Best 40th Birthday Poker Party heavy appetizers?!
Best 40th Birthday Poker Party heavy appetizers?
I am hosting between 25-30 MEN for my husband's 40th birthday... MEN - what would you want to see on the menu? I would like to do more than just pretzels & the regular stuff but know that finger sandwiches would not go over!
Answers: More to go with the other ideas:
Mini Reubens
1 pound Corned beef
1/4 pound baby Swiss cheese
1-1/2 cup 1000 island dressing
10 oz can of saurkraut, drained and chopped
1 loaf party rye bread
Chop corned beef, cheese and saurkraut in a mixing bowl and then mix in the dressing. Spread on rye bread and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.
Mini pizzas
Spread tomato sauce and mazzarella cheese on bagels. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.
You can add any traditional toppings, or just serve as cheese bagel pizzas.
Cocktail Franks
Place 2 or 3 packages of beef mini franks or chopped up hotdogs into crock pot. Top with your favorite barbque sauce and 2 cups water. Turn crockpot on high for 2 hours and then turn down to low for 4 hours. Finally, reduce to warm for the party. Put the crockpot out with a supply of napkins and toothpicks.
Get boxes of regular meatballs (or make your own) and serve in the following sauce:
1 pakage of onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can water
This can be done in a crockpot as well, or cook on stove and keep on low heat. Serve in a fondue pot with toothpicks. Have an additional can of soup handy to reconstitute sauce and water to keep it from burning.
Make up big bowls of chips, peanuts and raisins, whatever else you want.
Get some big, metal bins, fill with ice and have beer and sodas for everyone.
Go to the supermarket and get 6 or 7 small boxes. Wrap them in happy birthday paper and line with trashcan liners. Place them strategically around the room along with stacks of cocktail napkins (Over the Hill!!).
Enjoy it and have fun! For a poker party you would want finger food that is not greasy (it would get on the cards) and not really fancy, so something along the lines of:
Pretzels
Croissant wrapped sausages
Biscotti
Devilled eggs
Cookies
Cheese and crackers
Quesadillas
Nachos
Chips n dips
And yes .... Finger sandwiches! How about gormet nachos with high quality chesse and with with grilled steak strips on top. How about meatballs in marinara sauce they can make subs, spaghetti, chilli I had a similar party for my husband, but it was co-ed. However, I had a Mexican spread, it was easy. I made Chile Verde, with warm Tortilla's. Then I ordered rice and beans from the Mexican restaurant. I made some salsa and chips and every one loved it... even the men. Oh I also had a taco bar. All I did was make taco meat, put it in a serving dish, then had a dish will all the toppings. Oh and made Margaritas and had Coronas. How about stuffed bread? Just make the dough, roll it out, and fill with a ton of stuff (pesto, pepperoni, cheeses), roll it up and bake it. It's like a "man's" finger sandwich. And my husband makes a killer crockpot of Swedish meatballs. It's super easy, let me know if you want the recipe. wings wings and more wings Do you have a Smart & Final store near you? They have THE BEST frozen appetizers and they have lots of choices!
Try their wings! My wife swears by S& F!
Or try Costco! Frosty Corona beer, w/limes, Miller Lite beer, Heinekin...some red wine...or make margarita's! Tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole or nachos...SHRIMP! LOTS OF ICE! ROAST BEEF OR PASTRAMI SANDWICHES! RIBS! I am not a man, but do love throwing parties, so...If they will be eating while they are playing cards - be careful with what type of foods that you serve, as something too messy or greasy can ruin the cards and even disrupt a game.
Peanuts / pretzels are great for the tables - as are other clean snacks. Keep the messier (bite size) things at a separate side table so that the guys roving around can eat as they move from table to table: Do 3 types of chicken wings: Buffalo (spicy), Terryaki, and Fried . Make "pigs in a blanket" (use cocktail weenies wrapped and baked in Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough), serve a deli tray with rolls, assorted chips and dips. Make mini- cheeseburgers (some grocery store deli's serve them ready made - same with mini meatball sandwiches), have a cheese and cracker tray, put out a small platter of assorted grapes (easy finger food) and also ask your husband (or if a surprise, ask some of his friends) what other types of "man" foods he would like to see. Maybe he wants bowls of beef jerky - perhaps his friends are veggie lovers (maybe someone is a vegetarian?), maybe peanut M&M's. Another neat thing to do is to purchase several cigars from a cigar shop and set up a smoke table (the cigar shop will also provide "free" cigar cutter, if you ask). You don't have to go crazy expensive - and you don't have to buy one for everyone (since everyone wont smoke). If thats not your thing - try purchasing chocolate foil wrapped poker chips (carried by party supply stores and online) and toss them like confetti on the food tables - guys like to graze, they will find the candy. Sounds like lots of fun! Have a great time hosting!
