Food for a High School Graduation

I don't know what happens in your neck of the woods but where we live, parents (are expected to) give a party for their graduating high school seniors. They are usually "open house" type of events with big tents (40' x 80' or more) up on the front or back lawn with tons of chairs and tables. For our first two boys, Liz and I selected the barbeque format: pulled pork, sliced beef and chicken - nice buns, BBQed beans, corn bread, potato salad, etc. and beer and sodas.

Our last will be this late May/early June for our daughter. I'd like to do something equally economical but different. Frankly, I think everyone does the BBQ format. Our daughter has not yet made a recommendation. Any Ideas???

[Jenise]

Who will be doing the cooking, Jon, you and Liz or a caterer?

How about grilled chicken? If you have a Wegmans nearby you can buy Chiavettas BBQ Marinade. If not, I posted a recipe for it recently here. I made it for my sons' graduations, along with potato salad, green salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs, etc. Or, you could set up a big taco bar.

[Robin Garr]

Our daughter has not yet made a recommendation. Any Ideas???

My No. 1 suggestion, Jon, is to involve your daughter in the process before you decide. But I expect you know this.

If she says, "I dunno, you tell me," then ...

* Salad bar? A high-end, creative salad spread including lots of ham, chicken, seafood and other carnivorous garnishes for the meat lovers?

* Raw bar? Could get pricey, but I'll bet tubs of peel-your-own shrimp, crab legs and other goodies would be a big hit.

Who will be doing the cooking, Jon, you and Liz or a caterer?

Jenise, If I can avoid a caterer, that would be best ($$!). I expect to order something and go pick it up with as little actual cooking as possible. If I do end up cooking, that's OK too since I do enjoy it. Robin and Howie - I like those ideas and will talk at home about them this weekend.

What Robin said.....I made a huge mistake when I asked AFTER I planned.
We had Italian sausage/pepper/onion sandwiches in crusty rolls and the typical Italian antipasto platters of meats, cheeses, vegetables, olives etc.

My son requested brownies, bratwurst, hot dogs , hamburgers....he knew best what his friends would eat....no leftovers from this end of the buffet

[Jenise]

Well, if you're going to order something and pick it up, you're probably stuck with barbecue or traditional deli offerings. An alternative I can envision, however, is a riff off Howie's suggestion of a taco bar: use purchased BBQ pork and Costco roast chickens as the meat components. Piles of warmed up corn or flour tortillas as well as pre-made crisp ones, a platter of pulled pork, a platter of Costco roast chickens broken apart and drizzled with a Mexican-seasoned butter full of lightly squeezed lemon quarters (visually striking, tasty), and bowls of condiments, including a home-made pico de gallo. Other salsa, rice and beans, Mexican-flavored salads, chips, etc--all fairly easy to do/store/serve, or procure from Mexican restaurants.

What Robin said.....I made a huge mistake when I asked AFTER I planned.

My daughter knows that her input is the most important consideration; only if that is not forthcoming with we (the parents) step in with decisions/suggestions.

I kinda like the taco bar idea.

Jon,
I think the taco bar idea is perfect! You could have the various hot ingredients in chafing dishes, and all easily prepared and frozen weeks in advance. When we had our son's party we chose a beautiful lodge setting on a lake owned by a friend. It was a gorgeous 70F degree day as we planned the set up. Arrangements were made to have a caterer bring a huge grill and do all the BBQ things on site...lovely. The day came and it was rainy and cold, cold,cold. The guests I envisioned basking in the sun in their summer best, children frolicking on the lawn..instead were huddled by the fireplace as we scrambled for a place to stack winter coats. The poor caterer labored away under a tent, and managed to pull off a great meal in spite of the conditions. My point, I guess if there is one, that having something that can be a 'moveable feast' makes a lot of sense for this type of event
Another thing to consider is that many people graze at these parties because they are making the rounds, another advantage of the taco bar theme.

Congratulations to your daughter..and best of luck to you!

JB

Thank you, Julia, and everyone. I'll run this idea by my daughter this weekend. This is our last HS graduation!

I don't know what happens in your neck of the woods but where we live, parents (are expected to) give a party for their graduating high school seniors. They are usually "open house" type of events with big tents (40' x 80' or more) up on the front or back lawn with tons of chairs and tables. For our first two boys, Liz and I selected the barbeque format: pulled pork, sliced beef and chicken - nice buns, BBQed beans, corn bread, potato salad, etc. and beer and sodas.

Our last will be this late May/early June for our daughter. I'd like to do something equally economical but different. Frankly, I think everyone does the BBQ format. Our daughter has not yet made a recommendation. Any Ideas???

This tradition is not one I have heard of. Here in NO CA the kids go to a grad party at their schools. They work for days setting the theme in the gym or auditorium. Parents help too. The Parent groups raise funds all year and ask for donations from local merchants. They raffle off tickets all night and the kids who attend win great prizes. Even cars in years past. The kids are not allowed to leave the area, or go to their cars. If they do, they are not allowed back in, and if alcohol is suspect, parents are called. The kids are not allowed to drink any alcohol or bring it onto the premises. They are all night parties. Many of the parents are present and so are some of the school staff. There is always lots of food, games, prizes, and dancing.
On another site I visit, parents were doing taco bars. Kids really seem to love those. Having a ice cream sundae bar is fun too, after the dinner begins to wear off.