that's a little harder to eat). Make stuff ahead of time if you can so there's less stress to get everything done at the last minute.

S.,

For me, it all depends upon the hours you will have an open house. When you say "all day" do you mean from 10AM to 8PM??

I would stick to finger foods - something one can eat easily from a plate. I would keep SMALL plates around so that people know you are not serving a MEAL and they are to come and go...

warm foods that you can keep in a crock pot:
* Swedish meatballs
* BBQ meatballs
* teriyaki meatballs

other warm foods - these don't need to be kept warm - hopefully will go fast:
* pigs in a blanket (crescent rolls with little sausages in them, baked)
* pizza triangles
* french bread with brie cheese and pears - baked (we get this at one of my favorite restaurants) thin slice of french bread (baguette style) or Italian bread) LIGHTLY toasted first, slice of brie cheese or other hearty white cheese, and a sliced pear. YUM!!!
* grape or cherry tomatoes speared with mozzarella balls
* ham and cheese roll ups

cold:
* shrimp with cocktail sauce
* veggie platter
* fresh fruit platter
* cheese and cracker platter

Here's a recipe I found a while ago that was a huge hit:
Portable and easy to eat with one hand. Healthy, too. You’ll need:

1 8-ounce package light cream cheese, softened
1 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 teaspoons died basil leaves
8 10-inch flour tortillas, warmed
8 1-ounce slices turkey breast
1 10-ounce package broccoli slaw mix
8 1-ounce sliced provolone cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 sliced black olives
How to make it: Combine cream cheese and mustard in small bowl, mix at medium speed, occasionally scraping bowl, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in basil. In a separate bowl, combine broccoli slaw, onions, and olives. Place slices of provolone cheese on tortilla. Spread 1/4 cup of cream cheese mixture on top of provolone cheese almost to the edge of tortilla. Place turkey on top of cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle broccoli slaw mixture on top of turkey. Roll tightly; secure with toothpick. To serve, cut each roll-up into thirds. Place toothpick in each third to hold together. You can make these up to four hours ahead. Makes 24 roll-ups.

A lot of great food ideas, but I wanted to share another tip. Set an alarm on your phone and carry it in your pocket so that it reminds you every hour to replace perishables like cheese and meat. You don't want them out there much longer than that, unless they're with a source of heat or cold. You're going to be busy socializing and it will be easy to forget to replace certain foods. You don't want anyone getting sick (speaking as someone who wrote about foodborne illness for the meat industry years ago).

I can't go to any sort of buffet/open house without looking for the Rotel Cheese Dip and Chips first thing. That's a staple on that table as far as I'm concerned.

Christopher Lowell had a show on many years ago and I watched it all the time. He would put together an open house table in a few minutes and it would have layers and different heights and be gorgeous. I don't know what he's doing now but if you googled his name and did a little research I bet you could put together a really fantastic table.

Then any of the Hors d'oeuvre and appetizers you put on the table will be framed and gobbled up.

When I first got Taste of Home magazine delivered to my home there was a section called Food for a Crowd or something similar to that. If you go to your local library they might have copies of the magazines in their periodicals.

I think you can find some wonderful recipes when googling Hors d'oeuvre and appitizer recipes. Just remember colors and textures.

I like your idea of pulled pork. I had pulled pork sliders at a party recently. This was the menu-
A crock pot full of pulled pork.
Hawaiian rolls for sliders
cole slaw
Pumpkin Curry soup in another crock pot
pickles, olives, cheeses, crackers, chips, nuts
fruit platter
non-alcoholic punch and cookies
For the children I would add a baked mac and cheese, pigs in blanket
One tip-I would keep the plates small or medium lunch size and ramekins for soup. It's less awkward if people are standing around with drinks.
Also if you could suggest guests bring something small - For ex. Bring a drink or dessert.
Another friend has an annual party with 3 different crocks of chili-meat, white, and veg as the start of the menu. That's always a hit too. Good Luck!

A friend of ours has a great spread, and fully admits that some of it is from the frozen appetizers section of Trader Joe's. She just heats up a new tray as the day wears on. Remember finger food, like crackers and cheese, veggie trays, fruit...things that adults with sample, and kids will likely eat. And sweets like cookies and candy.

Biscuits with county ham and either a dab of cranberry sauce or mustard. Yum.

MIL does a filet - slice thinly and it can be served hot (she does that Christmas eve) and cold the next day. Equally good both times.

Ratatouille - serve hot, cold or room temperature.
Cold sesame noodles.
Crab or salmon mousse.
Cheese plate with fruit (melon, grapes, kumquats).
Turkey (either smoked or just roasted and sliced) - serve room temperature.
Ham.

Appetizers appetizers appetizers. All finger foods and desserts. Had an open house for 200 people several years ago. That worked well. Have everyone being an appetizer and you do some. You do not say home many people you are having.

Do you have any of those foil chafing dishes in the stand that hold sterno-type fuel? There's a large pan of water, and then 2 smaller foil pans for the food - they stay hot really well. Put them in the center of the table so kids can't get near them, and put cooler dishes and plates around the perimeter. I use 3 chafing dishes for 6 items. You can pre-make the smaller foil pans and have 1 set in the one while others are sitting out.

I'd watch the soup-type things - they are apt to spill, which makes your clean up more involved.

Chili - vegetarian or with ground beef/turkey. Easy to make ahead.

Sweet & sour meatballs - I use frozen turkey meatballs without sauce, then make my sauce out of something tomato-based and something fruit-based. Sounds weird but it's delicious. Try chili sauce (or ketchup - very similar) and currant jelly (or apple or grape) - melt the jelly in the microwave, then mix with the chili sauce in equal proportions, pour over the meatballs, turn once during cooking. If you don't thaw the meatballs ahead of time, then while they are cooking, move the inner ones toward the outside of the foil pan (or do in a casserole and transfer to foil pan). This way they all heat evenly.

Your own mac & cheese - use any kind of smallish pasta like short penne or rotini and cook al dente. While that's cooking, make a white sauce (béchamel) with onions cooked in butter, then onion added until translucent, then flour (equal amounts with the butter -e.g. 3 T of butter, 3 T of flour) and whisk until blended. Add a few cups of hot milk and whisk until thickened but not boiling. Shred Fontina and Parmesan cheese. Butter the pan, add one layer of pasta then 1 layer of cheese, top with half the sauce. Repeat with the 2nd layer. Top with breadcrumbs or wheat germ mixed with melted butter, cook about 25 minutes until browned and bubbly.

Hot cheese puffs - these make ahead really well. That morning or the day before, split and lightly toast 1 pack of English muffins. This gives you 12 halves. Mix up 1 cup of good quality mayo and 1 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or any combination). Mix until you have a thick paste. If you have mild cheese, you can flavor it up a little with pepper or chili powder if desired. Spread the paste on the muffin halves, almost to the edge. Take a chef's knife and slice down through each round until you have 4 wedges each - 4 x 12 muffin halves = 48 appetizers. Put these on a cookie sheet - refrigerate until serving time. To bake, put in a 375 oven or even under the broiler but watch carefully so the top bubbles & browns but doesn't burn. Put on a serving plate and hand this to a friend to pass around! They will go fast so you don't need to keep them hot.

Mini cocktail franks wrapped in refrigerator crescent dough. I open the dough and separate the triangles, but then cut them with a sharp knife because they are so big. Put the cocktail frank at the wide end of each triangle, and roll up to the pointy end. Put on a baking sheet and bake according to the crescent roll instructions, usually about 10 minutes. Pass them with a small dish of grainy mustard or ketchup for dipping, or put them in a keep-warm pan on the chafing dishes and set a ramekin of mustard and one of ketchup right in the center of them.

There are plenty of great frozen appetizers at BJs or Costco or Trader Joe's. Mini-spanikopita (spinach pies), mini quiches, those little spirals made out of thin dough and different fillings (salami & cheese, ham & spinach, etc.) are so so easy to serve and they look cute.

Chicken tenders in several flavors or with dipping sauces: marinate in soy sauce, roll in sesame seeds (or serve with a soy/sesame/ginger sauce; honey mustard; dipped in egg and rolled in seasoned bread crumbs and served with a marinara-type sauce on the side, etc. You can cut the tenders into smaller nugget-sized pieces and serve with toothpicks.

Fruit kabob porcupines - hollow out a watermelon half, turn over and drain. Poke holes in the green rind with a metal skewer or a small sharp knife. Make a bunch of different fruits in bite-sized pieces (or let the store do this for you), using any color combinations such as melons, pineapple, green or red seedless grapes, kiwi, mandarin oranges and berries if you can find any that are affordable. If you use apples, dip in lemon juice to prevent browning. Avoid bananas - they get too soft and fall apart. Use the longer plastic toothpicks with an arrowhead-type point (holds the fruit better), and thread 4 or so fruits per pick, varying the order to make it colorful, then insert in the melon rind so the finished product looks like a porcupine. Put the watermelon half on a platter with kale leaves or any dark leaves, and consider a few paper towels inside to soak up any leftover juices.

I've seen photos (somewhere - you'll have to google it!) of cut up veggies in the shape of a Christmas tree, using halved grape tomatoes and carrot disks as "ornaments" and a piece of star fruit on the top, strips of red and yellow peppers (cut crosswise into rings which are then cut in one spot and used as "garland", etc. Serve with the usual hummus or bleu cheese dip on the side. Keep extra veggies in the fridge to replenish as needed.

I like the soup idea that is posted below, especially since it's cold in PA.

I would stick to finger foods and appetizers. That would be much easier to add to when it is running low. Cheese platter, veggie platter, cold cut platter, hors devours you can get in and out of the oven quickly, etc.. Same with desserts.

If you make a meal in the crock pot will you have something else prepared when it runs out? You could have a ham or something that is already carved and on a sterno tray.