To me, a menu is one of the most important and difficult parts of party planning. It is also one of my favorite things to figure out. While a great guest list and conversation will be what makes a party, food can certainly impact things. Everyone will have their own process to creating a menu and it really doesn’t have to be a complicated process. However, it can be a bit overwhelming when it is the first party you are planning. I thought I would share how I (or more accurately, Riley and I) figure out the menus for our parties.
Step 1: Celebration Type. Does this party have a theme? Is it a dinner party? Is in a backyard barbecue? Is it a family holiday? Think through the type of party you are planning for. Depending on that, there may be specific things that would be expected or welcomed as a part of the party. If it is a backyard barbecue, you are probably going to plan on hamburgers and sausage/hot dogs. If it is a dinner party, you may want a more put together and formal dinner of roasted veggies, salad and protein. If it were one of my family holidays, we would probably plan on polenta and beef stew. Whatever it is, think about the kind of event that you are hosting and if there will be any expectations.
Step 2: Feature Item. Based on your theme (or lack there of), there may be an obvious feature item. What I mean by feature item is the crowd pleaser or the item that you will base everything else around. It could be a great piece of fish, raviolis (a favorite for us), burgers, etc. For me, it is normally the protein part of the main course of the meal, but it doesn’t always have to be. It may be that your feature item is a kick-ass charcuterie board, then you have smaller tapas. Whatever it is, that feature item will become the core of your menu and what you plan everything else around.
Step 3: Supporting Items. Once you figure out your super star item, you can start figuring out all of the supporting items. A lot of the time, this becomes a fairly natural process after that feature item is decided. I always just like to write down whatever sounds good to me, then weed through them until I am happy with how everything works together. Balancing heavier foods with lighter food. Balancing salty foods, with sweeter or more acidic options. Making sure there are different textures. Examples:
- If we are having a cookout with burgers and sausages as the feature item, the supporting items become: spinach dip and chips and salsa as appetizers, grilled corn on the cob, green salad and chips as a side, pie as dessert
- If we are having a bridal shower with honey roasted salmon as the feature item, the supporting items become: stuffed mushrooms and prosciutto wrapped melon as appetizers, green spring salad, grilled veggies and light pasta salad as sides and a beautiful fruit tart for dessert
- If we are having a summer dinner party with raviolis in a browned butter sauce as the feature item, the supporting items become: A simple charcuterie board as an appetizer, a Cesar salad, grilled broccolini and asparagus and focaccia as sides and tiramisu for dessert.
Step 5: Quantities & Shopping List. Once I have figured out my menu, it is time to figure out how much you need of what. This is always the most stressful part for me! You never want to run out before everyone gets some, but also don’t want to end up with 15 hamburgers in your fridge after the party is over. My general rule of thumb is one ish serving per person per item (duh, lol). But this helps account for someone not taking something, others taking more. Here is roughly what I go by:
- Hamburgs/Sausages/Hot Dogs: one per person
- Meat/Seafood: 6 oz. per person (ish, you know your people, could be anywhere between 4-8 oz)
- Crab: 1 crab per two people (normal sized, CA crab)
- Lobster Tails: 1 per person (this is so bougy)
- Green Salad: 16 oz. container per 10 people
- Pasta or Potato Salad: 1/2-1 cup per person (depending on how many other sides there are)
- Corn: 1 cob per person
- Veggies: 1 cup per person
- Bread: 1.5 servings per person
- Pasta: 1.5 cups per person
- Dips: 1 standard recipe of dip per 5 people
- Chips: 1 bag chips per 10 people
- Charcuterie: 3 types of cheese, 2 types of meat and two types of crackers/bread per ten people
- Cake/Pie/Large Tart: One slice per person
- Cupcakes/Individual Tarts: 1.5 per person
- Small individual desserts: 2 per person
Step 6: Prep Plan. After I have figured out what we are serving and everything that I need to buy to make that menu, I figure out when I am going to make all of these delicious things. I will figure out if there is anything I can make ahead of time, then heat up the day of, what can be prepped ahead of time, what can be purchased pre-made and what will need to be the day of. Based on the meal examples I listed above, here is what my plan would be:
- Cook-Out:
- Burgers: form the day before, cook the day of
- Sausages: buy pre-made from butcher, cook the day of
- spinach dip: make the day before
- Salsa: buy pre-made from the grocery store
- grilled corn on the cob: prep in foil the morning of, cook with other items
- Green Salad: prep the morning of, dress when ready to serve
- Pie: make the day before
- Bridal Shower:
- Roasted Salmon: prep glaze the day before, get ready for cooking the morning of, put in oven when guests have arrived
- Stuffed mushrooms: prep the day before, put in oven 30 minutes prior to guests arriving
- Prosciutto wrapped melon: make the morning of
- Green Salad: prep the morning of, dress when ready to serve
- Grilled Veggies: prep/cut the day before, put on grill after guests have arrived
- Light Pasta Salad: make the day before
- Fruit Tart: buy pre-made from local bakery
- If we are having a summer dinner party with raviolis in a browned butter sauce as the feature item, the supporting items become: A simple charcuterie board as an appetizer, a Cesar salad, grilled broccolini and asparagus and focaccia as sides and tiramisu for dessert.
- Raviolis: make pasta dough and filling the day before, roll out dough and make raviolis the day of, cook and incorporate into sauce once guests have arrived.
- Charcuterie Board: layout the day before, unwrap everything shortly before guests arrive.
- Cesar Salad: prep the morning of, dress when ready to serve
- Grilled Broccolini & Asparagus: cut and prep the day before, grill once guests have arrived
- Focaccia: buy pre-made from local bakery or grocery store
- Tiramisu: make the day before
Party menus can be tough, but they don’t have to be! Just think it through and be strategic about what you are planning on serving! Until next time, friends… CML
