Mega Party need food ideas fast

[ArticKatt]

OK guys your my last best hope here. I have a huge party this Sunday we are selling booze so we have to provide food. this means I have to have finger foods that can be kept at room temp for at least 4 hours and that are not messy. I have veggie platters and a fruit platter brownies and cookies and Somoza's all donated. I need to feed 300+ people hopefully. I am thinking veggie sushi but don't have any more ideas for cheap and fast. oh and I have a small budget of 200.00 bucks yes I know its not a lot but if we could afford more we would have hired a caterer. this is a group of Toronto Musicians who are launching their Cd's 6 groups 7 Cd's

PLEASE HELP

 

[texasgirl]

I have this, but, these are my favorite and they can sit out for hours without problem and they are a huge hit

 

[Andy M.]

Make sandwich pinwheels - Lavash or tortillas, etc. spread with flavored cheese spread and layer on some meats, veggies, seasonings, etc. roll it up and cut 1/2" slices.

 

[Alix]

To add to Andy's idea, here is the thread I mentioned to you.

And Lefselovers falafel recipe.

 

[Yakuta]

You said samosa's if the audience is open to Indian food here are some really cheap options:

Pakoras

Besan (Chickpea flour 5lb for 3 bucks)
potatoes finely diced
onion finely diced
jalapeno finely diced
cilantro finely chopped
water to make a paste with besan

In a large bowl add all the besan, add water to make a thick batter (pacake like). Add diced potatoes (for that many people I would say 1 lb and 10 onions finely chopped) and jalapeno to your liking.

Fry them up by dropping them by spoonfuls into the hot oil. These stay fine at room temperature for several hours. Serve it with a simple dipping sauce made with ketchup, garlic and chill powder.

Another thing we make is chutney sandwiches which are relatively cheap

Make a corrainder and mint chutney. It involves blending cilantro, mint, garlic, jalapenos and lime into a paste. Add some salt and tiny bit of sugar to it.

Make a simple chicken salad, with boiled and shredded chicken, add chopped carrots and peas to it. Stir in the chutney. Place it on regular sandwich bread slices and cut into four cubes. It's really different but very good.

Also another cheap option is potato patties:

Boil potatoes, mix ground beef (cooked) finely chopped jalapeno, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, cumin powder. Mix it all together. Dredge them in semolina or bread crumbs then dip them in egg and fry them and serve at room temperature. Make small ones. I made 200 of these for a baby shower and it was easy to make and easy on the wallet.

 

[mish]

There may be some ideas of interest in the Entertaining section:

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f115/

Or the Appetizer section:

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f7/

 

[Robo410]

7 layer bean dip for nachos ... refried beans, shredded cheese, sour cream, olive slices, guacamole, diced tomato, jalapeno peppers sliced... always a hit with chips

crockpots with a multi bean chili (easy on the meat to save $$) lots of flavor. serve in smallish paper cups /bowls with spoons.

trays with cheese and crackers, dips

 

[Constance]

That's a lot of people, AricKatt.
Four-six hours is not that long for hors d'ouevres to sit out. You also don't really want to put all the food out at once...have back-up trays in the fridge to replace the empty or tired ones on the buffet.
I would suggest you find a wholesale warehouse store (like Sam's) to buy your supplies, then make out a list of what you need, including paper products (paper napkins & plastic cups for your drinks, for sure).

Here are some food ideas:

*Do you have access to a food grinder? If not electric, an old hand crank will work fine. Ask around, and I'll bet you can come up with one. I used to fead hoards of partiers with my "Ham Salad". Buy a whole balogna, big block of mild cheddar cheese, about 3 dozen eggs, 2 quarts of Miracle whip, small jar of mustard, and about a quart of sweet pickle relish. Hardboil eggs, let set in cold water for 20 minutes, then peel. Grind the eggs, cheese and balogna, add pickle relish, Miracle Whip and mustard to taste. Should be moist but not sloppy. It will be easier to mix and will taste better if you make it in 3-4 smaller batches, and will chill faster and stay colder if you refrigerate it the same way.
To serve, mold it into logs, using a spatula, set on platter with bits of leaf lettuce (or whatever green is cheapest), and garnish with grated cheese, sliced olives and a sprinkling of paprika. Serve with crackers.



*Fiesta Cheese Ball

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 (1 ounce) envelope taco seasoning, divided
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon seeded and diced jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon diced red onion
1 cup seeded and diced red bell pepper (may substitue pimientoes0
8 ounces shredded Colby-jack cheese (or cheddar...it will taste better if you grate your own)
4 ounces Velveeta cheese

Preheat over to 300 degrees F.

Place pecans on a small baking sheet and toast in oven for 15 to 20
minutes. Remove from oven and toss with 2 tablespoons taco seasoning;
set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, remaining taco
seasoning and Tabasco sauce until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add jalapeno,
onion, bell pepper and Colby-Jack cheese. Stir to combine. Using a
rubber spatula, shape cheese into a log.
Place a large sheet of plastic wrap on counter top, sprinkle reserved
seasoned nuts over plastic. Roll cheese log in nuts, coating entire
outside of ball.
Bring sides of plastic wrap up around log to seal. Wrap in additional
layer of plastic wrap to seal. Place cheese log on a plate and
refrigerate several hours until firm.
Serve with crackers.
*Note: If tripling this recipe, you need only double the amount of pecans, as it is a generous amount. You could also save money by using English Walnuts.

*bowls of cocktail nuts and/or Chex Mix...
*buy large containers of Pace Piquante sauce...serve with tortilla chips.
*hot dog fondue...slice 1 lb. hot dogs or smoky sausages diagonally, put in crock pot with 1 small jar of mustard, and one small jar of currant, grape, or apple jelly. Let cook until bubby, stirring occasionaly, and serve with toothpicks. Very cheap and tasty.

 

[middie]

here's one i make that's a big hit


http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f7/tnt-hot-bacon-cheese-spread-14260.html?highlight=bacon+cheese+spread

 

[Brooksy]

Glad it's you & not me Artickatt.

We've got do do on next week & luckily all I have to do is stock the Bar & serve drinks all night. Others have volunteered for the feeding duties. And thank goodness we're looking at less than 100.

The Atomic buffalo turds are really nice:

Atomic Buffalo Turds:
20-30 Large Jalapeno peppers (this will make 40-60 turds)
1 block cream cheese, room temperature
1 package thick sliced bacon
40-60 toothpicks
Small package of Little Smokies
(The amount of peppers determins the finished turds)

Take the peppers, cut the off the stems and split them into halves. Now rinse out any remaining seeds from the inside of the pepper with cold water and place them on a paper towel to dry. Remeber, when coring the peppers - the amount of membrane you leave inside the pepper will determine how hot the turds are. The more membrane you leave, the hotter the turd will be. Use a small spoon or mellon baller to remove
the membrane & seeds.



Time for the cream cheese. If your cream cheese is not room temperature, it will need to be softened (15-20 seconds in the microwave) to make it a little easier to pipe. Spoon the cheese into the corner of a sandwich bag, cut a small hole in the corner to pipe in the pepper. Some people like to season the cream cheese with Mrs. Dash, liquid smoke or other spices/seasonings - just don't over do it. If you want to turn your buffalo turds into "atomic" buffalo turds just add some cayenne pepper in the mix.



Place a little smokie or other choice of meat on top of the cream cheese mixture. Wrap the pepper with a piece of bacon and place a toothpick all the way through to hold it all together.



Now your buffalo turds are ready for smoking. Some people place them in the cold smoke chamber on my smoker and keep them about 150-180 for an hour or so. You can place them into your main cooking chamber at around 225-250 let them cook an hour or so.



Basicaly the thing are "GOOD" so be sure too make plenty so the cook gets some to. If you remove all the membrane and seeds they are not any hotter than a pepperoni. USE CAUTION they are very addictive

Courtesy of another forum......

 

[mish]

Yikes... feeding 300+ on a $200 budget. Maybe it can be done. Tried to think of something that is inexpensive and not too labor intensive. Here's one idea - it serves 4, but sure it's flexible enough to adapt:

Maple Leaf Quesadillas


8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup Salsa, slightly drained
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
8 Fajita Style Flour Tortillas
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives

In bowl, combine cream cheese, salsa and shredded cheese until well blended. Spread each of 4 tortillas with the cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining tortillas.

Using a large leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut each tortilla into a large leaf. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet. Add the tortilla and cook, turning once, until golden brown about 3-4 minutes.

Repeat with remaining quesadillas. If desired, garnish quesadillas with sliced ripe olives, diced bell peppers and sliced green onions. Serve with additional salsa and sour cream on the side.

OR

Tuna Rangoon

1 pound Wonton Wrappers
2 cans white tuna, well drained
38 ounce cream cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
8 drops Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Blend tuna, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, tabasco, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Place teaspoon of tuna mix in middle of wonton wrapper. Fold over in triangular shape and seal edges with water.

Fry in 1 inch of hot oil for on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

 

[ArticKatt]

Thank you all so much. I love all the idea's and plan on printing them off and adding them to my party book. I have a number of binders I keep recipes in that way if I am throwing a party I grab the party book first. LOL I have a breakfast one and a Misc one that gets all the recipes that don't go into either of the other ones. Anyway it looks like pinwheels mostly. I plan on a few different ones. easy and cheap to make. we are having veggies and dip 3 platters a couple of platters of fruit and a flat bread with hummus platter. I am doing the pinwheels and the hummus platter my cousin is doing 2 of the veggie platters and the rest is being picked up by someone else. oh and samosas I think he said 300 of them. LOL glad its him and not me. I think they are mini ones. anyway it should work. We have to do this to satisfy our liquor licence.

 

[mish]

We have to do this to satisfy our liquor licence.

Then all you need is trailmix, right? j/k Hope you have a Grrrreat party.

Another idea (I mentioned this in the Entertainment thread): Chinese take-out food, from the places that sell a main dish for about $4 (you pick beef or chicken etc., and get fried rice and a noodle.) They will make up big trays at a fair price.

After a friend's wedding, we all went to a nightspot/nightclub (closed for the private party) & there were trays and trays of Chinese food and, of course, all the libations we could drink. (P.S. She married the bartender.) Everyone served themselves and the food was really good. (If I recall, yep, there was food. LOL)

 

[SilvrBck]

One thing you could make that would be really cheap is a large batch of fresh salsa. Everyone loves chips and salsa! Especially home made.

Various forms of chicken wings are always a hit, too.

Good luck!

Drew