10 Food Ideas For Your Central Valley Housewarming Party
When you’re planning a housewarming party, there are many things to consider. Should you plan activities or make a wish list of gifts? Those are certainly important considerations, but here we want to focus on the simplest of housewarming parties: the kind where your friends come over and hang out in your sparkling new home. Perhaps it’s a floating party where people are invited to come as they please during any time you specify. Or maybe you’ve allotted just a couple hours where your doors will be opened.
Either way, any time you have people to your home, it is nice to offer food. That is why we have put together 10 food ideas for your housewarming party.
1. Make-Your-Own Sandwiches. Set out plates of your favorite deli meat alongside lettuce, tomato, onions, a gourmet mustard, slices of avocado, and rolls. Add an unexpected topping like pesto or fresh herbs. Serve with a simple coleslaw and a tray of store-bought chocolate chip cookies.
2. Dips and Chips. This idea hinges on the extremely simple. A tray of taco dip, a tray of spinach dip and several bags of chips. Easy and delicious.
3. Mashed Potato Bar. A little more complicated, but this party food is extremely delicious. Prepare pots of mashed potatoes to dish up in giant plastic martini glasses. Provide toppings for the mashed potatoes, including the usual chives, sour cream, bacon, and cheddar cheese. But add shrimp, gouda, pesto, blanched asparagus, broccoli, raw spinach tossed in a vinaigrette, a garlic-mushroom sauce, chili, whole kernel corn. Add in a pot of sweet potatoes, toppings include all the ones already listed, as well as maple syrup, toasted pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
4. Cheese and Cracker Plates. For a lighter fare, set out cheese and crackers. Use all kinds of cheeses: blue, feta, aged cheddar, brie, Roquefort, camembert. Serve alongside an array of crackers. Triscuits, Club Crackers, Ritz, and some stone-ground wheat crackers or gluten free crackers. Add to these cheese and cracker plates fresh grapes, roast beef, and prosciutto.
5. Artisan Pizza. This one takes a little more planning, but would be delicious for a smaller housewarming party. Think eggplant and Parmesan with mandarin oranges. Think arugula and bacon drizzled with olive oil. Or think simple cheese pizzas. Pick just one or two options to make this simpler. Purchase pre-made pizza crusts or whip up a couple batches of this stuff. Consider making personal pizzas and allowing guests to top their own.
6. Dessert Only. For a party that is held during off-meal times, consider a dessert bar. Perhaps ice cream sundaes. Or maybe an array of cupcakes, brownies, rice crispy treats, and fruits to top.
7. Pot Luck. You did just move, after all. Make your life simpler by asking your guests to bring a dish to share. You provide the plates and plastic ware.
8. Meatball Sliders. Use this recipe to serve a real treat at lunchtime. Meatball sliders served with a tray of carrots, sugar snap peas, and celery, and a large bowl of potato chips.
9. Casserole. Any kind of casserole. These are great for large events. Try a chicken parmesan pasta casserole or a healthy squash and kale casserole. While you’re at it, make an extra one to stick in your freezer for an easy weeknight meal! Serve with fruit salad.
10. Soup. A great, easy crowd pleaser. Beef and bean chili, or chicken chili. Or a kale and quinoa soup. Make this one easier by using your crock pot.
