5 Easy Types of Foods to Prepare For Your Party

Foods to Prepare for Your Party

Be it a fun appetizer or full course meal, food is a major component of any party. However, it also requires a lot of time to cook and prepare several dishes for your guests; let alone making it look palatable. That is why it is important to plan and prepare meals days before the party so that it will save you time and stress leading up to the big day!

When choosing the type of foods to prepare, opt for easy recipes; it does not have to be too grand and complex because sometimes, the best tasting foods are those that are simple and easy to devour! Without further to do, here we have compiled a list of 5 easy types of party foods suitable for all parties!

Soups

There is nothing as comforting as a hot bowl of soup! Being the easiest food to cook; it only requires throwing together a few ingredients together and then heating them up! Furthermore, there are also different types of soup that you can cook to suit your party and preference!

1. Broth / Stock

A strained, clear, thin liquid where vegetables and herbs are being simmered with poultry, meat, or fish. Although normally used as an ingredient in other soups, it can also be savored as a light course on its own.

2. Bouillon

Almost the same as broths, the only difference is that this type of soup refers to commercially dehydrated products sold as cubes or granules.

3. Bisque

Typically made with shellfish; such as lobster or shrimp, this type of soup is rich, thick, and smooth.

4. Chowder

This type of soup is chunky and thick, traditionally made with fish or seafood. However, poultry, vegetables, and cheese have recently become popular ingredients to use instead to give it more variety and depth.

5. Consomme

This type of soup is usually a strong broth made with flavorful meat or fish that has been clarified.

Appetizers

Often referred to as the entrée in many parts of Europe, appetizers introduce the main courses in a meal. Hence, it is important to ensure that your appetizers are delectable so as to keep your guests excited for the main course!

1. Sushi

Sushi is a Japanese dish consisting of prepared vinegared rice; usually with some salt and sugar, accompanied by a variety of ingredients such as; maguro (tuna), toro (the belly of tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), and Ebi (shrimp). It is then wrapped with nori seaweed to complete the dish.

2. Dim Sum

A culinary art originating from ancient China, these bite-sized portions take on a variety of dishes, and are very popular all over the world!

Examples of  popular dim sum dish include:

1. BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao)
2. Egg Tarts
3. Crystal Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow)
4. Open-face pork-and-shrimp dumplings (Siu Mai)
5. Pineapple Custard Buns (Bo Lo Nai Wong Bao)
6. Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
7. Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf (Lo Mai Gai)
8. Fried Taro Dumplings (We Gok)

3. Mini Burgers

There’s nothing more satisfying than sinking your teeth into juicy, succulent beef sliders with all the savory flavors of a Big Mac! Just like a regular-sized burger, these mini pull-apart burgers feature two layers of beef patties with lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and sauce, while retaining its indulgent taste!

4. Barbequed Meatballs

Grape jelly and chilli sauce are the secret ingredients to making these meatballs taste divine! Simply make the meatballs and sauce in advance then reheat them right before the guests arrive, it would still taste superb!

Salads

Salad courses usually feature seasonal vegetables completed with a flavorful dressing.

Salads can be broken down into many variations:

1. Tossed Salads

The most common type of salad; tossed salads are prepared by tossing the greens and garnishes in a dressing. Examples of leafy green vegetables include; lettuce, watercress, or spinach. Examples of garnishes include; cheese, nuts, onions, or fruits. Examples of dressings include; vinegar, olive oil, or mayonnaise.

2. Composed Salads

Being one of order and detail, composed salads are built from scratch and are carefully arranged to create a luscious salad. There are four layers to a composed salad, and they are; the Base, Body, Garnish, and Dressing.

3. Bound Salads

With ingredients bound together in one mass, Bound Salads are created by combining meats, fish, shellfish, and/or legumes with dressing and garnishes.

Bound Salads are more robust than Farinaceous Salads, with mayonnaise as the common choice for a binding agent; though it can include thicker vinaigrettes.

4. Farinaceous Salad

Instead of leafy greens, Farinaceous Salads are made of pasta, potatoes, or grain.

Combinations of flavorful ingredients and light dressing are used in many pasta salads to help bring it together. A Farinaceous Salad is almost always tossed but can be used as the body for Composed Salads.

Main Course

Served on a dinner plate, this course is the deal-breaker; thus, it is crucial to make sure that the food is filling enough for the guests. Main courses are usually a combination of baked, roasted, or fried protein with seasonal vegetable side dishes and bread.

Examples of main courses are; pasta dishes completed with any choice of meat; a thick slice of tender roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots; grilled pork tenderloin medallions with creamed spinach on the side.

However, if you wish to make your life easier by spending less time on prepping the meals, then consider serving Bentos instead!

Bentos are basically single-portion convenient lunch box meals. Bento boxes come in all shapes and sizes, and for all appetites. Traditionally, Bentos contain either rice or noodles, meat or fish, with cooked and pickled vegetables.

Desserts

After all the hearty, salty foods, it would be good to serve something sweet to complete the meal.

Examples of easy party desserts to make and serve are; chocolate mousse, mini cupcakes, small slices of cakes, mini fruit tarts, or ice cream; a sure crowd pleaser!

If you wish to receive professional guidance while learning how to create all these party dishes, then sign up for The Fun Empire’s cooking classes! At The Fun Empire, cooking classes are never boring as food and creativity come together to delight your palate.

Choose from sushi-making workshop to salad making workshop, bento making workshop, ice cream making workshop, soup cooking workshop, dessert cooking workshop, dim sum making workshop, and healthy cooking workshop!

For more information, visit https://www.thefunempire.com/cooking-class/