Cocktail Party Menu | Beef Tenderloin, Lobster Rolls, Tomatoes, Blue Cheese Potatoes & Mini Milkshakes

As promised, today I'm sharing the behind the scenes set-up, shopping and cooking schedule for the engagement party we hosted last week for my Brother and Claire.  I love hosting parties, but it does take a lot of organization and planning.  I'll walk you through the menu, setup process and give you my checklists and shopping lists in case get inspired to host a similar party.  

You can download all of the checklists, shopping list and worksheets, here : Party Planning Worksheets

Our party was for 50 people 7-10pm.  We wanted heavy hors d'oeuvres that still felt fresh and summery on a hot, hot day, but also special.  We have a family joke that my brother always has had a knack for ordering the most expensive thing on any menu (and has since he was 5!), so this Steak and Lobster was our nod to his favorites!   And his Bride, Claire, is definitely as champagne girl, so we made sure we had plenty of that, too.   Even with our special (and a bit luxurious) menu, we tried to keep it casual and fun for our young crowd... including the late-night "Boozy Milkshakes" (Tumbleweeds) we served at the end of the night. 

 Here was our menu : 

Beef Tenderloin with Soft Rolls & Horseradish (instructions coming soon)

Mini Lobster Rolls

Bacon & Blue Cheese Potato Canapes

Tomato & Mozzarella Platter with Garlic Toasts

Creamy Shrimp Dip with Crackers and Asparagus  (my Granny's - will share soon)

Cheese Board with Berries

Spiced Cashews  (Barefoot Contessa)

Mini Tumbleweed Milkshakes (so good, coming soon!)

Champagne

White Wine

Rose

Beer

 Here is our shopping list - you can download, here.

I will post my step-by-steps of the Beef Tenderloin later this week.  It was yummy - and the first to go.  I cooked it the day before and refrigerated it overnight, making it very easy to slice thinly.

Mini Lobster Rolls on butter toasted buns.

Tomato Mozzarella Platter served with Garlic Toasts.  Easy and Summery.  My Mom brought all of the tomatoes from her garden, which also made it budget friendly.

I always feel like you need a little green on the table.  This crunchy asparagus was great for dipping in the creamy shrimp dip.

We ran out of room on the food table, so I put the cheese board on the island, which worked great for everyone to munch on.  I also had bowls of the spiced cashews around, but forgot to take a picture.

And Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Celebration Candles... not just for birthdays!



Here is the Set-up Checklist.  I find it helpful to sit down and think of everything we'll need at once, when I can concentrate... instead of last minute when I'm running around.

Here is the table laid out with platters a couple of days before.  This really helps make final decisions on what food and how much.

I always like to add some height, like with the Marble Cake Stands.

We had a rental company bring tables and chairs for the patio.

We moved our picnic table into the grass and put candles down the center - was a great gathering spot later in the night by the firepit.  Not surprisingly this is where most of Josh's college friends ended up - casual and fun.

We did three 48" rounds with 6 chairs each.

Love these new giant cedar planters with mums.  Email me if you are interested - thinking of adding them to the shop!

A few weeks ago my lavender died out, so I replaced it with some boxwoods that I can replant later.  I actually love the structure of a shrub in a pot - I may keep it.  Mike in the background prepping the firepit.

My biggest helper wondering where all of his balls and yard toys have gone.



The kitchen running at full steam.  And yes, that is my favorite indulgence - a mini coke in a glass bottle.

Tying up the beef to help it cook evenly.

Steaming potatoes for the canapes.

Chopping up lobster for rolls.

Beef is cooked, now will rest, then be wrapped and put in the refrigerator overnight.

Potatoes are steamed, sliced and topped with blue cheese and bacon.  Yum!

Here is a blank template for you to customize for your own parties, download, here.

Creamy Caramelized Onion Dip

I'm not sure there is anything more useful in the entertaining world than a good, go-to dip recipe.  This Creamy Caramelized Onion Dip is mine.  It is an old favorite I'm revisiting after our trip to Seaside.

Mike and I had message treatments on one of the rain days at the Watercolor Inn's spa.  After our services we treated ourselves to lunch at the Inn.  We ordered Bloody Mary's and a Mahi Mahi sandwich, but after the bloody mary's came out and before the sandwich, they brought around their "snack of the day" that happened to be a caramelized onion dip served with amazing warm and toasty (maybe even fried...?) pita wedges. 

When I made this dip in my catering days I would usually serve it with a vegetable platter.  Yes, crunchy vegetables are a great accompaniment to this dip, but I'll tell you, toasty pita is fantastic.

The dip is starts with cream cheese, just as all great dips do.  Then, sweet caramelized onions and a little heat from a pinch of cayenne pepper make it so addicting.

Caramelized Onion Dip
with toasted pita


2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large red onion
1 block of cream cheese
1/2 cup of sour cream
4 green onions
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper

Begin by caramelizing the onions in a saute pan in olive oil and butter.  You do this by cooking them at a medium high heat until soft (about 3 minutes) then lowing the heat for about 10 minutes stirring every couple of minutes until the color changes to a soft brown color.  Be careful not to over caramelize - they will turn black in a minute or two!  You can do this step ahead of time.

In a mixer (or by hand), cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, caramelized onion, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Turn on oven broiler.

For pita, cut soft whole pita breads into 8 wedges.  Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Place them under the broiler for 2 minutes, then flip them over with a spatula and repeat on the other side.  Sprinkle a little sea salt over them when they come out of the oven.  Serve pita warm.

Chocolate Fudge Topped Petite Cream Puffs | Easy Hors D'Oeuvres

 When I was in college, I worked at a bakery called the Upper Crust.  They made the most beautiful desserts, cookies, cakes and breads - most from scratch.  One of their most popular items were these small bite-size cream puffs with chocolate fudge buttercream.  Ladies would come in a buy trays full for parties, then have a couple boxed up for the car ride home.  People were addicted!  The real secret was... the cream puffs were frozen!  That's right.  They bought them from Costco, then added their own delicious buttercream on top.

When I started catering, these cream puffs were my secret weapon.  I could turn out 100 in 10 minutes for $15... and my clients loved them - always at the top of the request list. 





Chocolate Fudge Topped Petite Cream Puffs
the easiest sweet treat

Frozen Mini Cream Puffs
Chocolate Fudge Buttercream (store-bought or homemade - recipe below)

Thaw the cream puffs for about an hour at room temperature or a couple of hours in the refrigerator.  Put the chocolate butter cream in a plastic pastry bag.  Cut the tip off, leaving about a 1/2 inch opening.  Pipe the buttercream on the puffs.

Chocolate Fudge Buttercream Recipe

4 sticks of salted butter, soften
6 cups of powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of heavy cream

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and pour over heavy cream.  Microwave for 1 minute, then stir.  Repeat until the chocolate ganache (yes, that is ganache!) is smooth.  Be careful not to over heat.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes until cool.

In your kitchen aid fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter and 4 cups sugar for 3 minutes until fluffy and smooth.  Pour in chocolate ganache and 2 more cups of powdered sugar.  Whip until smooth.  Add more powdered sugar, if necessary to create the thickness.

Put the buttercream in a pastry bag (or ziploc bag) and cut 1 inch opening at the bottom of the bag.  Pipe in a swirl on top of the cupcake - be very generous with frosting.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Lemon Caper Cream Sauce

Shrimp Cocktail was THE most popular item at my catering events - especially large, crowded cocktail events.  Why?  Because everyone is hungry and they know that they can eat a shrimp in one easy bite while they are holding their cocktail.  Strong and spicy classic cocktail sauce is just that, classic.  I really like classic cocktail sauce, but unfortunately it doesn't compliment many things.  I'm big on everything on the menu 'going' together and I don't like the idea of ketchupy cocktail sauce mixing with other things.

My solution was to come up with a new version of Shrimp Cocktail that my clients would love.  For the sauce, I love the combination of lemon, garlic and capers, so I came up with a simple lemon, caper cream sauce that was a big hit.  I found that tossing the raw, peeled shrimp in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasting them (instead of boiling) made it very flavorful.  It is definitely an easy recipe to make for a crowd.  All you do is put them on a baking sheet and toss them in the oven for 5-7 minutes!  I recommend preparing 3-5 pieces per person... or more.  Trust me, they'll be popular.

For more holiday appetizer & hors d'oeuvres ideas for your cocktail parties, visit my Holiday Hors D'Oeuvres Ideas!

Roasted Salt & Pepper Shrimp
with Lemon Caper Cream Sauce

2 pounds of shrimp, peeled with tails on
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Sea Salt
1/2 tablespoon of Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  If the shrimp is frozen, run cool water over it until they have thawed.  Place them on a baking sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over the shrimp, then toss with salt & pepper.  Roast in the oven for 5-7 minutes until they are bright pink and no longer translucent.  

Sauce:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of capers
1 cup of sour cream 
Salt & Pepper

To make the sauce, in a small bowl, combine oil and garlic.  Microwave for 10-15 seconds to slightly cook the garlic.  Add lemon juice, capers and sour cream, using a fork or a small whisk to combine.  Salt & Pepper to taste.

For more holiday appetizer & hors d'oeuvres ideas for your cocktail parties, visit my Holiday Hors D'Oeuvres Ideas! 

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms | Appetizers & Hors D'oeuvres

I love crab rangoon.  Who doesn't?  This stuffed mushroom recipe is based on the classic crab rangoon, but I add red pepper and green onion for color and crunch.  This hors d'oeuvres was very popular at my catering events - and you can make 50 of these in a matter of minutes with the help of a pastry bag.  They are a great bite-size bite for a party - be sure to make at least 3-4 per person... they go fast! 

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
with red pepper and green onion

4 cups of mushrooms
1- 8 oz. box of cream cheese, softened
1 (approx. 5oz.) small can of crab meat

1/2 red pepper, small dice
4 green onions, small dice
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, stir together cream cheese, crab, red pepper, green onion, parmesan, salt and pepper until well combined.  Put filling into a pastry bag.



Remove stems from mushrooms and place bottoms up on a baking sheet.  Pipe the mixture into each mushroom.


Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. 

 

Get all of the mushrooms upside-down on a baking tray.  I only made a half of a batch, so you'll have twice as many mushrooms for the entire recipe.

I didn't have a pastry bag, so I used a ziplock!

Fill them over filling - the more cream cheese and crab the better!

Ready to go in the oven!

You can see that they are done because the mushroom has browned and is tender.   A little bit of moisture has gathered underneath each one.