Best medium cheap trays for a school graduation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

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!

I’m assuming she’d have help from other parents and a small PTO budget. That’s what I’m used to dealing with. I’ve helped with first communion receptions, graduation receptions, etc and these are some good ideas I’ve seen for cheap and easy. But if I had more money or less help, I’d do catering. Geez! Some
Of us enjoy this and are happy to do it!

[Anonymous]

OP coming back, lots of ideas here.

I’ve been told $5000 for sweets, savories, and drinks. However it’s been several years since there was a normal graduation.

School has trays, cups, pitchers, etc. I will have a large number of parent and child volunteers. School is private but think low-key, gym graduation.

It’s looking like a Costco graduation….

[Anonymous]

Food is to be pretty small—enough to hold over guests until they go to private celebrations.

[Anonymous]

That's a huge budget! I'd still do the tiny cans of soda or gallons of lemonade from Costco and probably desserts from Costco. But with that money, I'd cater the food (and I'm the one who gave the DIY list).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

This feels too kids birthday to me, not graduation reception in the gym. Plus pizza gets gross fast. Whole Foods has good trays for something like this. But supplement with veggie and cheese trays from Harris Teeter or a regular grocery store.

[Anonymous]

For $5000 I’d get a few estimates from caterers. FWIW we used to get lunches catered for meetings of 50 people from Corner Bakery: assorted sandwiches, salads, drinks, coffee and desserts and they were pretty good.

[Anonymous]

I guess I’m the only one that thinks $15 per head is not a lot for catered food? My feel is that this remains a Costco party with something left over for some nice touches.

[Anonymous]

Try bittersweet catering in Alexandria. This budget won’t get you full food for a meal but it sounds like what you want is a ton of bite sized items. I have used them for large gatherings and done tons of containers of iced tea, iced water, lemonade and cranberry lemonade. For food they can do platters of bite sized sandwiches (tea sandwiches and then bite sized biscuit sandwiches) and tons of dessert platters (bite sized cookies, lemon bars & brownies). I did a bunch of fruit kabob platters bc I only wanted finger food, no plates or cutlery but you could supplement with a bunch of cheese platters, fruit & veggie trays from Costco or somewhere, but the logistics will be a pain.

[Anonymous]

Costco pizza. It’s $9.99 a pie. Slices are generous and in my opinion equal 2 standard slices. You could be under $400.

[Anonymous]

OP are you the same poster who asked about a food truck for 300 a few weeks ago?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I’m the only one that thinks $15 per head is not a lot for catered food? My feel is that this remains a Costco party with something left over for some nice touches.

It's a lot for a small school, PP.

Please, OP, no pizza! It's too casual and kids' party-ish. Plus try and avoid tomato sauce and other stain-worthy foods if people are going to wander around with food in their hands.

I think for 5K you can do nice, light finger food for 300. See whether Costco has anything a cut above the usual. What would be great is if you could find a "British tea" vibe with very small sandwiches and pastries.

[Anonymous]

I am not the food truck person from a few weeks ago!

Thank you for the many suggestions and I will follow-up with the suggested vendors. I may even head over to Costco and look around.

I think pizza is too casual, will try for something nicer for graduation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This feels too kids birthday to me, not graduation reception in the gym. Plus pizza gets gross fast. Whole Foods has good trays for something like this. But supplement with veggie and cheese trays from Harris Teeter or a regular grocery store.

The thing is: pizza is what people like- hot or cold. If you think quinoa cups are going to be popular…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This feels too kids birthday to me, not graduation reception in the gym. Plus pizza gets gross fast. Whole Foods has good trays for something like this. But supplement with veggie and cheese trays from Harris Teeter or a regular grocery store.

The thing is: pizza is what people like- hot or cold. If you think quinoa cups are going to be popular…

Just stop with the pizza already. That would be weird and inappropriate.
Cake/cookies, punch, water, fruit, veggie, cheese and cracker platters, maybe some cold cuts, is all that’s called for at a reception like this. Add some flowers. Most families will have a dinner planned for after graduation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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

Very creative, will be bookmarking for myself.