wedding reception

[Julie in AZ]

Hello. I am hosting a wedding reception in February and I am looking for suggestions on what to serve. There will be approx. 40 guests. If anyone has any advice/ideas, I'd love to hear from you.

[Leanne]

I would go fancy-ish. I'm thinking abbout the reception I went to last weekend & my wedding reception a couple of months ago. Lots of finger foods, but that are filling too. Hot & cold appetizers & then maybe spiral sliced ham & small biscuits and/or pork tenderloin slices with rolls. Cold shrimp cocktail. Little chicken skewers are a good idea. Mini quiches. Spinach in Phyllo. Little egg rolls. Some sort of veggie - maybe steamed skinny asparagus or other cold veggie tray & dip. Everyone always likes chicken fingers. Tiny crab cakes. Crab stuffed mushroom caps. finger sandwiches. Hot/warm dips are nice (artichoke maybe). Bacon wrapped dates or scallops. Don't forget a sweet-Strawberries/pineapple/poundcake to dip in a hot chocolate sauce/fondue. That gets a fruit in there too & people don't have to dip it. There will be the wedding cake too though, I assume - so you don't need too many sweets.
The list can go on & on - hope you got some ideas.

[Kerri]

I think what would be easy for 40 people and still be impressive would be something from the sandwich group. Not nessecarily cold cuts, but something where you can lay out a bunch of options and have people build their own. Examples: faijitas, bar-b-que sandwhiches, shisk-k-bobs, smoked turkey breast, roast beef. Cooking light also have some good wrap ideas if you are leaning in that way.

Good luck!

[Jodi]

Julie,
A company that I freelance for (I"m an editor/writer) just published a book called CATER YOUR OWN WEDDING. I proofread it, and it seemed to have some useful info/recipes/etc. It's published by Career Press. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Jodi

[mommywannabe]

Leanne, you're making me hungry http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
I second her suggestions...a finger-food type of buffet is an excellent idea. We did really simple stuff at my wedding in '99. Everthing was bought pre-made at the supermarket on their little party trays. We had croissant sandwiches, a couple of cold salads, veggie & fruit trays, cold shrimp with cocktail sauce (a big hit http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif), and a couple of other things I can't remember. It worked great and we actually had 130-140 people. I would suggest hiring someone refresh the buffet, serve drinks, and clean up...one less thing for the wedding party or any of the guests to worry about.

[DeniseB]

So many great ideas here! Just remember to keep it simple and attractive. I think it is a good idea to utilize some prepared items such as the mini-quiche or egg rolls which can be purchased at a sam's club or costco. These can be quite good. Shrimp trays can often be found at the grocery store . Also, think about your set up- if you can't keep hot foods hot then go for cool foods which can be placed on trays of ice. Veggie and dip are a good stand by. Fruit and dip of sweet cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla,and cinnamon is also good. Colorful Pasta salad or other salads are a good choice. Also try Brie, goat cheese rolled in chopped herbs and other elegant cheese with crackers. Meatballs are often a favorite, too.
You can make a few of your favorite recipes to accompany what you find at the store.