This kind of question I may have to deal with myself when I throw a party with family & or friends. I guess all the parties I ever went to I've enjoyed the Little hot-dogs they usually have out as well as the Breaded cheese sticks that people serve. Just about anything people talk about on this page would likely be a hit. Who can beat great food combined with great people. I think that's a winning combo right there.
Friends of mine make the Buffalo chicken dip lorigoldsby mentions, it is trashy and totally additictive. You won't want to eat anything else. They use a rotissierie chicken, 8 oz. ranch dressing, 2 bottles hot sauce, 2 blocks cream cheese and another 1 or 2 lbs. of shredded cheddar. We call it 8,000 calorie dip. I also agree with the rotel/velveeta option, 7 layer dip is also good as is bacon wrapped anything. My spouse is partial to good old fashioned Dean's French onion dip with Ruffles.
Burnt offerings...enjoyed the "magic fingers" reference. Another dish that recreates the buffalo wing taste w/o the messy fingers is a hot wing dip....canned chicken breast meat, brick of cream cheese, 1/2 jar of hooters sauce...bake til bubbly. Serve with chips and celery...antithesis is shredded rotisserie chicken, goat cheese and marscapone, with a hot sauce blend.
My husband's birthday poker bash with the guys was the same evening as the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt that we have at our home. I had a dozen leftover hotdogs. I wrapped them in puff pastry and added black and white sesame seeds and a spicy garlic seasoning and an egg wash. seved with a homemade spicy catsup and a german mustard with pickle spears.
oooo..jello! Even better might be knox blocks. Remember that variation? Lots more gelatin so that you can cut the cast product into shapes and then let people eat it with their hands!
I think presentation is key. Whatever you make, it should involve little toothpicks stuck through it. Bonus points if they have little paper flags on them (anyone remember Mermaids, with Cher?!).
Top English lowbrow party snack is sausage rolls. Little sausage-filled puff pastry rolls. Must be able to see the filling on both ends. Always lousy. So lousy, I'd be willing to try a veg version...
How about tortillas spread with a cream cheese into which you have mixed chopped olives (black, from a can). Roll it up and slice so you get pretty little spirals.
And I should think just about anything spread on Ritz crackers, because it doesn't get much more homey than Andy Griffith.
There's a product called "True Lime" I use....it's crystallized lime powder. (no, it doesn't like that awful plastic lime juice stuff). They sell it at whole foods..or you can large bits online.
I whisk that in a coffee grinder with salt. until it's dust. Add, some ginger powder, garlic, Cyan pepper, white pepper (care with the heat tho!). and use that on popcorn.
I also thought doing with with BACO's (vegan). And powdered cheese (not vegan)...but haven't tried that one yet. I wonder if there's a vegan powdered cheese product available in bulk?
That might a good seller---as it's cheap to make and popcorn sells well.
Deli ham schmeared with cream cheese, topped with thin pickle slices, rolled and cut into pinwheels. Hold each pinwheel together with a toothpick (those fuzzy cellophane topped ones equal bonus points.)
Honestly, not sure if 'lowbrow' really exists...if it tastes good, I think it all becomes uni-brow. Regardless:
Dates wrapped in bacon are delicious - my mom used to use dates with an almond stuffed inside, which made it extra delicious (do they still sell dates that way?)
Pigs in Blankets - I don't care if it's old school cocktail wieners wrapped in pop 'n fresh Pillsbury Crescent dough...or Andouille sausage wrapped in puff pastry; they're all still Pigs in Blankets. And addictive.
Deviled Eggs.Never get old.
When I was little, friends of my parents had an annual Christmas party where one of the cocktail bites was always bologna wrapped around cream cheese, sliced into pinwheels. (You heard me right.) I remember loving them - but then again, I was about 7 years old. Have a sneaking suspicion they'd still taste pretty damn good now (ssshhh...I think this may constitute a misdemeanor - or at least a summary offense - these days.)
My college bf was from Alabama, and his family parties always included 'Pimento Cheese' finger sandwiches (crustless white bread, of course!) Really good stuff. I gather every family makes it slightly differently, but here's a piece from NPR about it: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6877304
The crab boil. Could work very well for your application. With some adjustments.
With the vegan sausage, corn, potatoes in one pot.
And Shrimp in another pot.
Drained served in bowls.
Sell by weight with brown butcher paper as a container in paper 'boat' containers (like they serve fries in). Zero the scale...add extra price to the shrimp addition as needed. Delitainers for cocktail sauce (horseraddish/ketchup) as a side sauce. included.
BO, I tried to "like" you, but it wouldn't let me. I think you frazzled the server.
nutcakes, I really miss those cocktail meatballs and cocktail weinies. I haven't had those for decades. . .thanks for the reminder.
Anitalectric: Mix beer (Bud is good) and Bisquick into a thick batter. Cut jalapenos in half (remove seeds and ribs if desired, but try to cut through the stem so that each half has a handle) and fill with a stick of whatever kind of cheese your heart desires, even if it's Velveeta. Dip in the batter and deep fry.
If you have leftover batter, you can make hush puppies by adding grated or finely chopped onion to it. Use a small ice cream scoop to plop little balls into hot oil. Or you can use the batter to deep fry broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini.
Corn fritters: Mix a can of undrained corn and an egg with a tablespoon of sugar. Add enough Bisquick to make a dough. Deep fry.
Rumaki--I know there's vegan bacon, but is there a vegan sub for chicken livers? Water chestnuts with chicken liver marinated in soy sauce, then wrapped in bacon and baked; served with a sauce made from baby food apricots, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and vinegar.
And Kool-Aid Pickles: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09kool.html
OMG - Food52 has SUCH a "no-tell motel" side!! Love it! This was evil / awful / inspiring in the best/worst sort of way. (Can you tell I was raised Catholic?) I think I need a shower /cigarette/nap/cuddle. Or maybe just another quarter for the motel bed vibrator.
I am creating a menu of lowbrow-inspired party food to possibly sell at an outdoor market here in Brooklyn this summer. So far I have the items mentioned above, but I might have to add pigs in a blanket! I have a friend who is making me vegan sausage so it would be ridiculous not to.
OMG. I just remembered this one from Paul Dean. I shudder just thinking about it.
Krspy Creme Doughnut Bread Pudding.
* 2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts
* 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
* 2 (4.5-ounce) cans fruit cocktail (undrained)
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 (9-ounce) box raisins
* 1 pinch salt
* 1 or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* Butter Rum Sauce, recipe follows
Full recipe.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/bill-nicholsons-krispy-kreme-bread-pudding-with-butter-rum-sauce-recipe/index.html
The classic. Meatballs, grape jelly, chili sauce is ubiquitous at office parties.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1627,133187-243197,00.html
(also made with 'little smoky' cocktail sausages.)
The Bisquick Cheese and Sausage balls are everywhere too.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,231,155181-233203,00.html
Chicken wings are popular. (don't sauce them tho--too messy; serve a bottle of texas pete hot sauce, along with blue cheese dip, celery stick)
Maybe not so, quite 'low brow'. But a low country shrimp boil:
zatarain's crab boil--the spice bag stuff!. A can of beer, a lemon cut up and juiced. Boil (this extracts the flavors)..add more water/salt to package directions. Add a Kielbasa sausage--cut up in slices. Boil 5 mins.
Add new potatoes cut in quarters..boil 5 mins. Add shucked corn on the cob cut in thirds. Boil 5 mins. When potatoes are tender add a bag of thawed shrimp (shell on!). And simmer for 5 mins.
Drain the entire thing and dump in a bowl lined with fresh news paper--or if outside..just on news paper on a table. .
Add lots of lemon wedges for color...and serve with cocktail sauce and butter (in this case a squeeze bottle is okay).
At any party I've been to, I've found that pigs in blankets disappear as soon as they are taken out of the oven, no matter how delicious or complexly flavored the other snacks are.
Nachos! With refried beans, jalapenos, lots of cheese, salsa, sour cream and whatever else looks good - including bacon. And thirschfeld's onion dip http://www.food52.com/recipes/8971_french_onion_dip
pork rinds. corn nuts. (homemade) beef jerky. "chex mix" but use this recipe http://www.food52.com/recipes/6931_party_mix_for_grownups. hope that helps!
39 Comments
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/sweet-chicken-bacon-wraps-recipe/index.html
I also offer a huge bowl of popcorn (I usually pop & spice my own), chips and dip with crudites. Maybe cut up some cheese.
I'm always amazed that pastry wrapped brie with crackers is always devoured as well as good sourdough pretzels with honey mustard.
Top English lowbrow party snack is sausage rolls. Little sausage-filled puff pastry rolls. Must be able to see the filling on both ends. Always lousy. So lousy, I'd be willing to try a veg version...
How about tortillas spread with a cream cheese into which you have mixed chopped olives (black, from a can). Roll it up and slice so you get pretty little spirals.
And I should think just about anything spread on Ritz crackers, because it doesn't get much more homey than Andy Griffith.
There's a product called "True Lime" I use....it's crystallized lime powder. (no, it doesn't like that awful plastic lime juice stuff). They sell it at whole foods..or you can large bits online.
I whisk that in a coffee grinder with salt. until it's dust. Add, some ginger powder, garlic, Cyan pepper, white pepper (care with the heat tho!). and use that on popcorn.
I also thought doing with with BACO's (vegan). And powdered cheese (not vegan)...but haven't tried that one yet. I wonder if there's a vegan powdered cheese product available in bulk?
That might a good seller---as it's cheap to make and popcorn sells well.
Deli ham schmeared with cream cheese, topped with thin pickle slices, rolled and cut into pinwheels. Hold each pinwheel together with a toothpick (those fuzzy cellophane topped ones equal bonus points.)
Dates wrapped in bacon are delicious - my mom used to use dates with an almond stuffed inside, which made it extra delicious (do they still sell dates that way?)
Pigs in Blankets - I don't care if it's old school cocktail wieners wrapped in pop 'n fresh Pillsbury Crescent dough...or Andouille sausage wrapped in puff pastry; they're all still Pigs in Blankets. And addictive.
Deviled Eggs.Never get old.
When I was little, friends of my parents had an annual Christmas party where one of the cocktail bites was always bologna wrapped around cream cheese, sliced into pinwheels. (You heard me right.) I remember loving them - but then again, I was about 7 years old. Have a sneaking suspicion they'd still taste pretty damn good now (ssshhh...I think this may constitute a misdemeanor - or at least a summary offense - these days.)
My college bf was from Alabama, and his family parties always included 'Pimento Cheese' finger sandwiches (crustless white bread, of course!) Really good stuff. I gather every family makes it slightly differently, but here's a piece from NPR about it: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6877304
(Pit the dates, wrap in bacon, 375 for about 15 minutes, eat on toothpicks.)
The crab boil. Could work very well for your application. With some adjustments.
With the vegan sausage, corn, potatoes in one pot.
And Shrimp in another pot.
Drained served in bowls.
Sell by weight with brown butcher paper as a container in paper 'boat' containers (like they serve fries in). Zero the scale...add extra price to the shrimp addition as needed. Delitainers for cocktail sauce (horseraddish/ketchup) as a side sauce. included.
nutcakes, I really miss those cocktail meatballs and cocktail weinies. I haven't had those for decades. . .thanks for the reminder.
Anitalectric: Mix beer (Bud is good) and Bisquick into a thick batter. Cut jalapenos in half (remove seeds and ribs if desired, but try to cut through the stem so that each half has a handle) and fill with a stick of whatever kind of cheese your heart desires, even if it's Velveeta. Dip in the batter and deep fry.
If you have leftover batter, you can make hush puppies by adding grated or finely chopped onion to it. Use a small ice cream scoop to plop little balls into hot oil. Or you can use the batter to deep fry broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini.
Corn fritters: Mix a can of undrained corn and an egg with a tablespoon of sugar. Add enough Bisquick to make a dough. Deep fry.
Rumaki--I know there's vegan bacon, but is there a vegan sub for chicken livers? Water chestnuts with chicken liver marinated in soy sauce, then wrapped in bacon and baked; served with a sauce made from baby food apricots, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and vinegar.
And Kool-Aid Pickles: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09kool.html
Voted the Best Reply!
I am creating a menu of lowbrow-inspired party food to possibly sell at an outdoor market here in Brooklyn this summer. So far I have the items mentioned above, but I might have to add pigs in a blanket! I have a friend who is making me vegan sausage so it would be ridiculous not to.
Krspy Creme Doughnut Bread Pudding.
* 2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts
* 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
* 2 (4.5-ounce) cans fruit cocktail (undrained)
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 (9-ounce) box raisins
* 1 pinch salt
* 1 or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* Butter Rum Sauce, recipe follows
Full recipe.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/bill-nicholsons-krispy-kreme-bread-pudding-with-butter-rum-sauce-recipe/index.html
Here's a link: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,2347,153177-227205,00.html
The onion dip is a great idea. I haven't made the one here, but Ina Garten's rocks.
Nacho's.
My family loves crab mold made with canned crab and cream o'crap soup.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1627,133187-243197,00.html
(also made with 'little smoky' cocktail sausages.)
The Bisquick Cheese and Sausage balls are everywhere too.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,231,155181-233203,00.html
Chicken wings are popular. (don't sauce them tho--too messy; serve a bottle of texas pete hot sauce, along with blue cheese dip, celery stick)
Maybe not so, quite 'low brow'. But a low country shrimp boil:
zatarain's crab boil--the spice bag stuff!. A can of beer, a lemon cut up and juiced. Boil (this extracts the flavors)..add more water/salt to package directions. Add a Kielbasa sausage--cut up in slices. Boil 5 mins.
Add new potatoes cut in quarters..boil 5 mins. Add shucked corn on the cob cut in thirds. Boil 5 mins. When potatoes are tender add a bag of thawed shrimp (shell on!). And simmer for 5 mins.
Drain the entire thing and dump in a bowl lined with fresh news paper--or if outside..just on news paper on a table. .
Add lots of lemon wedges for color...and serve with cocktail sauce and butter (in this case a squeeze bottle is okay).