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DDs 18th is on 6th Nov, I am going to do most of the food myself so i need some ideas for easy finger food which isn't messy (apparently teenagers who are drinking can't have messy food according to DD- she's prob right LOL) I like things with bread as that'll soak up the alcohol too!!!
So please hit me with your best ideas!!
I'm asked this one regularly at work!!
One thing I would definitely recommend against is anything with rubbish, so wrapped things, mini kebabs, mini chicken wings with bones etc, because they end up on the ground, on tables etc & you'll be picking them up for weeks especially if they are outside.
Things they can pick up & dip in sauces are good - chicken chips, wedges with sour cream & sweet chilli sauce, spring rolls, mini frankfurts, meatballs, battered prawns. Other good things are samosas (mini curry puffs), ****tail quiche, party pies & sausage rolls, pastizzis, mini dim sims, vol au vents.
Depending on the crowd antipasto can go down well, it's usually more popular with girls though.
Then of course the usual, cheese, jatz, dips, chips etc
Yep, mini quiches are great for soaking up alcohol LOL! And easy to make too, all different varieties. Depending on what sort of 'do' it is, sandwiches always go down well (and have that bread component you're after!). Otherwise little mini burgers are good - a small patty with a little cheese melted on top, sandwiched between two slices of baguette with some yummy relish/chutney and some baby spinach leaves. These have gone down an absolute treat whenever I have made them for anything!
Are you wanting to make most of the stuff, buy it, or both???
cob dip could be messy but oh so yummy!!!!
homemade sauasage rolls
chips, bickies dips
quiches
Can you cook up some sausages on the BBQ??? I know the boys will love that esp with alcohol. They can have sausage in a piece of bread.
Pizza
Sausage rolls
spring rolls with sweet chilli
meatballs
cob dip (yum)
All of the above...
you can make really nice pizza things with pita bread and pesto, a few pieces of boconchini just cut the pita into long triangle and bake in the oven, really tasty ;)
maybe some vegie sticks etc for the girls...many 18 year olds in my day (lol) wouldnt have been seen eating party pies and sausage rolls at parties in great volumes.
Nori rolls are fantastic and very cheap to make. If you don't know how to make them, you could try and get a bulk deal on them from a japanese takeaway (most shopping centres have one). Then just chop them up and arrange on a plate.
These and a frittata are always good as you can have heaps plated up before hand to fill the gaps when waiting for other food to warm - or to hand around first thing when there are not many people around yet so you aren't letting hot food go cold.
We just had my DD 18th - and our food was a hit. I didnt bother with chips and dips, b/c when the kids all arrive, they dont really eat, and they are so expensive. I would rather people save their appitite for the light entree then main.
The little rolls from the supermarket that you bake in the oven are good- add a little skinless frank and they are like little hot dogs. Easy to eat standing up with a cruizer in one hand
I made little hamburgers and put them in little dinner rolls - like a mini hamburger
Garlic Chicken Balls, and Chicken Chips - were a hit
For the adults (ours was family too) I made 5 salads and had chicken and beef off the spit
I know you didnt ask for this - I made a welcome drink, called Flirtini - and bought some plastic ****tail glasses from the reject shop, and had it in a jug, and when everyone arrived they received a welcome glass" of Flirtiini, I had a sign made, and had the Flirtini set up where I could hand it out as her friends/ family arrived. It was a really cute twist that no-one expected and it was well received.
I had a g/f who works in graffic design make the sign, you can have it if you like, it would post easy, I would just roll it up
Heaps of great suggestions here already... Thai chicken patties are simple to make, with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. Chicken / mayo / chive sandwiches on white bread are always pretty popular! simple pizzas made with circles of puff pastry, tomato paste, cheese and a couple of simple toppings... lamb meat balls with relish...
And mini cupcakes, just simple ones with plain icing, always seem to get eaten!
You guys rock!!! some great ideas, Wouldloveabubba i would love the recipe etc for the flirtini if you don't mind?
We are having the party start at 6pm for family and oldies so will serve dinner like lasagne and salads and cold meat/chicken. Jess' friends arrive after 7.30 so will be doing finger food for them.
I love the mini burger hot dog ideas, and nori rolls.
Now, does anyone have a thai chicken ball recipe??? or know how to make nori rolls????
BBC - Food - Recipes: Thai chicken patties with a sweet chilli dipping sauce and griddled spring onions
This recipe is similar to mine at home :) You can also make them in advance, freeze them, then reheat them in the oven on the night!
BBC - Food - Recipes: Thai chicken patties with a sweet chilli dipping sauce and griddled spring onions
This recipe is similar to mine at home :) You can also make them in advance, freeze them, then reheat them in the oven on the night!
Brilliant thanks talia, things that I can make in advance are great.
Flirtini - Two bottles of Vodka ($60.00) 5 bottle's Champagne (on special) and 3 x 2 litre pinapple juice, mix to taste, and I just had the vodka etc, put away, and I could make more as I needed it
I got two crystal glass jugs from the OP Shop, and had it on a Silver tray (op shop) on a corner table that I draped with black cotton fabric (cheap/spotlight) then pink material over the top of that (cheap/spotlight) And had the black/pink Flirtini sign behind it. Your welcome to use all the stuff, Our colour theme was pink/black, I can send you a pic of a gorgeous photo wall I did
I found these little cute paper bags (with pictures of chickens on them) at a factory outlet for free ! You can have some of those too, and for the little kids, I put in 3 chicken nuggets and some chicken chips, in them and handed them out, the little kids walked off and all sat together with there little chicken bags, with nuggets in them, it was so cute, they where rapt, and felt like they where at Macca's.
Honestly, I have all this stuff here, your welcome to it, I would rather it went to good use than sat in the cupboard.
Another thing I did, was go to Lombards and I got these great take awaycoffee cups/ sturdy, (cheap) that way the adults were not using our china cups, they looked good, and saved me heaps of washing up
OMG Jess' theme is pink and black too!!!!! Must be an 18 yr old girl thing.
I have bought some pink and black plastic cups already, I am not doing any washing up! Cause its in a hall we would have to hire crockery and cutlery so disposable stuff is much easier.
What's Lombards?
Can I PM you my address please?? I would love to borrow all your stuff (I'll pay for postage of course)
Personally, I wouldn't bother with making nori-type rolls if you've not done it before, it would likely be a headache you don't need! You could talk to a sushi shop about the cost of having some made up for you.
Here is a recipe for Thai chicken balls - I've never made it, so have no idea what it's like, but it sounds okay!
Ingredients (serves 6)
* 600g chicken mince
* 4 green shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped
* 1 long fresh red birdseye chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
* 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
* 1 tbs finely grated fresh ginger
* 1 tbs peanut oil
* Sweet chilli sauce, to serve
Method
Combine the chicken mince, green shallot, chilli, coriander, lime leaves and ginger in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Roll 1 tablespoonful of chicken mixture into a ball. Place on the lined tray. Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to develop the flavours.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add half the chicken balls and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken balls. Serve with sweet chilli sauce, if desired.
HTHs :)
mmm I love party food!!
Some more ideas...
Pastry pinwheels (spread sweet chilli sauce and parmesan or pesto and parmesan on some puff pastry, then roll up like a log. Cut into approx 1cm rounds and lay them down on a tray, and bake until golden).
Squares of puff pastry (say, 1 sheet divided into 16) with caramelised onion, a bit of feta and half a cherry tomato, then baked.
Spinach cob dip (mix 1 packet of (defrosted and water squeezed out) frozen chopped spinach with a packet of french onion soup powder and a carton of sour cream. Remove some of the bread from the middle of a cob loaf and put dip in. Can be served warm or cold).
Mini pizzas (very cheap if you make your own bases - can be half-cooked and frozen, then finished off on the night).
I was at a 21st recently where they brought around polystyrene cups with soup in them. Was delicious and nice and filling.
Lasange will freeze well if you get it to the point where you would normally put it in the oven (ie cooked meat and bechamel layered between uncooked pasta sheets and unmelted cheese on top - cover with gladwrap). You can then take it out of the freezer that morning and pop it in the oven.
Hope this helps and that you have a great night!
wow there are some top ideas here.
C I can't belive she's 18!!!
I was going to type 2 things but they may or may not be suerfluous.
Firstly for mini pizzas, if it's easier buy a bit premade frozen pizza and use a large circle biscuit cutter once cooked to cut out mini ones.
Secondly the current issue of Good Food has a fantastic bit on finger food and some of it sounds pretty s****y.