Catering for parties can be a fun and creative venture. Whether it is a breakfast party or dinner event, there are several foods, beverage and snack options you can choose from.
There are many catering options for parties. You can play it safe with the popular choice, or you can choose between different types of exotic delicacies to make your guests happy. Get creative and serve a variety of dishes to cater for all taste buds. Be creative as well when it comes to beverages, and don’t be afraid to go out on a limb to try something new.
Here are fifteen different catering options for parties:
1. Granola Bowls
A bowl of colourfully layered granola with yogurt and fruit is a great dish to serve for breakfast. It’s full of nutrients and can be creatively presented with colourful fruits, such as mixed berries, to make it a delicious, yet simple meal. It is a brilliantly light breakfast to kick off the morning, even though the fibre and protein in the granola are quite filling.
2. Quesadillas
Pair chicken and cheese filled tortillas with guacamole and salsa, and you have a winner. Add fillings like French fries, cheese or bacon, and it takes these up a notch. These are delicious and quite satisfying.
3. Breakfast Bagels
How about something different for a breakfast event? One of the best catering options for parties is a warm, crunchy bagel served with various toppings. Whether it’s simple cream cheese for the topping or bacon and egg, a breakfast bagel is delicious.
There is a range of complementing toppings you can serve bagels with such as butter, peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, cinnamon sugar, apple butter or, my personal favourite, Nutella.
4. Croissants
These buttery, fluffy and delicious pastries are great catering options for parties in the morning. They can be in different flavours such as almond, chocolate, apple, strawberry. Croissants can also be served with whipped cream, fruits, or Nutella.
5. Tacos
You cannot go wrong with tacos. However, instead of the usual taco fillings of tomato, sour cream, ground beef, lettuce, choose something different such as steak, fish, guacamole and salsa.
6. Fruit Skewers
Melons, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, raspberries and grapes can be skewered and beautifully presented as part of the spread at a catered event. The colours will attract attention and are quite appealing, especially for fruit lovers. Fruits are refreshing and very tasty, so your guests’ sweet tooth will be thoroughly served.
7. Muffins
This classic can be transformed from the usual plain muffin into something savoury, such as a bacon and egg muffin, or something fruity and sweet. Serve both alternatives and have all bases covered for the different taste buds out there.
Best of all, muffins are very easy to prepare. Your friendly catering service will be able to whip up some muffins and serve them to your guests in no time.
8. Pizza
Both meat lovers and vegetarians love pizza. The toppings can be customized to cater to different taste buds. It is simple to serve and easy to keep warm.
9. Waffle Bar
Create your own custom waffle bar and let guests choose their own toppings. Provide a variety of toppings, so guests can be spoilt for choice. Toppings can include sliced strawberries or bananas, peanut butter, jelly, chopped nuts, grated chocolate, raspberries, mini chocolate chips or blueberries. You can also use yogurt as a topping along with different syrups and sauces like chocolate sauce.
10. Beverages
Crazy as it seems, not everyone loves coffee. Keep the options open by serving various beverages such decaf coffee, tea, flavoured teas, herbal teas, dairy milk, nut milk such as almond milk, fresh fruit juice and, of course, water.
11. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Your catering options for parties may include some sandwiches. The simplicity of the grilled cheese sandwich is what makes it a perfect option. Serve freshly buttered and toasted bread filled with wonderfully tasty cheese.
This simple meal is quick to put together and can be tailored to suit different tastes. Apart from cheese, you can use other fillings such as ham slices, crispy bacon rashers, or lettuce to keep it meatless.
12. Lasagna
Lasagna is a tasty Italian dish, which features perfectly-baked layers of pasta, saucy meaty or vegetarian filling, béchamel sauce, and topped with cheese. The filling can be made using chicken, beef, pork or lamb for the meat lovers. This tasty dish is inexpensive, filling and easy to serve. It is easy to keep warm and can be sliced into desired servings and plated with veggies and extra tomato sauce.
13. Chicken Sandwiches
Rotisserie chicken makes a great sandwich filling. Using your choice of bread, create a sandwich filling of rotisserie chicken that’s been shredded into smaller pieces, mix it up with mustard or mayonnaise, and then layer it with lettuce and tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and olives to create a hearty sandwich.
14. Sharwama
Although traditionally made of lamb or mutton, you can also make shawarma using chicken, turkey, veal or beef. The meat should be thinly-sliced and served on a flatbread, such as a pita bread. For the filling, use tahini, and you can also add tomatoes and guacamole.
15. Sliders
These tiny burgers are a great catering option. They can be filled with beef, pork, chicken or turkey. Presented with different fillings, your guests will have a variety of options to choose from.
