Help with cocktail party menu

[Anonymous]

We are having a cocktail party with about 60 guests and I would love some suggestions for the menu. This is the first time we are hosting a large crowd so any pointers would be great! The party is at 8 pm so I was thinking of doing heavy appetizers and would love to find some crowd pleasing favorites. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Lots of cut up veggies with dip. The hebrew national mini hot dogs wrapped in biscuit (everyone always talks about how white trash they are, yet they're always gobbled right up). 2 or 3 types of crackers and 2 or 3 types of cheese.

[Anonymous]

Cater it through Geppeto or Windows. 60 guests is too many for you to have to make the snacks.

[Anonymous]

A large antipasto platter is sooo easy! I do grilled veggies on our grill pan (asparagus, zuchini, onions), then assorted cheeses and sliced meats and BAM!

Also, you could roast a tenderloin and shave it thin and put on some little rolls.

Cut up fruit, veggies and assorted dips (hummus, dressing)

Ceasar pasta salad is always a hit as well.

[Anonymous]

if it is at 8pm, I would think of just doing desserts plus something savory like a cheese plate

[Anonymous]

Go to Trader Joe's and load up on all the heat-n-eat appetizers and frozen mini-desserts you can find. Or try Costco. I like TJ's selection better, but for a crowd your size Cstco is going to have the stuff in quantity.

[Anonymous]

Bacon-wrapped breadsticks, ham and pineapple on toothpicks, tomato/ basil/ mozz toothpicks. Dip in a breadbowl- keeps people busy!

[Anonymous]

I'm 20:57. I second lots of grilled veg- that always goes the quickest, in my experience. Everyone finds something in there they like.

[Anonymous]

Check out Ina Garten's blog on throwing a cocktail party.

[Anonymous]

Ceviche in these glasses http://www.partycity.com/product/clear+shot+glasses+2oz+100ct.do with cocktail forks http://www.partypail.com/glitz-silver-mini-appetizer-forks.html?kwd=&?source=product%20listing%20ads&gclid=CJbIgaSDxsECFUMV7Aod1jQAwQ

Pumpkin soup... also serve in the shot glasses with spoon

sushi platter

antipasto platter: meats, cheese, veggies, olives

shrimp

nuts with some flavoring sweet or savory

chicken kabobs (only 2 per skewer) and serve with peanut sauce

bread sticks, pita bread, crackers

[Anonymous]

mini meat balls in cocktail sauce and grape jelly. Those things are SO good and filling. Easy to heat in a crockpot so you don't have to pay attention to them.

Cheese plate
Grilled veggies
Maybe a hot dip
Fruit platter (anything you don't have to spend a lot of time prepping, just wash strawberries and grapes, etc)

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks for the great ideas! We are hiring a bartender for the event and plan on having a holiday festive specialty cocktail. As for food this is what I have planned so far:

Fruit and cheese platter served with crackers and breadsticks
Cucumbers with smoked salmon and creme fraiche
Skewered kebabs
Veggie platter with assorted dips
lots of mini desserts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for the great ideas! We are hiring a bartender for the event and plan on having a holiday festive specialty cocktail. As for food this is what I have planned so far:

Fruit and cheese platter served with crackers and breadsticks
Cucumbers with smoked salmon and creme fraiche
Skewered kebabs
Veggie platter with assorted dips
lots of mini desserts

You need way way more food.

[Anonymous]

If you're hiring a bartender, cater the food too. A prep person and a waiter or two to pass trays of hot hors d'oevres, and collect empty glasses, seems called for at a party of this scale.

[Anonymous]

We do a big holiday open house and your menu sounds good. You might add some kind of small sandwich. Beef (we do a whole tenderloin) with horseradish sauce on mini rolls works well. You might consider mini georgetown cupcakes for dessert.

We don't have a bartender but we do have someone help restock food and clean up periodically. It's very helpful.