Wedding reception food, what do you think?

Question

This is what I have planned so far (its a casual reception):

Mostacholi, Chicken b*****s in cream sauce, Pulled Pork

Macaroni Salad, Potatoe Salad, Garden Saled w/ dressing(s)

Rolls

Potatoes (either diced and boiled with butter and parsley or diced baked with breading)

Fruit Salad

Let me know what you think or if you have other ideas, most of the food we will be making ourselves (or at least my family will be)

Thanks!

Answer 1

Since the salads are more casual and you have an italian theme going, what about serving a pesto chicken salad instead of the pulled pork?

Roast chicken in the oven then while warm shred it. (The easiest way to shred a lot of chicken is by putting 5 or 6 boneless pieces into a mixer (like a kitchen aid) with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low speed until the chicken is shredded.)

Add store bought fresh pesto sauce, chopped dried cranberries and some toasted, chopped  pine nuts or pecans.

Serve on French baguettes with a pick to hold them together. I cut a whole loaf of bread in half horizontally, put the chicken mix on, stick the picks in every 5 inches and then cut them up into 4 or 5" sandwiches.   I make this for weddings that I cater and it is always the dish that everyone wants the recipe for.

I would skip the potatoes and potato salad and have a pasta salad. Also consider buying meatballs at Sam's club and put them into jarred spaghetti sauce like you would a BBQ meatball appetizer. Hope your day is perfect!

Answer 2

Yes.  That all sounds great.  Make sure you have a vegetarian main course option.  Vegetarians get annoyed when they're stuck with salad and fruit.  An easy thing to do is make tortilla wraps.  

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,to...

Also, presentation is easy, but it can make basic foods feel fancy.  Here's some fun, casual ideas I've seen and LOVED:

terracotta pots stacked in a tier.  You use a large base, then put an inverted pot on it, then another base, then another inverted pot....  almost like a tiered wedding cake, but you put food on the bases.

http://www.mammothice.com.au/Images/icet...

http://www.ladyfingersinc.com/page_image...

Answer 3

Nice menu!  Here are some ideas:

Mostacholli

Chicken b*****s

Sliced London Broil

Baked lemon potatos; wild rice pilaf

Chopped green salad with pears, candied walnuts, goat cheese; Caesar salad; Pasta salad with pesto

Fruit and cheese platter; vege platter with ranch dressing

Answer 4

It all sounds great....just be careful with the salads that have mayo in them.  If they sit out long they'll get funky.  Maybe you can do a German potato salad, which doesn't have mayo.  Fruit salad sounds nice, and obviously there'll be a cake.  And you should have some cookies, too.  (Especially if children are invited)

Answer 5

Here are some simple yet nutritious recipes...

Mushroom Medley

Ingredients

1 large tomato chopped

1 large onion finely chopped

1 cup button mushrooms washed, properly drained and chopped

2 flakes sliced garlic (optional)

Cheese 1/2 cup cut into cubes

1/2 cup golden raisins

Salt to taste

Crushed pepper to taste

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoon oil

4-5 almond slices to garnish

Method

Fry chopped garlic and onions till golden brown in a microwave dish.

Mix golden brown onion and garlic, chopped mushrooms, chopped tomato, cheese cubes, raisins, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoon oil and mix well.

Now put butter over the mixture and cook in the microwave on high for 5-6 minutes or till little golden.

Garnish with almond slices

FRUITY VEGETABLE SALAD

An interesting and colourful fibre rich salad well complemented with an orange and curd dressing.

Serves 6

Ingredients



1½ cups cauliflower

10 dates, chopped

1 cup banana, sliced

1 cup orange, segmented

2 cups unpeeled red apples, cut into cubes

juice of ½ lemon

3/4 tsp grated lemon rind (optional)

1/2 tbsp vinegar

salt and pepper to taste



For the orange dressing



3/4 cup thick fresh low fat curd

8 tsp orange juice

½ tsp mustard powder (optional)

1 tsp powdered sugar

a pinch salt

Method

1. Mix all the vegetables and fruits and toss with vinegar and chill in the refrigerator.

2. Mix the dressing and chill

3. Just before serving add dreesing to the chopped fruits and vegetables and serve immediately.

BEAN SALAD

Beans laced with a lemon and chaat masala dressing to make a protein and fibre rich nourishing salad.

Serves 4.

Ingredients



2½ cups mixed boiled beans (kidney beans, sprouted green grams, dried and soaked green peas or fresh peas, black grams and white grams, chick peas) soaked overnight and boiled

2/3 cup spring onions, sliced

1 cup tomato, diced

1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped coriander / cilentro

¼ cup orange, segmented

¼ cup sweet lime, segmented

To be mixed into a dressing



2 tbsp lemon juice

¼ tsp black salt (rock salt)

salt to taste

pepper to taste



Method



1. Keep aside half the coriander leaves for the garnish and mix all the salad ingredients together.  

2. Toss in the dressing and refrigerate for at least for 1 hour.  

3. Serve cold garnished with the remaining coriander leaves / cilantro.  



TANGY  SALAD

1 cup tomatoes, quartered and deseeded

1 cup cucumber, sliced

2 cups lettuce leaves, torn into pieces

½ cup mushrooms, quartered and blanched

½ cup capsicum, diced

1 cop chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped carrots

few leaves cilantro (optional)

To be mixed into a dressing



1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

1½ tbsp lemon juice

  ÃƒÂ‚¼ tsp dry red chilli flakes

salt and pepper to taste



Method



1. Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl.  

2. Add the dressing and toss well.  

3. Serve immediately



CARROT AND MINT SALAD

Serves 4.

Ingredients



1 cup carrots, peeled and thinly sliced and chill (soak carrots in iced water before slicing for 1 hour)

1 cup cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup kidney beans, soaked overnight and boiled

½ cup spring onions, sliced

1/2 cup roasted groundnuts

To be mixed into a dressing



2 tbsp mint finely chopped

4 tsp honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt to taste



Method



1. Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a bowl and chill.

2. Just before serving, add the dressing and toss well.

3. Serve immediately



Also you can prepare mixed vegetables (carrots, cauliflower or broccoli, fresh green peas, potatoes, sliced capsicum, cabbage)

steam little to soften.

Toss in butter and pepper and salt to taste.

Garnish with basil or cilantro or any herb of your taste.

STUFFED PATTIES

SERVE 10

Ingredients Quantity

Boiled Potatoes 6-7medium sized

Boiled Green Peas ¾ cup

Chopped green chillies 1 tbspn

Chopped green coriander / cilantro 2 tbspns (optional)

Chopped ginger 1 tspn

Lemon juice1 tspn

grated ginger (optional)

Salt as per taste

Cornflour(cornstarch) 2 tbspns

Oil for deep / shallow frying

Stuffing:

grated cheese 1 cup

coarsely crushed roasted groundnuts 1/2 cups

Raisins few

pepper to taste

salt to taste

Method of Preparation



1.      Peel and grate boiled potatoes.

2.      Mash boiled green peas.

3.      Mix grated potatoes, peas and spinach.Add chopped green chillies, chopped green coriander/ cilantro, chopped ginger, chaat masala, and salt.Add corn flour for binding.

4.      Divide the  mixture into twenty five equal portions. Stuff with the cheese mixture. Shape each portion in to a ball and then press it in between your palms to give it a flat tikki shape.

5.      Heat oil in a pan. Deep-fry the balls or patties in hot oil for three to four minutesor on a laddle simply shallow fry.

Serve with tomato ketch up.



Tip: You may also shallow-fry the balls or patties on a griddle plate or a tawa.

CHEESY BITES

Ingredients

300 gm cottage cheese crumbled

2 big potatoes boiled and mashed

2 big slices of bread

1 onion finely chopped

2 green chillies finely chopped

2 tablespoon corn flour

2 tablespoon coriander leaves or cilentro finely chopped

Oil for shallow frying, salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place the bread slice in water just enough to soak them for about a minute.

Squeeze gently between palms of hand and discard excess water. Tear into small pieces and keep aside.

Mix the cottage cheese, potato, onion, green chillies, corn flour, chopped coriander leaves, bread pieces, salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into patties.

Spread 1 teaspoon of oil on a griddle and heat on medium level for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Place 4-5 patties on the griddle and fry for 3 minutes on each side or till both the sides are golden brown. Fry the remaining patties in the same way.

Serve with tomato ketchup

Crunchy potatoes

Ingredients

10-12 nos medium potatoes, cut in 1/2" wedges

2 cups water

Topping

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 clove garlic - minced

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1 teaspoon paprika

Method

To make topping, heat butter in cooker and slowly sauté the onion and garlic until onion has softened. Stir in the breadcrumbs and all other topping ingredients; season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until the breadcrumbs are toasted and crunchy. Set aside and wipe out cooker.

Arrange the potato wedges in a steamer basket and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour broth or water into the cooker and lower steamer basket. Or simply bake in the oven.

Close lid, bring to high pressure and cook for 4 minutes.

Release pressure according to manufacturer's directions, open lid and remove potatoes onto plate. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture and serve hot with sauces of your choice.

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

or simply MIX VEG

Cauliflower or broccoli(parboiled) 2 cups, cabbage green 1 cup, fresh peas 1/2 cup, chopped carrots 1/2 cup, chopped potatoes 1 cup, chopped onions 1, green beans3/4 cup, spring onion 1/2 cup, capsicum chopped 1/2 cup, roasted groundnuts 1 cup.

Butter - 3 tablespoon

pepper and salt to taste

cilantro or parsley for garnishing

In a pan take butter, saute chopped onions till light pink.

Add all the vegetables, salt and pepper and saute.

Cover and cook on slow heat for 5-10 mins till become tender without adding any water.

Mix roasted coarsely crushed groundnuts when done.

Garnish with chopped celentro or parsley

VEGETABLE SANDWICH

Bread slices

Cheese slices

Salt to taste

Pepper powder to taste

Cucumber slices and tomato slices

Celery leaves

Lightly butter all the slices. sprinkle little salt and pepper. Put cheese slice. Put celery leaf. Sliced cucumber and tomatoes. Again a slice of cheese and butter bread slice. Cut into triangles and wrap.



A SIMPLE DESSERT MADE FROM BREAD

Ingredients: 12 bread slices cut into triangles

12 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

2 cup water and 1 1/2 sugar to make syrup

1 litre milk

2 tsp ground cardamom

30 gm each almonds, pistas, walnut, cashew nuts and raisins

Method:

Prepare syrup from sugar and water and cook for 5 mins.

Trim the edges of the bread slices and cut them into triangleses. Then deep fry to golden color. Separately, roast all the nuts with out any fat on simmer and pound coarsely.

Thicken the milk till reduced to half. add cardamom to it and keep it aside.

Dip the fried bread into syrup and remove immediately. Keep it aside for 10 mins till it absorb the syrup.

In a serving dish arrange bread slices and spread thickened milk.

Wait for few mins and then spread condensed milk mixed with cardamom over bread slices.

Serve cold garnished with nuts, raisins.

Good luck!!

Answer 6

I don't think you need macaroni salad, since you already have mostaciolli and potato salad ...  Also, you don't need 2 kinds of potatoes.  Maybe substitute a Bean Salad for the Potato Salad, and just go with cooked potatoes .....  Maybe also add a Cole Slaw, instead of the macaroni salad ...  

Just a thought on these dishes too:  Will everyone have a place to sit down?  Some of these dishes are pretty messy to be balancing on your lap and try to eat:)

Answer 7

That sounds yummy...can I come?  :)

If anything, I would add a veggie, maybe green beans since those are easy.  I wouldn't do corn since you already have several starches.

Make sure you have parmesan cheese for the mostaccoli!!

Answer 8

Since you are having Mostaccioli there is no need to have macaroni salad , try not to have too many repetitions , if you are having warm potatoes there is no need for the potato salad , begin sorting and organizing the warm food ,

Mostaccioli

chicken breast

Pork,

if you like you could even have sweet and sour meat balls

warm potatoes

vegetables

I assume that you are having a buffet style reception

I had 1 table set up for warm food , 1 for cold like salad  cold cuts, buns ,  and fruits,

and 1 for dessert ,coffee ,tea, and sweets