Thread: What types of party food can I make ahead?

Tweet

What are some things that you can suggest that I could start making ahead of time and would be good for my party?
I'm sure a cake or cupcakes and cookies can be kept a few days but what about cheese ball type thing or say spinach dip or anything
else you can think of. I would prefer not to be killing myself the day of the party. I think I've given up on the idea of hot items just with
cooking them and keeping them warm etc. I suppose I could use crockpots for maybe hot wings (batwings) or maybe little hot dogs or
meatballs. I could do one big grill time and do dogs and burgers and then everyone could be on their own to fix them. I am party illiterate.
They say admitting it is the first step, please help me.

I think the majority of dips can be made ahead of time. Even ones that are served warm can be made the day before and then just pop em in the oven before guests arrive. Deviled eggs can be made ahead as well (but be prepared for your fridge to smell like farts lol). Crock pots are definately your best friend! Throw the ingredients in and you're good to go. Most cakes, cupcakes and cookies are ok to make ahead too, just make sure they're covered good. An appetizer I always make that is real simple & quick, uses mini frozen phyllo cups. Last year I filled them with a ground Portuguese sausage and bell pepper. This year I'm going to fill them with shaved steak and cheese sauce (like Philly cheese steak). Whatever filling you plan on using, make it the day before then simply fill the cups before the party and pop them in the oven until they heat up. Super easy

Cream cheese and picante sauce mixed in the blender looks gross but is wonderful. It will keep for days. I serve it in a small hollowed out loaf of pumpernickel bread with the top cut to resemble an open coffin. I insert a pretzel stick with toothpicks for the handle.

We sometimes cook a brisket the day before and pop it in the oven to warm. We call it freshly flayed flesh--great with barbecue sauce!

I do a hominy salad the day before (potato salad would work) and hollow out a pumpkin and carve it with a big mouth. The salaad fills the inside and erupts out of the mouth.

I have a couple of cake pans that I can make cakes earlier---skeleton and JOL.

Like said above almost any dip can be done several days ahead of time. Pretty much everything can be done the day before. What do you plan to have?

Have to agree - most dips can be made the day before, or even 2 days as they taste better that way anyway! Same with chili.

An easy meatball appetizer I like to make is to just put the frozen pre-made meatballs in a crockpot (I use a 1.5 liter crock), pour over some grape jelly (usually 1 medium size jar) & 1 bottle of Chili sauce. Turn the crock pot on & allow to cook for a few hours until the meatballs are thawed & the sauce is melded. Sounds weird but the sauce ends up being a sweet N sour, bbq-ish type.

If you're making pigs in a blanket, wrap them up the night before & bake off that day.

The only thing I'd hold off on filling the day before is any small tartlet or phyllo cups as they can become soggy after sitting filled overnight. Make the filling, sure but then fill & bake off the same day.

Certain snack mixes are fine. Try this one, a Harvest Trail Mix. Easy to make. Fresh honey roasted peanuts (or canned are fine), candy corn, and peanut M & Ms. Just cover the container. Also, make sure people don't just eat the peanut M & Ms from the mix!

Halloween dirt. Ingredients needed are Oreos, gummy worms, instant pudding mix, and milk. Google for a variety. Plus you get to pulverize the Oreo Cookies! Refigerating for a few days shouldn't hurt at all.

Sloppy Goblins. Also called barbeque. My wife makes it up a day or two in advance. Reheat and serve.

Pre-formed brain molds with jello.

Yes, there are certainly dips which can be made in advance and stored.

Crock pots are definitely a stand-by. You can place food in them the day before, or in the morning. Some other ideas to use them would be pub burgers (pre-cooked), a spiced apple cider mix, hot dogs and sauerkraut, soups and stews. And these can all be changed a bit to give it that Halloween theme or fall flavor. Just browse the web, there are tons of recipes and ideas. Good luck.

A very simple crock pot idea is bbq sausages. Cut your favorite smoked sausage into 1 inch pieces, put into crockpot, add chopped onion and bbq sauce. Turn on high until sauce starts to bubble, leave on low until you are ready to serve. Stir occasionally. Simple, yet very good! We like to call that one "Bloody Bits". Most casserole type dishes can be premade and heated the day of the party also. I like to do a baked penne pasta with alfredo sauce and blackened chicken and a taco bake. Both always go over really well.

Cakes can certainly be made ahead of time. I made my skull cake a couple of weeks ago. Wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap & 2 layers of foil, popped into a ziploc and into the freezer. Thaw cake a day or two before, frost (once thawed) and it's ready.

I haven't had much experience freezing cookies. It might depend on the cookie.

You can also make tortilla rounds (Tortillas, mix cream cheese, black olives and green chilies together and spread over the tortilla). After you roll them up, put them in the freezer until the night before the party to let them thaw and then cut them in whatever size you like (usully 1 inch though).

As mentioned already, cakes can be baked a couple of weeks ahead, BUT you need to freeze them. I'm a pastry chef, I know these things . If you don't freeze them, they will stale quickly. Any baked goods made well ahead should be frozen. The refrigerator is the enemy. Fridge temps will cause starches to convert from their gelatinized state back to their natural crystaline state, which forces the moisture from them, and the moisture then migrates out of the product. Freezing will cause a small, but acceptable loss of moisture since you pass thru the "temperature danger zone" twice, but it's brief.

Originally Posted by Ichabod Crane

As mentioned already, cakes can be baked a couple of weeks ahead, BUT you need to freeze them. I'm a pastry chef, I know these things . If you don't freeze them, they will stale quickly. Any baked goods made well ahead should be frozen. The refrigerator is the enemy. Fridge temps will cause starches to convert from their gelatinized state back to their natural crystaline state, which forces the moisture from them, and the moisture then migrates out of the product. Freezing will cause a small, but acceptable loss of moisture since you pass thru the "temperature danger zone" twice, but it's brief.

Thanks for the explanation!! I knew the "whys" but couldn't explain the "whys".....