In just two days' time we'll be celebrating our 19 year old son's amazing achievement of earning his Commercial Pilot's License. He'll be coming home from the mainland tired and happy to be greeted by well-wishers and many of his favorite foods. Here's the party menu based entirely on his faves, factoring in the fact that I have very little prep time and my oven is broken. I hope he doesn't read this post, as it's supposed to be a surprise!
PILOT'S PARTY MENU
Prime Rib Roast Platter (with potato buns and condiments for making mini-sandwiches) - will be cooked in my mini-convection oven or the electric roaster - very easy 'No-Fail' technique
Sushi platter - purchased - these are a great addition to a party menu for time savings and they're not expensive if you choose your sushi-chef wisely. Sushi's fun to make, but not when there's so much else to prepare.
Stuffed Bacon-wrapped Jalapenos - a new fave, and the recipe's on this blog - prep work can be done day before
Devilled Eggs - his perennial favorite - he's always been an egg eater and when he was little I think he ate his weight in devilled eggs at a couple of family gatherings - see recipe on this blog - can boil and peel the day before, then make filling early the day of
One in a Million Wing Dip - very cheesy - he's been asking for it for MONTHS and you'll find this recipe on the blog, too - I think this could be made a day or two ahead and then slowly heated in crockpot the afternoon of the party
Veggie Tray - this is for the sake of our guests, not because my son will be craving veggies - also it's quick 'n easy and my husband will prepare it for me
Citrusade - another he's been craving for months - simple syrup mellows fresh-squeezed orange, lemon and lime juices
Microbrews - he's a beer snob. I think it's because I let him taste the real thing in Belgium at age 4. It was all about the right combination of foods with beers, and the Europeans have it down pat. At least I know he won't drink much when he moves out, as he won't be able to afford his own good taste.
Scotcheroons - cut into small squares - one of his favorite sweets, can be made ahead with no baking involved - it's all done on the stovetop
Strawberries with confectioner's sugar for dipping - again for the sake of having some fresh produce as it's not necessarily a favorite of my son's - could do chocolate fondue, but this is prettier, easier, less messy, and there's already chocolate icing on the Scotcheroons
I'd like to have one more sweet item, but I'm out of time. If I come up with some nice cookies or something else ready made, that'll be great. I had planned to bake a cake, until I remembered my oven issues. Hmmm....I think there are still some chocolate dessert cups in the pantry - maybe I'll have time to whip up some orange chiffon to fill them with. They're a wonderful finger-food dessert.
We've talked about limiting the number of labor intensive menu items, and you know I'm a big fan of cheese trays for cocktail-type parties because they're both elegant and easy. But for this party, knowing how often I've put my son off when he asked for wing dip, I've opted to forgo the cheese platter for the more time-demanding, cheese-heavy dip. It'll definitely be worth it for the hug I'll get.
The only thing a bit labor intensive is the jalapenos, especially if I blanch them to take some of the fire out of them. I plan to prepare them a day ahead. They have better flavor if grilled, so I'll have my husband partially grill them early on the day of the party, then finish them off in the convection oven before serving. They're fine at room temp, but I prefer to serve them hot. That's the only item on the menu that I'll have to heat in batches throughout the course of the evening. In fact, I may not even need to do that, as I have an electric warming tray I could employ.
So now you have a pretty easy finger food menu with most items that can be made ahead of time. Personalize it for your next gathering, but remember - keep it simple!
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