We're planning a pool party for my boys who were born a day apart (they'll be 3 and 4). I didn't wanna do any cooking at the party but we will have chafing dishes available once I decide on the menu. I'd appreciate any recipe ideas you may have! The party will most likely consist of about 30 or so kids mostly between the ages of 1 and 5 and 30 adults. I do enjoy cooking and will probably do a little but I didn't want to go crazy since I'll be expecting number 4 within a month of the party. Thanks!!!!
Lol:) Thanks a lot ladies! Yes, we will have that many kids but their parents have always been excellent at keeping an eye on them! I've always enjoyed cooking for family gatherings...but somethings change a bit when you're expecting:) You both gave excellent ideas and I have actually thought about enchiladas so thnx Marda! I'm enlisting the help of family to help prepare food a day or two in advance so everything is relatively stress-free the day of. Thanks again for the great suggestions ladies!!
I find that the best thing about pool parties is that it doesn't matter about messy food cuz the kids can just get in the water. I would think...watermelon, popsicles, chicken scewers, brbqued corn on the cob, shish-kabobs...etc.
Have fun!
How about small sandwiches for the kids and bigger ones for the adults? Served with chips, gold fish crackers, fruit etc?
Do you have some friends that can come over and help you the day before the party to make the sandwiches? That way you don't have to cook.
Have a fun party and congrats on #4!
S.
Hot dogs are easy if you want to go that simple. If you wanted to go just a little "fancier", then you can do pigs in a blanket.
You could also just do sandwich triangles. They're easy enough to make and tend to be pretty kid friendly.
I would make big platters of sandwiches ahead of time, potato salad, chips, a big salad and have fun with the guests. You could have vegie trays and meat sandwiches, or you could have the offering out for people to make their own sandwiches and for the kids have some premade child friendly tray. Vegie trays, olives, cheese, dips
E., I'm speechless! And feel overwhelmed for you. At nearly every kids party with food that I've been to we've had hot dogs, hamburgers, or pizza. I've seen hotdogs cooked in water in a huge borrowed pan and then transferred to pans and set out. Some pizza places deliver in quanity.
Finger food seems to work best with kids. My grandson is 5 and he still leaves his plate to go back to playing. But if you give him a hotdog that he can hold he eats it. Almost as if he doesn't realize he's doing it.
I've liked it when the kids ate first with parents helping and then the adults ate. At one party the kids got hotdogs by choice and the rest of us had mixed grill.
Hot German potato salad would go well with mixed grill. You could probably order it from the Rheinlander or other German restaurant. I've found that restaurants who do take out frequently will prepare food in large aluminum pans to take out. A friend ordered enchiladas from a good Mexican restaurant. Putting pans of take out food in the chafing dishes would make hot food simple. You could also put hot dogs, hamburgers, and mixed grill barbecued ahead of time in chafing dishes.
I second watermelon, popsycles, carrot sticks, other easy finger foods.
Pool parties are fun! I just don't know how you can manage with 30 kids under 5 and 30 adults. Or did I read that wrong.
I started to say if I were doing it I would keep the food as simple as possible. Actually, I wouldn't be able to do it. :0)
You're brave!
My new favorite recipe is potato salad. The trick is to bake the potatoes. In the last batch I made I used 11 potatoes, 8 hard boiled eggs, 4 large dill pickles diced, 1 bunch of green onions, a splash or two of pickle juice, mayonnaise, mustard, onion salt, garlic, a little Johny's seasoning salt. Sorry I don't have more exact measurements, I cook like my grandma - a little of this/a little of that.
