Catering grad party myself???

[Anonymous]

Cash is tight and my kid wants to have a grad party like all their friends. I’m not broke, but i also can’t do a $10,000 passed hors d’oevres deal like all their classmates. On the plus side, I’m a good cook and the plan is for a 2 or 3 pm start, so more snacks and finger foods than full meal. So…. Can i do it? Or too crazy and hectic?

I was thinking something like:

Kale salad
Pasta salad
Fruit salad
Kings Hawaiian/slider roll sandwiches (maybe roast beef, chicken salad and tomato basil mozzarella with balsamic reduction)
Bags of chips and popcorn
Cookies
Brownies
Rice Krispie treats
Grad cake(s)
Then buckets of water/soda/beer/wine/seltzers

I’ll make sure the sandwiches are more exciting than just a thin shriveled scrap of meat… like a roast beef with roasted red peppers and sharp cheddar or turkey, brie, cranberry jam etc. And everything will taste great but be homemade

What do you think? Doable? Acceptable?

[Anonymous]

Can you tag a family member or close friend to assist with everything the day of?

[Anonymous]

I would buy the salads from Costco or wherever if your budget can do it.

[Anonymous]

If you are experienced at cooking for a large group, you have the refrigerator space to store the food before the event, and this won’t cause you a lot of stress, then I say go for it! The menu sounds great and I’d LOVE to show up to a grad party and be served homemade food (and my teens wouldn’t notice if the food is homemade, from Costco, or a fancy caterer, they’d just care if it tastes good).

That said, I think this will be a lot of work for you. You can buy prepared foods at Costco or even a full “catered” buffet from a place like California Tortilla for a lot less than $10k or even $1k .

[Anonymous]

How big is the group? Probably doable. Absolutely acceptable.

[Anonymous]

Yes! That’s a very simple menu.

[Anonymous]

This sounds like a nightmare. Why not have it catered by a local restaurant? It's affordable and more enjoyable than trying to do what you are planning.

[Anonymous]

How many people??

Your menu sounds very doable, but my answer is going to be very different if this is 20 people vs 80 people.

[Anonymous]

Also... what I like about your menu is that most of it can be made ahead of time, even a couple of days ahead. That makes the day-of work very easy.

What I don't like is that 3 of your 4 main food items require a plate and fork. Could you trade one or two of those out for a hearty finger food? My experience is that teens like to graze at parties rather than sit down with a full plate of fork food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes! That’s a very simple menu.

I think it would be great much simpler.
the chopping for those 3 salads will take a day, make a mess, and be hard to store & keep refrigerated. I'd simplify that somehow. Maybe skip the fruit salad. The kale salad is never a big mover at any party I'v ever been to.

[Anonymous]

One salad is plenty. Could also do coleslaw (holds up well) and no other salad.

[Anonymous]

skip the kale salad.

[Anonymous]

I think you're on the right track. I, too, would love a party like this. I agree with a PP that hiring one or two people to help you should make it very doable.

[Anonymous]

You could have just the pulled pork or beef in a big crock pot and the buns on the side. You don't need 3 kids of sandwiches

[Anonymous]

OP I concur with PP about proving estimate for number of people. Without knowing that, operational issues like storage and prep time could be the hang up. Are you inviting only grads or grads plus parents? Also, the menu is leaning like a meal. I don't think you have to do that.