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Planning a Co-Ed Wedding Shower around Dinner time - please help wtih menu!
My husband and I are currently in another couple's wedding who will be residing on the west coast after they are married. The bride will be in town for a week next week and I have been planning a Co-Ed "Wedding Shower" for her and her fiance for all of their friends here in NY. The shower will consist of using both indoor and outdoor space at our home, including a wedding wishes table and fresh flowers for decoration. However, whats unusual about this party is that it will be co-ed and at night. I need help coming up with a menu that will satify up to 60 people - both men and women around dinner time. I will be having a veggie platter, fruit platter, cheese and grape platter, a crock pot of meatballs, a huge mac and cheese casserole. I have a cake ordered as well. Does anyone else have appetizer ( hot or cold) suggestions that have been a hit?
Re: Planning a Co-Ed Wedding Shower around Dinner time - please help wtih menu!
60 people? Cooking by yourself? Next week?!
The one time I did a dinner party for 60, I had 10 weeks to plan, the food ingredients cost $600, I started cooking the week prior, and I hired two women to help in the kitchen and it was still the most challenging hosting experience of my life.
I think you're gonna need to change how you're thinking about this. A crockpot of meatballs, a veggie platter, and a 13x9 of mac and cheese aren't the right volume for this kind of party.
My first suggestion is to call around and see if someone can cater. A Mexican restaurant can likely do it on such short notice and it'll probably be cheaper than trying to cook.
My next suggestion if you plan on DIYing it is something like pan lasagna for your entree. (Note: that's my yankee-fied suggestion; my southern suggestion would be two hams lol.) Do salad and breadsticks and you're set.
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eh - its just a hot dish, I like to have a variety of food and the "appetizer style."
This is what the menu looks like at this point:
Stuffed clam shells, homemade hummus and taziki sauce with homemade naan bread, cheese platter with 4 cheeses and grapes (for decor), veggie platter with a veggie dip, meatballs w/ a maple chipotle sauce, fruit platter/salad, the mac & cheese, mini sliders, shrimp cocktail and sandwich wraps.
I was thinking of baking cookies too to go along with the cake for dessert.
Now remember there will be extra of everything so that it can all be refreshed. I'd rather over prepare and have leftovers than under prepare. I was also thinking about making a couple of loaves of homemade bread too...am I missing anything else to throw in the mix?
Ha! Why didn't you put all this in the initial post? I've been sitting here typing and erasing for 15 minutes trying to think of a nice way to tell you meatballs and a veggie platters do not make a meal! LOL The lack of info was totally the reason I gave you the "you really need to hire a caterer" response at the beginning.
So to reorganize your list:
Apps
Hummus
Cheese platter
Shrimp cocktail
Stuffed clam shells
Sides
Mac & cheese
Fruit platter
Veggie platter
Main
Sliders
Wraps
Meatballs
Dessert
Cake
Cookies
Ok, looking at it this way (and I'm not sure I have everything in the right spot), I feel like things are disjointed. You have plenty of food, but I'm trying to decide what needs to come and go to create a cohesive menu...
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If you're going to do sliders, I'd recommend a make-your-own deal, to cut on the prep time. Maybe bake a ham, and leave it out with a basket of rolls and some condiments.
I'm tempted to say, add another heavier side - like a potato or pasta salad (I'd probably put the veggie/fruit platters with appetizers). everything you have sounds really good, but I can't help feeling like it's a much lighter menu.
I agree it feels like a lot of apps. A LOT of apps. If you like that, keep it and make it like a hearty cocktail hour--I'd agree with 6fsn to dump the mac and cheese except it sounds like you really want to make it and it's really well received. In that case, I'd keep it. I could easily make a meal out that menu.
If you want it to be a bit more meal-like, I might consider foregoing the clams and bumping the sliders to burgers and the wraps to half sandwiches.
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I think you need some more vegetables. When I plan a heavy hors d'oevres menu (for an actual meal), I try to imagine someone building a dinner plate with what I've offered. They should be able to make a balanced meal. Grilled veggies, perhaps?
Also, I'd pass on the sliders. They'll either get cold sitting out, or dry out if you try and keep them warm.
If I am going to have dinner somewhere I would want something more substantial. I would probably skip out on the mac and cheese unless that's your signature dish. As a guest I would probably prefer a ziti or some type, as well as chicken or another meat.
If mac and cheese is the only vegetarian option, that's tough for someone with lactose issues.