My son has an end-of-the-year school picnic Tuesday and everyone is supposed to bring a covered dish to share. I need some ideas (other than the typical pasta salad, macaroni salad, etc.). Anything you could share would be greatly appreciated.
What about cucumber sandwiches or celery with peanut butter in it? I know I made the celery logs for my older daughter's birthday party and the kids loved it!
I hope this helps.
Sue
How about more finger foods? I have an appetizer that is a HIT for ALL ages and ALWAYS get asked for the recipe no matter WHERE I take them.
2 pkgs light cream cheese, softened
1 pkg taco seasoning
2-3 c shredded cheese (I like light Mexican) but you can use what you like
1 -16 oz jar of salsa (I MUCH prefer the med thick and chunky w/ black beans and corn, but you can use what you want.
1. Blend cream cheese.
2. Add taco seasoning & salsa
3. Blend in shredded cheese
4. Spread mixture on LARGE tortillas; roll tightly and cut into 2-3" pieces.
+THESE can be made ahead of time, or just make the mixture ahead of time, or make some and make more when you need them. GREAT!
How about fresh fruit......WATERMELON! Watermelon & blueberries are an excellent combo, or combine it w/ strawberries, kiwi and other seasonal fruit for a great fruit salad.
Make fruit dip out of a container of light Cool Whip, 4 oz softened light cream cheese and 1 or 2 containers of your favorite yogurt (they do NOT have to be the same and is sometimes better if you combine them. Just serve strawberries, melon, kiwi or whatever fruit you think they might dip.
Easy/quick recipe: whole dill pickles, cream cheese (room temp) & dried beef
lay out 4-5 slices of beef, overlapping to create a long oval, spread with cream cheese (make sure it is really soft - I sometimes nuke it to make it spread easily) place pickle at one end and roll up. Chill, then slice. Always a hit and kids normally love pickles.
You can also roll up just about anything into soft tortilla shells - and then slice before serving - PB&J, cheese with sour cream and salsa, turkey and cheese, etc.
BROCCOLI SALAD
Mix
3 tblsp. Cider vinegar
1 cup mayo
3 tblsp. Sugar
Salad
4 cups fresh broccoli
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Mix together and marinate 8 hours or overnight.
CHINESE COLE SLAW
DRY INGREDIENTS:
1 bag broccoli salad
1 bunch green onions
2 pkgs beef ramen
1 cup slivered/blanched almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
DRESSING:
1 cup olive oil
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup sugar
Seasoning from ramen
Mix the 2 together and store in the fridge overnight to marinate.
My favorite kid friendly recipe is to tightly line the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan with ice cream sandwiches (buy 2 large boxes of them to be safe). You may have to cut a few of them to get them to fit. For an adult party, you can brush the tops of the sandwiches with Kahlua or Amaretto. Then put a thick layer of homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip on top. Decorate with chocolate syrup or sprinkles, put it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and you're done. You can even put it together the night before. A spatula works best to serve. Have funat the picnic!
I have made fruit kabobs for my daughters picnics for Brownies and school and for treats at various functions. Now even my older nephews want fruit kabobs. I just use whatever fruit is in season. Very simple and the kids love them. If you don't want to use the sticks cut the fruit and place in dixie cups. Good luck.
Jello Jigglers are always a hit, and easy to make.
I make these http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,191,132184-241193,00.html all the time. If it's mainly for kids, you can leave out the olives and onions (even though you can't really taste them) and add shredded cheese. I've found that for one pack of burrito shells, I can get by with just one bar of cream cheese, instead of two.I don't layer it on super thick. It's one of the most asked for finger foods at my family gatherings. You can add pretty much whatever you want to the cream cheese mixture. I've used ranch dressing instead of mayo and that tastes really good. It's a good base recipe, really easy (and cheap!) to make and eat. (I buy the olives that are already chopped and I put the green onions in the food processor to "dice" them.)
Ever tried jello pretzel salad? Something different, and its really good, kids should love it.
My favorite thing to take to parties and picnics is the Chicken Broccoli Braid. It's a Pampered Chef Recipe and can be found here:
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/pampered-chef-recipes/...
The difference is that I use refrigerated breadsticks, because they are already separated the way you need the dough instead of having to cut the dough into strips. I also don't add the egg white or almonds on top.
Everyone loves it and it looks so fancy!
I usually do simple stuff and kids love it. A bowl of fruit, cut up veggies and dip, roll up sliced ham or turkey and stick a toothpick in it! Sometimes I make my own trail mix with healthier ingredients: pretzels, rainsins, other dried fruit. You can also do that with your Chex Mix...add in whatever crackers, etc. you like.
Oh, one I almost forgot. Get whole pickles, cream cheese and thin sliced deli meat (even the cheap packaged stuff is great.) Spread the cream cheese on the a slice or two of the meat...wrap it around a whole, well drained pickle. Do this for all of the pickles. Then, slice each whole pickle into slices and put on a platter! Everyone loves it and it will take a minute for people to figure out how you made them!!!
Good luck!
My deviled eggs wth chicken salad filled in place of the standard egg part is always a hit..
Kids love food-on-a-stick and toothpicks are the perfect size. Lunch on a stick can be cooked/chilled tortilini (sp) or ravioli with chunks of cheese and olives (like anti-pasta salad). Or fruit on a stick - chunks of strawberries, bananas, fresh pineapple, grapes, etc. My kids love chunks of ham and cheese with grapes... I pack it for their lunch all the time.
It's easy and quick to pick up and eat outdoors.
My mother just reminded me of one that i used for a cookout the other day... pineapple bake - it is a side dish or even can be a dessert. It is REALLY easy and good!
1/4 lb butter (one stick)
1 cup sugar
cream together
add: 4 eggs, well beaten
add: 1 can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
fold in 5 slices of bread, cubed (can use white or wheat) i used light wheat, so it wasn't too dense
bake in greased casserole dish (9x13 or so) for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
I also put maybe a teaspoon or so of cinnamon into the mix while experimenting - you might try to sprinkle some on top?
Good luck!
C.
