Please suggest easy party food/ readymade favorites

[Anonymous]

You can't have people over for that long and serve crudite and other crap. Serve real food. This menu is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Will people be circling in and out, like an open house? That is a really long time and over a prime meal time to not serve dinner. You could stress “heavy appetizers” to let people know it won’t be a meal, but you need to prepare enough for people to actually make it a meal.

My recommendations? Potstickers, vegetable sushi (obviously no fish!), grilled vegetables, and hummus/pita bread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't have people over for that long and serve crudite and other crap. Serve real food. This menu is ridiculous.

+1. You expect people to drink cocktails for 6 hours with nothing but a snack and then what, drive home??

[Anonymous]

I think you need to add some heavier items and can drop one of the dips. You have salsa, guacamole, hummus, and red pepper dip but at the end of the day they’re all light dips and not much substance.

[Anonymous]

I would guess this is a real estate open house for when brokers and agents come to see the house. So it is just a lot of people doing a quick in and out. It's a nice touch to have some finger food to pick up and walk around then leave.

[Anonymous]

Empanadas
Egg rolls
Spanakopita
Samosas
Meatballs
Chips and salsa
Hummus, naan bites and veggie dippers
Cheese and crackers
Charcuterie board with an assortment of meats, nuts, olives and fruit
Pigs in a blanket
Strawberries dipped in chocolate
Trays of cookies snd brownies

Get some pizzas! It’s dinner time. Don’t be a tacky host. Don’t let people leave hungry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would guess this is a real estate open house for when brokers and agents come to see the house. So it is just a lot of people doing a quick in and out. It's a nice touch to have some finger food to pick up and walk around then leave.

Must be, otherwise it’s unreasonable to expect people to stay for 6 hours without dinner. Unless you want the main topic of conversation among the guests to be, “why is there no dinner”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would guess this is a real estate open house for when brokers and agents come to see the house. So it is just a lot of people doing a quick in and out. It's a nice touch to have some finger food to pick up and walk around then leave.

Must be, otherwise it’s unreasonable to expect people to stay for 6 hours without dinner. Unless you want the main topic of conversation among the guests to be, “why is there no dinner”.

Agents usually do afternoons and lunch, not many do till 10 pm unless it’s a huge house and has great entertaining possibilities.

[Anonymous]

Mini hot dogs wrapped in biscuits. Trader Joe's sells them frozen - you just pop them in the oven for a while. Everyone always says they're tacky, they're for kids, but when I have them they are the first thing snatched up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't have people over for that long and serve crudite and other crap. Serve real food. This menu is ridiculous.

Agree. That menu would be appropriate for a party from 2pm-5pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I need help..hosting a cocktail party on a warm day and needs food suggestions which is easy to prep and serve.

Expecting 20-30 people between 4-10pm. I will not be serving dinner and made it explicit in my invite. Wish to have a lot of finger food. Here is what I am thinking
Guacamole
Salsa
Hummus, likes with fresh veggies and pita
Red pepper dip
Shrimp cocktail
Chickens meatballs
Samosa
Grapes, Mango, watermelon, etc

Any thing else I can add? Something store bought? I would love your opinion

Thanks

This sounds really tacky and cheesy. I may stop by and stay for 20 minutes and leave for my real dinner at dinner time.

[Anonymous]

I love Wegmans catering for entertaining. I always get a sub tray or the sandwich/wrap platters and they fly.

[Anonymous]

Why aren’t you serving fruit that’s in season, like berries?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't have people over for that long and serve crudite and other crap. Serve real food. This menu is ridiculous.

sounds like people will be cycling through around their dinner times. Perfectly normal in our circles. People like the nice dinner out and the socializing part but not too much of either.

That said, a honey baked ham is very flexible.

[Anonymous]

OP didn't ask for everyone's input on her decision to serve appetizers. She told all the guests there won't be dinner so nobody will be expecting it.

OP, your list looks good, and I would also add the suggested catered sandwich trays and bite sized desserts like brownies, blondies, or cookies. I would just make sure you have a lot of whatever food you are offering and that it's as easy to eat as possible to eat while standing (meatballs already skewered or on a toothpick, sandwiches are bite sized, etc). I actually don't like a cheese tray for this party format unless the cheese is cubed. Tomato mozzarella skewers are also a cute way to serve some cheese.

Let us know your final menu!