I've been placed in charge of food for a friend's wedding reception on July 10th, and while I am typically a really creative and fabulous chef, I am used to making meals and dished for about 4 people. So this is a whole new turf for me. There are going to be around 25 guests, and I need some ideas for hors d'ovres and appetizers that are fairly quick and cheap to prepare. I know I want to make crab-stuffed mushrooms (because I have a really good recipe for them, and it seems easy to make them in bulk), but other than that I really have no clue. I'm also making a majority of the food the night before the lunch-time reception, so they need to be things that keep fairly well overnight. I'll probably do the mushrooms in the morning just to be safe. Any help would be appreciated.
Pigs in a Blanket are always a hit. Crescent rolls and cocktail weenies. A nice cheese tray and maybe some fruit with it. A layered dip with chips. Here is one variation http://appetizer.allrecipes.com/az/71685.asp Some sort of crab or shrimp dip with crackers or french bread is also good but could be a bit expensive.
It's in Northern Virginia in the heart of snob-country, so I'm trying to avoid stuff like pigs in a blanket. There will definately be fruit and veggie trays (I'll put Margot in charge of those), but I gotta come up with more substancey stuff. I was thinking maybe mini-cheesecakes for dessert stuff, but want to have more options available than that.
let me offer up the best site for recipes...this it the link to the appetizers section... http://appetizer.allrecipes.com/default.asp?lnkid=211 i use that site all the time to find new recipes...check it out.
I actually thought of that awhile ago but forgot, thanks! Side note: I won't touch any thing that came from a pig.
seriously...best recipe site ever. i have used it from everything from appetizers to desserts. those star.ratings of recipes are dead on.
Okay, someone else is bringing shrimp and cocktail sauce, and someone's mom is making a big wedding cake. I'm going to do the stuffed mushrooms, quiche, a pasta salad, maybe some kind of pinwheely thing with turkey, fruit/veggie tray, and baclava. And it's 30 people. I might scrap the turkey for chicken fingers or something. It's at 7pm. Which means it has to be meal quantity/quality and I can't go to the Old 97s show. Booo.
Then you're missing a whole ton of great foods. Proscuitto is God's swine gift to man...unless you spell God G_d or Allah I guess
I spell him with a lowercase g. I had a dissection incident about 5 years ago, haven't touched the stuff since.
I was going to suggest the super easy bacon crackers. Easy easy easy to make and people go mental over them.
Pineapple chicken. Get some boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cut into chunks. Marinate in Mr. Yoshida's sauce (available at Costco) with a little pineapple juice mixed in. Put onto short skewers - three chunks of chicken with a pineapple chunk at the end. (I use the juice from the canned pineapple chunks in the marinade.) These can be done well in advance and then just throw them in the oven when you're ready. Super easy. I did these for a charity auction and got raves.
Perhaps a silly question, but have you ever had fresh, local prosciutto? Most of the crap I've had here in the states is just that, crap. BUt there is an italian specialty meats company in Saint Louis called Volpi...amazing stuff. I worked for a short time in a deli between butchering jobs and we sold this stuff like it was water in the sahara, at $15 a pound. Not dry and salty like most domestic prosciutto, but soft and palatable and very deep taste. Another good use for prosciitto is to wrap it around fresh mozz. balls.
Don't get me wrong. I love prosciutto. I have had the good fortune of tasting the best available here in the states as well. I used to manage a terrific restaurant and had access to top quality ingredients of all kinds. I just simply like Serrano better than prosciutto.