Best medium cheap trays for a school graduation?
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Anonymous
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I am seeking advice on a medium-low cost options for graduation nibbles. Food can be served room temperature, without extra bowls and knives. I’m good with ethnic bakeries and other options too, although most food will be standard American foods.
I need light food for about 300 people. I can pick up and put on a tray if needed. Thank you! |
Anonymous
| Can you define "medium cheap"? What is your budget? |
Anonymous
| food for 300 people will be in the thousands no matter how you slice it. What time of day is the party? Does it need to be refrigerated? |
Anonymous
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Picking up food for 300 people will require more than a "tray". Catering boxes will be piled high into the trunk of your car. Did you volunteer to be the point person for the refreshments? Will you be reimbursed by the PTA? Please request help from someone at the school with more experience, otherwise it's going to be a disaster.
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Anonymous
| Costco has inexpensive party trays of sandwiches, wraps, etc. Even if you supplement with some nicer trays of something more interesting, I'd start with a bunch of these for basic nibbling. Order a couple days ahead at the catering counter. |
Anonymous
| What are expectations for this: savory and sweet? Least expensive would probably be ordering from a supermarket: sandwiches or deli platters, and trays of cookies? I've done juice and cookies for 600 people - went to Costco for everything. It took up the entire back of my car. |
Anonymous
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Ask the local Indian restaurant if they can make trays of samosas.
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Anonymous
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Chinese buffet
Chipotle Pasta bar |
Anonymous
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Agree with the people that said food for 300 people is going to be beyond a certain cost no matter what and is going to take up space.
Costco is probably the cheapest and most reliable for food for this many people. There was a couple online that did a whole wedding with food they bought from costco and they had lots of nice ideas. |
Anonymous
| Nothing is really " cheap" anymore OP as I am sure you know. If you really want " cheap*, you are going to need to ask moms/dads to share the cooking. "Cheap" would be DIY tea sandwiches- egg salad, tuna, and chicken. Homemade desserts. |
Anonymous
For 300? Let's not go there. |
Anonymous
| What’s your budget. |
Anonymous
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How much work are you willing to do? If you're willing to do the work:
-make 300 sliders with slider rolls and rotisserie chicken salad, both from Costco -make 200 caprese kabobs with cherry tomatoes and marinated mozzarella balls from Costo -buy 200 disposable little cups(the cute ones with the tiny spoon) and fill with the quinoa salad they have at Costco -buy 5-10 veggie trays -buy cheese and crackers to make 5-10 trays -buy 300 chocolate chip cookies from Costco.Cut in half if you want. Come in boxes of 24 from the bakery -order trays of chick fil a nuggets. The more the better. Like 1000 nuggets Get disposable, cheap platters from Party City or the dollar store |
Anonymous
No. Just no. If OP cannot afford to provide food, she should request assistance from the school or other parents. At our school, the PTA pays for the graduation party food. If this is a private event, ask other families to chip in. The logistics of handling that much food in an ordinary kitchen are not going to work! |
Anonymous
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The cheapest/easiest option would be pizzas cut into squares. Get fruit/ cookies for dessert. Have side chips. I would suggest vege trays, but they always go to waste.
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