Ok, I know I can find some help on here... My youngest turns 1 tomorrow and we are having his party on Saturday. I need some suggestions for food. I planned on having a big tray of chicken broccoli and ziti... but what else can I serve with it that is easy and quick? We always have a cookout for my older son, so food is a no brainer for that. I would appreciate and tips or suggestions. Thanks!
Thanks for all the great suggestions. Now I have enough ideas for the next 5 Birthdays!!
For appetizers I am going to do clam dip, bread bowl with veggies, and cheese and crackers. I am sticking with the chicken broccoli and ziti, and adding garlic bread and salad. I tend to over think things, and the obvious never comes to mind! Thanks again to everyone!!
Most kids love good old mac and cheese! Serve it with small (peeled) apple chunks or mini raisin boxes. If you prep the apples ahead, store them in a ziploc bag with some lemon juice and shake it up...it keeps them from going brown. Teh broccoli/chix/pasta is better for adults (if you are serving them).
salad is easy. maybeyou could do chips and salsa
maybesome meatballs or quesdillas. a tray of pepporoni and cheese and crackers.
Hi K.,
You may be getting this too late if your party is today, but some easy to serve foods I have had for my childrens party of course include pasta. (lasagna is popular) we've also made sausage, peppers and onions on fresh rolls. Fruit and pasta salads are easy, nutritious and yummy. For a western themed party we had a taco bar and chili which were very popular. Of course cold cut platters can easily be ordered in advance and generally enjoyed by most. Have a great day!
J. L.
A salad was my first thought. How about some type of sandwich, either finger rolls, or roll ups, or a coldcut platter. Sometimes people like to be able to just grab something with out balancing a plate. Calzones are good too cut into hand size pieces.
I would still do the barbecue anyway and bring the food inside. A winter picnic of sorts!
A crockpot full of meatballs
Hi K.,
We're having my son's 3rd birthday in 2 weeks - what I normally do for his party is one dish that takes a little prep (in your case the chicken, broccoli, and ziti) and one that I can toss everything in a crockpot and forget it. Sweet keilbassa or meatballs or sausage in sauce are great options. Serve with some fresh italian bread and salad and you're done. Hope that helps. Good luck!
Hi K.,
How about homeade chicken soup? It is very easy to make and usually people love hot soup in the winter. You could serve a salad and some bread with it. Good luck.
L.
If you want to stick to the Italian theme, you could also serve Salad, meatballs in Pasta sauce with rolls on the side incase someone would like to make a meatball sub, Actually I bake up a batch of the brown & serve dinner rolls and cut up meatballs into slices and make mini meatball subs, my daycare kids love them. You could also serve an antipasto salad, which is a platter full of meats, like salami, capicolla, provolone, another great, easy and pretty dish is to alternate slices of cucumbers, fresh tomatoes and fresh mozerella and then add some italian dressing on top. I hope you have a great birthday party!!!
I'm too late to help you out, but wanted to share an experience from my son's second birthday, which was at the end of January.
I made pizza dough before hand and froze it (I do this frequently anyway). The day of the party, I defrosted and shaped the dough and then grouped the guests into teams of four. Each team made their own pizza from dozens of toppings I had placed on the dining room table. We're kind of an all-natural-foods family, so I'd prepared lots of organic veggies and home-made sauce, as well as some more main-stream things like pepperoni just in case we had a fussy guest. Oh, and lots and lots of cheese!
Once the pizzas were assembled, I sent everyone outside to ice-skate (we made a little rink out of some left-over lumber and a $25 tarp) and I baked the pizzas. It was a huge hit...both kids and adults really enjoyed making their dinner, some even got artistic and made faces.
I added a huge green salad, a pasta and bean salad and 'fizzy drinks' (a little organic juice with lots of selzer water). We grown-ups had wine and cocktails.
Dessert was a banana bread recipe made with a little honey instead of sugar and topped with a cream cheese glaze sweetened with grape juice concentrate. I just made a double recipe and baked it in a bundt pan and no one connected the 'cake' with banana bread until I was asked for the recipe.
Just had to share...I was pleased with how well it all went and how easy it was.....and we didn't compromise our no-sugar, healthy food philosophy.
id say go to your local grocery store and pick up a "wrap" platter. ir finger sandwich platter. of course, you can make these yourself, but with two young boys, i understand this could be really hard. i rely on the grocery store when it comes to veggie platters, fruit platters (which i LOVE LOVE LOVE) for desserts, and sandwich platters.
good luck and happy birthday to your son!!! let us know how itgoes!!
~C.
When my daughter turned one I didn't do a big "do" since she didn't get it anyway. She is also a February baby and we went with a Valentine theme (got great stuff on sale after Valentine's Day). Put a pretty cloth on the table and a spread of candies and decadent treats for the guests. Instead of cake, I did cupcakes so there could be a variety of cake flavors and frostings. This way, she had a cake of her own at her high chair and it made for some great pictures.
She turns two on Sunday and we are doing a Valentines theme again except this year we have invited 11 (YES, ELEVEN) under two toddlers to the party. I have rented a kid sized table and will put brown kraft paper on it with crayons and such and am serving dinosaur chicken with fries and again, cupcakes and ice cream.
Happy Birthday to your son, have a great party!
I know what you are going thru, my daughter has a winter birthday as well and for her first we did lasagna, salads and some apps. Make what ever you think will feed the size crowd you're planning on having and i'm sure all will be happy with your choices no matter what you pick.
My children (we have five) and grandchildren love a mac n' cheese pizza.
I get the organice mac n/ cheese, make it up a little thicker than directed (less milk or soymilk) and add one or two eggs (depending on the brand) and put it on a pizza stone (preheated in the oven at 400 degrees) in the shape of a pizza crust (just flatten out with a spoon).
After it's cooked through (important because of the eggs) you can add whatever toppings you want (red sauce.. or leave it out for a white pizza). Cook in the oven until the cheese is melted and golden brown. My children love all kinds of veggies, be creative! It doesn't take long to make and it's a huge hit!
Tip* You can always make a double batch of mac n' cheese and seperate it before adding the egg... and put it in the fridge for dinner later.
I like the Annie's Mac n' Cheese but use any brand you like.
Cherilyn
I've always been a big fan of serving pizza. It's easy, can be delivered, and everyone loves it. You can serve a salad to round it out. If you want to stick with the chicken, broccoli and ziti, you could serve a salad and garlic bread with it. Have a great time!
