We are having a birthday party for our 2 yr old on Sunday in the afternoon. We'll definitely have a cake, and would like to just have appetizer-type foods instead of serving a lunch. Does anyone have any great ideas or recipes to share? I'd like to keep it simple, but really good food that both adults and kids will enjoy! Thanks!
Mini Cheesecakes--
Graham Crackers with cream cheese, then a layer of any kind of jam/jelly.
Kids love it!
Love doing fruit salsa. Get a mix of different colors of fruit, just one of each fruit that you like- it makes a lot of salsa- some options are fresh kiwi, frozen or fresh strawberry or raspberries, fresh or frozen peaches, canned or fresh pineapple, canned mandarin oranges, pears, apples, bananas. Finely dice the fruits. Add a tablespoon of brown sugar and a couple tablespoons of apple jelly. Make tortilla chips by getting round soft shell tacos, spray cooking spray on the shells, spinkle with a bit of cinnamon & sugar, use a pizza cutter to cut into wedges and bake for about 5 minutes or until crispy.
Saltine crackers made into sandwiches with peanut butter always go over big with kids. Also, cheese and sausage cut into fun shapes. Veggies and dip are fun for kids too, or anything you can dip. You can get dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets at Sam's club, and there are frozen "ABC" shaped tator tots too. (even adults like these)
BBQ meatballs in crock pot just add cooked meat balls add whatever bbq sauce u like cook on low yummo
Finger foods are always a great way to go...I have an awesome 3-meat stromboli sandwich app. Very easy, very good, and always a hit!
1 loaf frozen bread dough - let thaw and rise
Meat - pepperoni, salami, ham
Cheese - Provolone, Amer, Pepperjack, sliced is best!
Butter
Garlic powder/salt
Pizza sauce
Roll out bread dough into a rectangle, spread with butter, sprinkle with garlic. Down the middle, layer cheese, meat, cheese, meat.....as many layers as you like (I do 4-5) Fold dough over and pinch middle and ends together. Place on cookie sheet - seam down. Spread a little butter and garlic on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Slice up into finger size pieces and serve with warm pizza sauce. Enjoy!
Kraft has a great recipe for a Spinach Artichoke dip that has always been a hit at our parties. Here's the link:
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/cheesy-spinach-artic...
I always make it in a dip-size crock pot. It keeps it nice and warm throughout the party. Great with crackers, bread, tortilla chips, etc. Have fun!
Appetizer parties are my favorite. :) I usually have a homemade cheese pizza (in case a little person hasn't had much for lunch) cut up into small squares, chips & salsa, fruit salad, and some sort of fancy cheese (like a cheese ball or a baked brie). I'm a Pampered Chef consultant, and PC has a ton of appetizer recipes - there's a great mini-cheeseburger recipe and lots of mini quiche type things. Email me directly if you want that info - ____@____.com.
You have some great ideas so far... another idea...
mini pizzas, easy to make and everyone loves them!
--refrigerated biscuits
--pizza sauce
--mozzarella cheese
--pepperonis
--sliced tomatoes
--any other topping
flatten out the biscuits put the sauce on followed by all the toppings you want to add. Cook according to the biscuit package (both time and temp), might need to add/take off a minute or two to have the cheese/meat melted/cooked without burning the biscuit.
The kids love the cheese and pepperoni as well as the adults but the added grown up touch of sliced tomatoes or any extras makes them a big hit with all!
Little smokies and meatballs in a crockpot with BBQ sauce!!! Everyone LOVES those no matter what age.
Meat and cheese tray.
Beer bread (from Tastefully Simple) and dip.
Fresh fruits and veggies tray. (Carrots, grapes, etc.)
You could purchase those cresent rolls and let them make sandwiches out of them.... Just have the fixings-like subs.
roll up sandwiches: tortillas with light layer of ranch, turkey, shaved carrots, shredded lettuce. roll them up and then slice to kid size portions. kids and parents like them.
cheese, crackers, summer sausage
deviled eggs,
hummas and pita bread
mini muffins
fruits
How about pigs in a blanket? All you do is get the Pillsbury crescent rolls in a can and wrap them around the hot dogs and bake them. I don't know a 2 year old that doesn't love hot dogs.
The one thing that I find my two year old and my nieces eating the most at our dinner parties are the fruit kabobs with dip. They absolutely love them. They are colorful and delicious. Here is the recipe:
1 carton strawberries, cleaned without stems, left whole
1 bunch red seedless grapes
1 pineapple, cut into large chunks
1 cantaloupe, cut into large chunks
4 kiwis, skinned and cut into thick half moon shapes
~ 20 small kabob sticks
Skewer the fruit in this order to make it look like a rainbow. Grape, strawberry, cantaloupe, pinapple, kiwi. The grape should be furthest from the pointed end of the stick. Arrange the skewers on a platter with the fruit dip (recipe below).
Fruit Dip:
1 container strawberry cream cheese
1 container marshmallow cream
Blend cream cheese and marshmallow cream together until smooth. Put into small serving bowl
Hopefully you will find this as delicious and fun as my family does. It is fun to have the kids help with putting the fruit on the sticks (be careful of the pointed end though).
