Best party foods in a no-fridge situation?!
Best party foods in a no-fridge situation?
I am helping to throw a party in a hotel suite for a large fireworks event. The problem is, the suite is unfinished, and there is no refridgerator. I'm thinking a big tub full of ice will work to keep the beverages fresh, but I'm having a hard time thinking of cool snacks to keep on hand.
The party will last several hours and will include twenty people. Right now all I can think of is sandwiches and chips and maybe a veggie tray... any more creative ideas?
Answers:
I was in a similar bind last spring when I had to host a birthday party in a park. It's a challenge to find things that are at least a little bit "dressy" that won't spoil at room temperature. I don't remember every single thing I served, but these are some of them. People liked them and they stayed tasty for the length of the party.
Assorted Crostini
--1 to 2 baguettes sliced on the diagonal about 3/4-inch thick
--1 to 2 teaspoons good olive oil
--1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
Brush each slice slightly with oil and lay them out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast them at 375 until crisp and golden at the edges, but not dried out, about 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven and rub each one VERY lightly with the cut side of a garlic clove. Salt the slices lightly and keep tightly covered until ready to use. (You can do them a day ahead.)
Spread with any or all of the following:
--Black Olive Tapenade (Most supermarkets sell this in jars or tubs now, and it's fine to use if you want to cut down on hassle. If you want to make it yourself, just coarsely grind about 10 ounces of pitted Kalamata olives in a food processor with a good drizzle of olive oil, juice of one lemon, a teaspoon drained capers, a tablespoon chopped fresh (or a teaspoon dried) oregano, and pepper to taste. Since the olives are salty you probably won't need any more salt. Spread evenly over the bread and top with a whole pitted olive or two and a tny oregano sprig.
--Mushroom Topping for Crostini
Wash and coarsely chop about 12 ounces fresh mushrooms. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a saute pan and saute 3 chopped garlic cloves for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until limp. The mushroom will drink up the pan liquid quickly and it may seem like you need more oil, but as they release their juices they will become moist again. Stir in a tablespoon of chopped thyme and stir 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, plenty of salt and pepper, and a handful of chopped parsley. When ready to serve, mound the mixture lightly on the crostini and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
--Classic bruschetta
Drain a 28-ounce can of diced or "chef's cut" tomatoes in a colander. Add about a teaspoon of salt and let the tomatoes sit and drain for about 1/2 an hour. You want them to release some juice so that the bruschette don't get soggy, and the salt helps.
Mix the tomatoes with as much garlic as you like (I make mine pretty garlicky, about 4 large minced cloves) and lots and lots of roughly chopped fresh basil leaves. Add a little pepper and check the salt. Mound the mixture onto the toasts and serve. If you assemble them 8 or so at a time as they are needed during the party, they won't have a chance to get soggy.
Tortellini Skewers with Dip
Cook a half pound each of regular cheese tortellini and cheese-filled spinach tortellini until al dente. Drain, rinse briefly in cold water, and drain again. Put them in a bowl and drizzle lightly with olive oil so they don't stick together.
Make dip: Combine 1 cup creme fraiche, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, juice of 2 lemons plus grated zest of 1, 3 cloves garlic (minced), and salt and pepper to taste. You can use the dip right away, but it's best if it's chilled for a few hours or overnight to blend flavors.
Use those frilly cocktail toothpicks. Spear a cheese and a spinach tortellino on each one. Set the bowl of dip inside a larger bowl filled with crushed ice and water.
Note: This dip is delicious, but if you're really pressed for time, stick some bottled Caesa dressing in a bowl and call it a day! Just keep it cool.
Fig and Blue Cheese Bites
Take dried large figs (the biggest you can find) and with scissors, cut a deep slit in each from top almost to bottom, but don't cut in half. Use your fingers to pinch gently so that the "pocket" opens up a little. Fill each with a rounded teaspoon of your favorite creamy blue cheese--gorgonzola, Danish blue or bleu d'Auvergne will all work. Press a toasted walnut half into the cheese filling so thatit pokes out of the edge. Serve on a platter garnished with clusters of red or green grapes.
And my favorite: Caprese Salad on a Stick!
You need wood or bamboo skewers about 4 or 5 inches long for these. Most party stores and some fancy-food stores carry them. Regular wood skewers cut in half won't be as pretty, but they'll work.
Use those tiny balls of water-packed fresh mozzarella if you can find them. Otherwise use the bigger balls and cut them in cubes of about 3/4 inch. Drain them on paper towels, and salt and pepper them lightly.
You'll also need cherry (or those oval-shaped "grape") tomatoes, lots of basil leaves torn onto strips, and some extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling.
Thread each skewer as follows:
--tomato
--basil strip rolled up loosely and pierced through the middle (or use a whole leaf if it's small)
--cube of cheese
--tomato
--basil
--cheese
...until all are used, or until you have all the skewers you need. Arrange on a platter. These are easy, good, and colorful.
I hope you find something here that's useful. Enjoy your party!
You can also do fingers desserts like cup cakes and stuff like that
You can also buy chicken fingers they can be served at room temp. and work well and people seem to enjoy.
Salsa and chips
a tray of pickels and diff. olives can also be served at room temp.
I also have a recipe for linigine salad which is best served at room temp.
1 box lingine cooked
1 8 oz. bottle italian salad dressing
3/4 bottle of suddenly salad supreme (spice aisle)
1/2 stick pepporoni sliced into bit size pieces
1 can sliced black olives
1 can baby corn
mix cooked patsa with all ing. and serve
Everyone loves this recipe you can also make pasta salads that need no mayo this way they can be served at room temp as well as poato salad. Hope this ideas help!
Good Luck and Have fun!
Is there a microwave available? You might have to get your food delivered to the suite.
Pizza
Buffalo wings
Fried chicken and biscuits
Chips, pretzels, peanuts, etc.
Deli meat tray( with rolls).
Veggie tray
what about cupcakes, cake, pizza, fruit plates, pigs in a blanket, hot dogs, burgers, ham and cheese sanwiches, grilled cheese, and this saled my mom makes made of egg noodles, and ceaser dressing mixed together
if you want you could make brownies, and whatever else you want
When we go camping we have a few coolers, but the bulk of the food has to be kept without a fridge and no easy way to be heated quickly. Here are some things we serve up.
Olives
Nuts
Dried Fruit
Salsas
Other jarred spreads and dips without dairy
Chips and crackers of all kinds
Fruits and veggies (careful with dip)
Hummus you make yourself (not from the refrigerated case at the store) will keep without refrigeration
P.S. those sandwiches will end up gross at the end of a few hours if there is cheese or mayo involved.
chips, cheese puffs, chocolate covered pretzels just let them sit out to harden the chocolate. they are good or chocolate covered marshmallows. cookies.
Pasta salad seems like a possible option. You could also go with special breads. Things like banana or zucchini bread don't necessarily need any spreads on them. Also, while most cheeses people are familiar with (cheddar and American kind of thing) tend to go bad, there are drier/harder cheeses that could last a lot longer without refrigeration.
For a vegetable tray, you probably won't be able to have any dairy based dips, so one alternative is peanut butter. It tastes good with a good number of vegetables that are usually on veggie trays.
Lastly, don't forget your desserts. Cookies, brownies, cakes, cupcakes, pies can all usually be left out in room temperature. The only one you really have to check is pies. Pies like cheesecake obviously needs to be refrigerated.