Help me think up an appetizer to make for my wedding!
June 16, 2011 3:40 PM Subscribe
OK, so I've been talked out of the craziness that was my idea to make pulled pork for my own wedding. But I still want to make an appetizer. Please help me figure out what to make! Logistical details inside.
We are now serving pizza as the main dish at our wedding, which is in late July in Berkeley, CA. Select awesome friends & family members will be making appetizers/hors-d'ouvres for the post-ceremony/pre-dinner milling around time, and I would love to make something as well. Here are the relevant logistical details:
- Should be finger food.
- Things that are already being made include bite-sized tamales, deviled eggs, caprese kabobs (I know, right?), homemade pretzels, spring rolls, mini quesadillas. There isn't really a theme beyond "awesome finger food," although things that theoretically go well with a pizza dinner get extra credit.
- There will be 150 guests, but there don't need to be 150 portions of every appetizer. As few as 50 is fine, though 100-150 would be great if it's not too much of a hassle.
- Everything needs to be served at room temperature, but can be refrigerated beforehand. It cannot be heated up.
- Perhaps most important: I'll need to make the appetizer at least a week in advance, and then freeze it. So, it needs to be something that can be frozen, and then is still fantastically delicious when thawed.
So! Any suggestions? I'm a decent cook and have no trouble at least attempting ambitious recipes, but the key is that it be delicious, freezable, room-temp, and require no utensils beyond a toothpick if needed.
Thanks in advance!
We are now serving pizza as the main dish at our wedding, which is in late July in Berkeley, CA. Select awesome friends & family members will be making appetizers/hors-d'ouvres for the post-ceremony/pre-dinner milling around time, and I would love to make something as well. Here are the relevant logistical details:
- Should be finger food.
- Things that are already being made include bite-sized tamales, deviled eggs, caprese kabobs (I know, right?), homemade pretzels, spring rolls, mini quesadillas. There isn't really a theme beyond "awesome finger food," although things that theoretically go well with a pizza dinner get extra credit.
- There will be 150 guests, but there don't need to be 150 portions of every appetizer. As few as 50 is fine, though 100-150 would be great if it's not too much of a hassle.
- Everything needs to be served at room temperature, but can be refrigerated beforehand. It cannot be heated up.
- Perhaps most important: I'll need to make the appetizer at least a week in advance, and then freeze it. So, it needs to be something that can be frozen, and then is still fantastically delicious when thawed.
So! Any suggestions? I'm a decent cook and have no trouble at least attempting ambitious recipes, but the key is that it be delicious, freezable, room-temp, and require no utensils beyond a toothpick if needed.
Thanks in advance!
Can the appetizer be sweet?
Chocolate covered strawberries, fruity fun skewers, or stuffed apricots.
Another idea is sugared nuts. Make 150 individual servings in foil cupcake liners.
I'm mentioning fruit because it's easy, refrigerates well, but I wouldn't freeze, so it may not be a good option. You are very ambitious. I would probably order chocolate covered strawberries, or another appetizer, and call it a day. Congrats and good luck.
posted by Fairchild at 4:03 PM on June 16, 2011
Chocolate covered strawberries, fruity fun skewers, or stuffed apricots.
Another idea is sugared nuts. Make 150 individual servings in foil cupcake liners.
I'm mentioning fruit because it's easy, refrigerates well, but I wouldn't freeze, so it may not be a good option. You are very ambitious. I would probably order chocolate covered strawberries, or another appetizer, and call it a day. Congrats and good luck.
posted by Fairchild at 4:03 PM on June 16, 2011
Bruschetta and crostini have infinite variations and are easy and delicious. I make ratatouille with tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, etc. (So long as it's in season). Not so much "make aheadable".
How about arancini? Risotto balls filled with cheese and herbs deep fried with breading. You could definitely freeze them.
You could also try mini chicken cordon blue or chicken kievs. My husband loves beef with horseradish in mini yorkshire puddings (though you could use bread or ready made pastry cups).
Or go indian: samosas or naan with dips/chutneys.
Congrats and good luck!
posted by guster4lovers at 4:09 PM on June 16, 2011
How about arancini? Risotto balls filled with cheese and herbs deep fried with breading. You could definitely freeze them.
You could also try mini chicken cordon blue or chicken kievs. My husband loves beef with horseradish in mini yorkshire puddings (though you could use bread or ready made pastry cups).
Or go indian: samosas or naan with dips/chutneys.
Congrats and good luck!
posted by guster4lovers at 4:09 PM on June 16, 2011
Mini muffins? Easily made ahead of time and frozen, and the flavor combinations are endless. Sweet and savory variations found here on the Tastespotting page.
posted by raisingsand at 4:11 PM on June 16, 2011
posted by raisingsand at 4:11 PM on June 16, 2011
Mini quiche satisfy all your criteria, are delicious, and look pretty!
posted by yawper at 4:20 PM on June 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by yawper at 4:20 PM on June 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Just a hint from someone who has done this before (catering, restaurant work, etc.). You should plan on having 5-7 bites of food per person if you're serving a light meal, 3-4 bites before a full/heavy meal. Technically speaking, you should plan for at least 10 different hors-d'ouvres for 150 guests. I think you can probably fudge that a bit.
Here's a formula I've used countless times (and have been directed to use by executive chefs and catering owners): Number of bites desired per person times the number of guests divided by the number of different hors d'oeuvres being served. So, if you're shooting for 3-4 bites per person x 150 guests (does that include the wedding party?) /the seven types you listed (six plus yours), you'll need: 85 of each piece of food. 85 mini quesdillas, 85 caprese kabobs (I LOVE THESE; you can do a balsamic reduction for them, too!), 85 egg rolls, etc.
As for what you should make, I would maybe do some curried nuts (or even Italian-spiced nuts) or caramelized red onion and feta tartlets or pesto palmiers!
Congratulations and good luck!
posted by cooker girl at 5:44 PM on June 16, 2011 [7 favorites]
Here's a formula I've used countless times (and have been directed to use by executive chefs and catering owners): Number of bites desired per person times the number of guests divided by the number of different hors d'oeuvres being served. So, if you're shooting for 3-4 bites per person x 150 guests (does that include the wedding party?) /the seven types you listed (six plus yours), you'll need: 85 of each piece of food. 85 mini quesdillas, 85 caprese kabobs (I LOVE THESE; you can do a balsamic reduction for them, too!), 85 egg rolls, etc.
As for what you should make, I would maybe do some curried nuts (or even Italian-spiced nuts) or caramelized red onion and feta tartlets or pesto palmiers!
Congratulations and good luck!
posted by cooker girl at 5:44 PM on June 16, 2011 [7 favorites]
This isn't, like, an "awesome finger food," but may I suggest some kind of appetizer that doesn't involve bread? I know this is your wedding, but as a person who doesn't eat gluten or grains, your wedding menu is sort of my nightmare (I'd be huddled in the corner hoarding deviled eggs). Cubes of nice charcuterie type meats would be nice (Italian ones could complement the pizza well), or even chicken wings with interesting sauces.
posted by telegraph at 6:35 PM on June 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by telegraph at 6:35 PM on June 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
How good are you in the kitchen? How serious are you? Confit some duck, well ALOT of duck. For 150 people, I'd do at least 20 ducks. You'd need ALOT of duck fat and a couple of people to help you, but trimming the ducks and cooking them as you go would totally get you enough duck fat to make it work, but duck confit on brioche croutons drizzled with a dark berry/balsamic vinegar reduction would be pretty amazing.
It could also be done plenty ahead of time and be held. In fact, it would help develop flavor if you cooked the duck a couple of days ahead and shredded the meat and stored it in it's fat for a week or so.
I also love to do shit like this, so YMMV.
posted by TheBones at 7:10 PM on June 16, 2011
It could also be done plenty ahead of time and be held. In fact, it would help develop flavor if you cooked the duck a couple of days ahead and shredded the meat and stored it in it's fat for a week or so.
I also love to do shit like this, so YMMV.
posted by TheBones at 7:10 PM on June 16, 2011
I'm not finding a recipe for it, but I've made the following, which people devour:
small fig or part of a fig (1/2? 1/4?)
topped with brie
If you're feeling extra fancy, you can top that with a nut or part of a nut (I've used walnuts, I would think almonds or hazelnuts would be good, too)
and/or drizzle with honey
I haven't frozen this, but they can live in the fridge for a while.
posted by cestmoi15 at 7:11 PM on June 16, 2011
small fig or part of a fig (1/2? 1/4?)
topped with brie
If you're feeling extra fancy, you can top that with a nut or part of a nut (I've used walnuts, I would think almonds or hazelnuts would be good, too)
and/or drizzle with honey
I haven't frozen this, but they can live in the fridge for a while.
posted by cestmoi15 at 7:11 PM on June 16, 2011
PS - Bacon wrapped dates. You can keep them simple, as described, or put things like almonds or a soft cheese (brie, goat, etc) in the middle. Yum.
posted by telegraph at 7:44 PM on June 16, 2011
posted by telegraph at 7:44 PM on June 16, 2011
I recently tossed tortellini in pesto sauce (i used sundried tomato pesto) and then speared each tortellini with a toothpick and served them at room temp. They were mega easy to make, and everyone raved that they loved them.
You don't really have anything that's a canape - a square of cocktail bread (you know, those little square loaves of bread) topped with something like goat cheese and roasted red peppers would probably be delicious.
I was also going to suggest some kind of fig/cheese/nut thing, but i see its already been suggested, but its DELICIOUS. However i would think that the 'in advance' element might not work?
(Also, aren't spring rolls and quesadillas going to be not-so-great at room temp?)
posted by Kololo at 8:03 PM on June 16, 2011
You don't really have anything that's a canape - a square of cocktail bread (you know, those little square loaves of bread) topped with something like goat cheese and roasted red peppers would probably be delicious.
I was also going to suggest some kind of fig/cheese/nut thing, but i see its already been suggested, but its DELICIOUS. However i would think that the 'in advance' element might not work?
(Also, aren't spring rolls and quesadillas going to be not-so-great at room temp?)
posted by Kololo at 8:03 PM on June 16, 2011
Artichoke balls I've used this recipe for years, it freezes well. You can cook them before freezing.
posted by JujuB at 8:29 PM on June 16, 2011
posted by JujuB at 8:29 PM on June 16, 2011
You know that Bisquick recipe that has sausage and cheddar cheese rolled into balls? I might try to modify that to use Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese.
posted by CathyG at 8:13 AM on June 17, 2011
posted by CathyG at 8:13 AM on June 17, 2011
I have to second cake balls. Depending on the mix, frosting, and candy melts that you use, they don't always turn out super-sweet. Maybe something like carrot cake with cream cheese frosting would be a bit more savory? But I love mini-desserts, even as an appetizer finger food, so YMMV. They're surprisingly simple to make, and look good even when they're awful. You'll get into a rhythm very quickly with them. We used mini cupcake liners to make them into handy single servings. A similar idea is making oreo truffles.
You could also build off of the caprese kabobs...maybe make mini-kabobs with Italian meats and cheeses?
posted by kro at 11:42 PM on June 17, 2011
You could also build off of the caprese kabobs...maybe make mini-kabobs with Italian meats and cheeses?
posted by kro at 11:42 PM on June 17, 2011
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posted by rhapsodie at 3:56 PM on June 16, 2011 [1 favorite]