Cocktail party menu

15 years ago

I am helping a friend with her holiday coctail party. She has decided on a fairly simple menu and a lot can be made in advance or will be simple to serve. She will have staff - 2 servers, 2 bartenders and I will be heading up the actual kitchen end of things until all the food has been served, then it is party time for me too! Oh, and there will be about 80 guests.

What do you think of the following....

Chicken Sate - Grilled chicken skewers seasoned with mild curry and served with peanut dipping sauce

Filet Mignon with Mushroom Pate on Puff Pastry - Thinly sliced rare beef served on a pastry round with mushroom pate and roasted red peppers

Greek Meatballs - Lamb meatballs with Tzatziki

Gravlax - Cured salmon filet served with a honey mustard dill sauce on pumpernickel

Crab Tartlets - Similar to a mini crab quiche

Blue Cheese Rugelach - Blue cheese and walnuts rolled in pastry

Baked Brie - with flavor of choice (mushroom or onion or raspberry or cranberry etc) and crusty breads

Caprese Skewers - Fresh mozzarella with grape tomatoes and fresh basil, balsamic dipping sauce.

Crostini with goat cheese and pepperonata - Crusty bread with roasted pepper relish and goat cheese

Stuffed Celery - Celery stuffed with savory cream cheese and topped with black olives

Cheese Board with Fruits

Spiced Nuts

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Comments (19)

teresa_nc7
15 years ago
I would happily nosh on all of those! You didn't mention the hours of the party, but I might add a platter of two of sweets, nothing too elaborate or hard to eat. Perhaps a platter of shortbread cookies, some dipped or drizzled with chocolate and some sweet rugelach in addition to or replacement of the blue cheese rugelach. Anything pickled on that menu? Maybe some bowls of various olives or pickled mushrooms?

Teresa
caliloo
Original Author
15 years ago
Ah desserts! Yes, they are being handled by the new bakery in town. I make no claims to be a pastry chef, and will happily have them handle all the sweets. The party is an open house from 5 - 9, and the invitation will clearly say hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and sweets and coffee....

The pickles/olives is an intersting idea, I will run it past the hostess

Thanks!

Alexa
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We throw a large Holiday cocktail party (60-70)each year and I fix most of the food myself. Although I put out small plates, I make sure all food can be eaten with fingers or a pick, don't have a lot of stuff that can fall off, and can be eaten in one or two bites. Guests can browse instead of trying to find a place to sit and balance a plate and glass. I always fix a special drink but have wine, beer (have a friend who brews), and martinis. For the food, I have fish, beef, chicken and vegetarian appetizers. I only have one or two dishes that need to be warmed before serving. I usually have deviled eggs with caviar (not the expensive type). One year I ordered miniature hamburgers from the appetizer store and they were very good and just needed a quick zap before serving. Wraps can have a variety of fillings and be sliced into bite size pieces. I steer away from those horrible vegetable trays at the supermarket and the yucky frozen shrimp! I buy those very large raw shrimp at Cosco and cook them myself. They can be served room temp or cold. Mostly I get ideas and recipes from Epicurious.com. One other thing I always do is make place cards with name of the dish setting beside each appetizer. Always have small bowls of nuts and breadsticks sitting around the house. Most nuts taste great with just a quick toasting but you can buy specialty nuts at Trader Joes for a reasonable price. I used to make elaborate trifles and candy trees, etc. but dessert this year will be assorted cookies from the Dancing Deer Co. They supply Whole Foods and have great tasting stuff. I have ordered cheesecakes on a stick from the Appetizer Store and everyone thought they were great. I hire one person to help with getting food out and help with clean up because this is a large party. I also enlist my friends to help serve the special drink, hand out favors, etc. We are very lucky to have a bunch of fun neighbors who have formed a tap dance group (The Tappin Santas) that entertain at our party each year. Be sure to have plenty of peppy Christmas music ready to go and enjoy your own party.
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lowspark
15 years ago
Blue Cheese Rugelach! Man does that sound good. I've never thought of making a savor rugelach! Would you mind posting the recipe, please?

The whole menu sounds wonderful!! Since it's an open house, you might think about having a whole lot of platters so that you can plate everything in advance and have the servers just bring in replacement trays/dishes as needed, rather than staying in the kitchen to plate as needed. Have fun!!
caliloo
Original Author
15 years ago
Here you go!

BLUE CHEESE RUGELACH Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½" makes 4 dozen
Variation of Ruthannas recipe n the RE.

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups walnuts, divided
4 oz. blue cheese, cut into cubes
1 large egg white
1 tsp. water

Dough:
In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Stir in flour and salt just until blended (or use mixer on low speed). Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each into a disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Filling:
Briefly toast walnuts in a sautÃÂ© pan or in the oven. In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse 1/2 cup walnuts until finely chopped; reserve in small bowl. In same food processor, pulse blue cheese and remaining 1 cup of walnuts 7 to 8 times or until a coarse mixture forms.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment or foil.

On floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll 1 disk of dough into a 10-inch round. Beginning 1 inch from outside edge, sprinkle 1/2 cup blue cheese mixture in 2 Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½"inch wide ring on dough, leaving dough exposed in center. Cut into 12 equal wedges. Starting at wide end, roll up each wedge, jelly-roll fashion.
Place rugelach, 1 inch apart, on cookie sheets, point side down. Repeat with remaining four dough disks. In small bowl, beat egg white and water. Brush rolls with egg white and sprinkle with reserved walnuts.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden, rotating sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through baking. Let stand for a minute or two and then transfer to wire racks to cool. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature up to 3 days.

To make ahead: Arrange unbaked rugelach in single layer in jelly roll pan; cover and freeze until firm. Remove from pan and place in freezer containers with waxed paper in between each layer. Seal and freeze up to 3 months. About 45 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 350. Line 2 large cookie sheets with foil; grease foil. Arrange frozen rugelach on prepared cookie sheets and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden.

Can also be prepared with a pitted date rolled into the center of each wedge.
User
15 years ago
Sounds wonderful Alexa! I think some olives and gherkins would be a nice sour touch but other than that......perfect.
lindac
15 years ago
sounds lovely....made with Maytag blue?
Pickles and wine are not good friends....just saying.
What struck me was the lack of cured meats, things like sausages salami, ham procsuitto etc...
Linda C
caliloo
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone!

I was thinking of putting some cured meats on the Cheese/fruit board.... and there will be a LOT of cocktails, not just wine, so the pickles/olives may be welcome. I will have to check....

I was considering adding tiny roasted potatoes, halved and scooped out and filled with Creme Fraiche and caviar..... What do you all think - add it or leave it off?

thanks again for all the input, I really appreciate it!

A
lowspark
15 years ago
Thanks for posting that. I've copied and pasted and will definitely be making those!!
wizardnm
15 years ago
It all sounds good to me. I'll pick your brain for all my parties!

One thing I'd add, if it was at my house, would be brown sugared bacon. Everyone loves that around here.

Nancy
lindac
15 years ago
I also have an issue with the baked brie....unless it's eaten within 8 to 10 minutes after coming from the oven it can get gluey and greasy.....why not just a wedge or a wheel of perfectly aged creamy brie...perhaps, if you mist, top with a warm chutney...but please don't put a baked brie on a cocktail table.
gardengal19
15 years ago
Speaking about bacon -- how about "Rumaki" -- chicken livers wrapped in bacon with a brown sugar-soy combination. This is usually served in a chafing dish with a can of sterno below to keep them warm. It looks nice on a buffet table. But, is there a buffet table? - or just the servers walking around?
jessyf
15 years ago
I'd inhale everything on your menu.

Your potatoes sound great. I'd sub out one of your meat items for another veggie - maybe stuffed shrooms, or strips of grilled portabellas. Grilled and skewered pineapples.
centralcacyclist
15 years ago
I love those little potatoes.

I agree with Linda about the baked brie. I love it but it doesn't hold well.

It all sounds delicious!
caliloo
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone!

I will be running the suggestions past the host/hostess. I am afraid they are pretty set on the baked brie (I agree with you all that it gets icky) but maybe I can talk them into baked brie bites in the little phyllo cups with various toppings instead. That way they would be butlered when they are warm and we can do several batches.

Thanks again!
dawnp
15 years ago
When I do Brie, I bake it in a chafing dish - then it goes on the table over the candle to keep it hot. It always works for me.
Islay_Corbel
15 years ago
Sounds glorious. I love olives with wine. It all sounds wonderful. Dribbling.....
eileenlaunonen
15 years ago
Thats my kinda cocktail party...def gonna make those Ruguleach
arabellamiller
15 years ago
When's the party Alexa? I can't wait for a full run down of what you served. I'm heading to a party tonight, but I'm not expecting much in terms of good food...
dirtundermyfingers
15 years ago
Where is my invite?? Just kidding, but your menu looks delish!

Stacie

Cocktail party menu

Comments (19)

teresa_nc7

caliloo
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Cocktail party menu

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