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Graduation season is the perfect time to throw a party.
You can celebrate with family and friends and show them how much you care about your loved one before they leave for college or graduate school.
However, graduation parties don’t have to be boring—they can be fun, delicious, and budget-friendly too!
In this blog post, we’ll go over some of our favorite foods to serve at your next grad bash.
Grilled vegetables
Grilling vegetables is a great way to get them cooked quickly and easily, but it also gives them an amazing smoky flavor. You can use any combination of vegetables you like, but here are some suggestions:
- Zucchini (sliced lengthwise)
- Bell pepper (sliced into strips)
- Eggplants (sliced into rounds)
- Baby red potatoes (cut into wedges)
Sushi
Making sushi is a great way to make a healthy and delicious meal. It’s something students can do themselves, and there are so many different types of sushi that you can have fun experimenting with new flavors and ingredients.
There are two main components to making sushi: the rice and the toppings. The rice should be prepared in advance, as it needs time to cool before being used in your sushi rolls. You’ll also want to pick out some veggies, meats, eggs and other proteins beforehand so that they’re ready when you start making your rolls. Then all you have to do is put everything together!
Serve your plates with chopsticks or forks—either way works just fine—and enjoy!
Ground turkey kebabs
The first thing you’ll want to do is get your grill ready. You can use a grilling rack, or better yet, skewers. Now that your grill is prepped, grab some ground turkey and put it in a medium-sized bowl. Add soy sauce and ginger to taste, then mix together with your hands until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Place the kebab meat on your skewers or grilling rack and cook over medium heat until done (about 10 minutes). Garnish with sesame seeds before serving!
Chicken wings
- How to make chicken wings:
- Cut the tips of the wings off, down to the second joint, and discard them.
- Cut along each side of the remaining top joint until you can pull it away from the lower section, exposing a small amount of bone at its base that should be cut away as well (or simply snap it off). You can now easily separate your wing into two pieces—the drumette (upper) and flat (lower) sections—and discard any remaining scraps or bones that remain attached to either end of these pieces.
- Have your butcher remove all excess fat and skin on each piece before cooking it; this will allow for faster cooking times because you won’t have to wait for fat or skin to render out into liquid during high-heat cooking methods such as frying or grilling (which are traditionally used most often).
Pasta salad
Pasta salad is a classic choice for graduation parties. It’s easy to make, delicious and filling. Pasta salads can be made in advance and kept cold until served, so they’re perfect for buffets or potlucks.
For an extra filling dish that will keep guests going through all night, add some protein such as chicken or tuna (or both). You can also use beans instead of meat to make it vegetarian-friendly. Add some salt and pepper to taste!
White rice
White rice, a staple of many graduation parties, is an easy and economical way to fill up hungry grads. The best part is that it’s fast and simple—all you need to do is boil some water with salt or seasonings in a pot on the stovetop or use your own rice cooker.
White rice can be paired with more than just Chinese takeout! It goes well with almost any meal: chicken fajitas; grilled cheese sandwiches; grilled tuna steaks; vegetarian chili; grilled salmon cakes. And don’t forget dessert! White chocolate mocha cheesecake (made with white chocolate chips and coffee liqueur) tastes great when served atop a bed of fluffy white rice.
If you’re worried about having enough room for all the food at your party table, try using one of our favorite tips from Cook’s Country magazine: “Before cooking grains like wild rice or barley,” they advise readers, “soak them in water overnight to speed up cooking time.”
Start with simple things and build on them over time.
When it comes to graduation parties, people often get anxious about the food. They think about all the dishes they need to make, and then they start to feel overwhelmed.
The reality is that you don’t have to make everything on your own! It’s perfectly fine for guests to bring something along if they want—after all, it’s hard work being a student these days.
What is the best food to serve at a graduation party?
The best food to serve at a graduation party will depend on the time of day and whether it is a casual or formal event. If you are having an early dinner, then serving chicken wings, burgers and hot dogs is always a hit. If your party is later in the evening after dinner has been served, then offering some finger foods like chips and salsa or cheese dip is a great way to keep everyone happy.
For a more formal graduation party where you will be serving dinner, consider serving a slow cooker meal that can be prepared in advance, such as beef brisket or pork roast. Then when it’s time for dinner, just set out the meat with all of the fixings and let everyone help themselves!
You can also use finger foods for a formal party as well. Hot dogs, vegetable platters and chips are all good choices for a graduation celebration. You might even consider making an ice cream sundae bar where guests can create their own sundaes using different toppings like marshmallows, nuts and sprinkles.
What’s good for a graduation party?
Graduation is a big deal. It’s a time of celebration and reflection, and it’s also a time to reflect on the years ahead. Whether you’re celebrating with a large group of friends or close family, a graduation party can be an exciting event for everyone involved.
The best way to ensure your graduation celebration goes smoothly is to get plenty of help. You’ll need someone to cook, someone to clean up, and plenty of people to celebrate with! If you’re planning your own party or have never planned one before, here are some ideas for what you can serve at your graduation party:
Foods for Graduation Parties
Everyone loves food! Food at a graduation party should be simple but elegant. Don’t serve anything too spicy or complicated — stick with easy dishes like pizza and finger foods that everyone can enjoy without making too much mess. Here are some other great ideas:
Graduation Cake
Cakes are usually served at graduation parties because they look wonderful and taste delicious! If you want to go all out with your cake, try making one that is shaped like a diploma or has something special written across it in icing. Alternatively, if you don’t want to make your own cake from scratch, consider buying one from a bakery or grocery store instead!
How much food should you have at a graduation party?
Graduation parties are a great way to celebrate the accomplishments of a young person, and it’s an occasion that deserves to be marked with a good party. Whether you’re hosting or attending, it’s important to plan ahead and have fun food at your graduation party.
How much food should you have?
The amount of food you need depends on how many guests you expect. For example, if you’re having 100 guests, then you might need about 125 pounds of meat (we’ll use chicken as our example) and about 1,000 grocery store cupcakes for dessert. You can also estimate how much food is needed by multiplying the number of people by .75 pounds of meat per person (or other protein) and 1.5 pounds of non-meat items like breads/fruits/vegetables per person. That gives us 150 pounds of protein (chicken) and 2,250 cupcakes for dessert!
How do you keep guests entertained at a graduation party?
Graduation parties are a time to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of our graduates. It is also an opportunity for family, friends and classmates to come together in celebration. Graduations can be a lot of work, but they should also be fun and memorable for your graduate and his or her guests.
If you are planning a graduation party for someone who has just completed high school or college, here are some ideas that will help you make the party memorable:
Food & Drinks
The most important thing at any party is food. It doesn’t matter if it’s a graduation party or not — food is always important! You can go traditional with burgers and hot dogs or try something more creative like cupcakes with different flavors of frosting or cookies decorated with sprinkles on top. If you want to keep things simple but still delicious, consider having different kinds of chips and other snacks available as well.
Entertainment
Music plays an important role in any party atmosphere so make sure there is something playing throughout the event. If you have the space available, it may be fun to have a DJ or band playing music all night long — however, this may not work if your venue does not allow amplified sound (such as inside).
Conclusion
Now that you have some good ideas for your graduation party, it’s time to get cooking! The best thing about these recipes is that they are all easy to prepare. You can make them in advance and have everything ready for when people arrive at your home. This will make hosting much easier on everyone involved.
