Housewarming help please !!!!

[tdiprincess]

Okay so I'm planning our housewarming... Well 2 of them we have quite a bit of family and friends. We want to invite 80, but not all at once. We're going to do 2, each a week apart.
This is what my ideas are: simple, elegant. But cheap.
I've been thinking finger foods, but for 40 people that scares me a bit.
I could do a similar plan to our wedding. Grilled chicken ceaser salad. A nice family-recipe pasta salad, a nice fruit salad of peaches and berries rolls and then dessert.
The only thing is that the partays won't be until September. So peaches and berries are pretty much out of season...

What are your ideas? I still have some time to ponder things over.
Oh and 1 group is traditional suburbans. And the other is partying city folk.
I know which one will be a but funner......

 

[grumblebee]

finger foods would not be all that difficult for 40 people, depending on what you make.

If you had a few salads (pasta, green, and caesar) with some appetizer/munchies then I think that would be fine. Serve with some bread rolls and dessert, like you said, and you'd be good to go.

Some finger food ideas that are easy for a big group:

-tortilla cream cheese "pinwheels"
-maki sushi
-dips and crackers (artichoke and asiago is always nice)
-mini samosas
-endive "boats" with walnuts and blue cheese
-spanakopita
-mini kabobs (fruit kabobs for dessert, shrimp or veggie for the dinner)
...etc.

~GB

 

[Cooking Goddess]

It's almost tradition in Mr. Wonderful's family to have Bar-b-q at any family gathering. Beef, pork, whatever has been on sale. I like making pork, especially since the grocery stores by me tend to sell whole pork loins for under $2 on a regular basis. Eight pounds of pork roast make a LOT of bar-b-q! I'll roast the meat, have a pork dinner for the two of us that night (why cook twice? ) and chill the meat. The next day I take out our handy electric slicer and have him make wafer-thin pieces. Pop it into the crock pot with bottled sauce (again with the sale thing, but I do like KC Masterpiece best) and let it simmer. Best when all the meat falls apart into little shreds - more sauce flavor since there is more surface area. You just need to add sliced buns (crispy ones are best - the grocery at the corner sells Italian rolls about the size of slider buns) and just let the guests serve themselves from the crock pot. So very easy - AND good!

 

[Claire]

I hate it when I come upon a line that for some reason I didn't catch when I could have been of real assistance! But in case someone happens upon this, I want to put in my two cents' worth.

Having moved more times than I can count (literally, I'm a military brat, military veteran, military wife, and somehow still cannot settle down), I have thrown many house-warmings.

First rule is, I hate to say this, but all the rules about hosting a party are thrown out the window. Simple is best. I once had a housewarming, but my furniture didn't arrive on time. It was around winter time in Florida, and it was the one and I hope only time we had a house built for us. The house was barely completed. I actually asked everyone to bring lawn furniture! So that they could sit in my living room in comfort. What I did on that memorable occaision, because the best kitchen of my life was there, was put out a huge Mexican-type buffet. I made chili, I put out several types of salsa. I made up beef for tacos. I put out refried beans. I put out two kinds of shredded cheese. I put out a stack of flour tortillas, and because of where I lived, I was limited with the corn varieties, and put out both "taco shells" and tortilla chips. I shredded lettuce, and chopped fresh tomatoes and what fresh peppers I could find.

This sounds like a lot of work, but in fact only took an hour or three.

I'm not kidding, I didn't have furniture.

My grandmother arrived in her wheelchair, and an old friend of the family arrived in hers (for some reason my husband insisted that the house be entirely wheelchair-accesible when we built it).

The entire point of throwing a housewarming party is NOT to show off your new digs. It is to have people come to your home and make it ... well, a home. That happens to be my most memorable housewarming, but I've done it many times. Invite people over, feed them simply (a pot of stew or chili or something similar, the taco bar is an excellent idea, I did it once and it is easy), and since it is a house-warming, it doesn't matter what your house looks like. Actually, basic is better. It is a way of inviting your new neighbors to you home and getting to know them, but without any pressure. Invite them early, when all heck is breaking loose. I'm a big believer in potluck, but for a housewarming, you should provide the food. But make it really basic and simple. The taco bar is a goodie, but any hearty stew, or burgers, sloppy joes, or ... well, never,ever something fancy.

 

[tdiprincess]

Well we ended up postponing our housewarming(s) until the spring time. Our lives are a bit hectic and I was stressing out too much..
Thank you very much for your input! I will definitely be using the taco line idea when we do decide to do one, and I'll figure out another buffet option for the second one, or else just do the same LOL!
Thank you very much again!!

 

[Wyogal]

My niece had some "sophisticated" tacos at one of her wedding receptions. The shells were fried eggplant slices, and filled with duck confit.

 

[Yakuta]

Chicken Salad Sandwiches - You can make the salad a day ahead. Sandwiches can be filled quickly (I even trimm the edges from the bread a day before)

Fruit Salad - Mixed melons, grapes, apples, berries (whatever is in season)

Meatballs - You can buy from a store like Costco or Sams or make your own. Prepare sauce of your choice and put them on little toothpicks so people can dip and eat

Shrimps - I broil them after I brush them with a thick teriyaki, garlic and chili sauce and again they go on toothpicks

Make little chicken satay's on mini skewers. The easy way is to make chicken cubes and marinate them in coconut milk, corrainder, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and then bake and serve with sauce of your choice - peanut would be good if no one is allergic to it

Egg frittata - Make with eggs, veggies and/or meat of your choice and add some semolina, cheese to it and bake it until nice and crisp. Cut into small squares and put it in muffin liners

Deviled Eggs - Make them special by adding some crab meat

Wontons - Buy the little squares from any Asian store, put filling of your choice and then fold into traingles and freeze them. Fry them a few hours before the party and keep them warm in the oven

Cheese Twists - I followed a recipe by Ina Garten and they were amazing on a buffet table

Vegetable Pakoras or Tempuras would be good. The only problem is you cannot make them ahead of time.

Banana Bread - You can make it home a day before or buy readymade, slice and place in a tray

If you find yourself short of time you can always buy lots of good dips, sausages etc at Sams or Costco and serve them with crackers, bread etc.

 

[tdiprincess]

Now we're getting some ideas rolling! Thank you guys! I will have some good plans and prep ideas ready for the spring!!

Oh and I found the Ina Garten recipe! Sounds AMAZINGLY YUMMY!! I will be making those before the housewarming LOL