When you're party planning, coming up with your catering menus and making do-it-yourself deli meat and cheese platters is as easy as buying the food and strategically placing it on your platters.Savory and delicious, you can offer your guests your DIY deli meat and cheese platter selection of "build your own" party sandwiches laid out in a "sandwich bar" fashion - giving them the chance to create their own "Gastro Masterpieces".
Don't be dismayed about doing any of this. These are basic catering menu ideas for parties; tailgating parties, Super Bowl parties, anniversary parties and so on. And here's the secret to it...
It's really not as hard as it seems. When you're planning parties, as daunting as planning everything can sometimes seem, one of the first "tricks" to the trade is to allow yourself plenty of time to shop for what you need. That's how on "party day" a host/hostess can have things in order, looking flawless - greeting you at their door with a cocktail in hand.
Another party catering "tip" is to shop for everything you need at least three (3) weeks out from your party date. Here's what I mean... If your party date is say, Super Bowl Sunday, which this year happens to be Sunday, February 5, 2012 - I would've started shopping the week of January 8th (at the latest, January 15th), to find the best top brand sale items.
But not to worry if you've got too much going on and can't pull things together to get out there and shop that far in advance. The main thing that happens when you shop right before a party is, you don't usually get the best deals. You might have to drive around a little bit more and do some creative catering moves to find them, but there are always good deals to be had.
So, let's jump into this... shall we? This is party platter classic catering 101.
Here are some basic party planning DIY deli meat and cheese platter items:
Your Assorted Roll Party Platter
Load up your platter with 18 fresh baked rolls of various types (this will serve 12 to 16 people). If you don't yet have an affinity for good, Artisan breads, once you start eating them you will and for special occasions like having a party, it's probable that it's the only kind of bread you'll want to buy. You pay a little more for it, but the great taste is undeniable. And in this case it's more often than not true - you get what you pay for. Throw in a few bagels (some guys like the heavier bread) and some croissant, and your guests will thoroughly enjoy your spread of party food.
In Michigan, I head straight over to Great Harvest Bakery. Great Harvest is in Birmingham, Michigan - located at 1137 S. Adams Road. I love this place! It's a place that sells a cornucopia of delectable breads that are so good they'll "make you want to slap your Mama" (it's an expression folks, denoting when something is so good, you'd take a bite of their bread and want to smack someone in the arm or something - unbelievably good!).
Great Harvest breads are really straight forward; don't come with names that are "so cute" that you have to ask a million questions about what you're getting before you're able to buy. I typically purchase their Honey Whole Wheat, Farmhouse White, Nine Grain, and Michigan Herb. When it's for a dinner party, I buy loaves and slice them myself. But for something like this, my suggestion is that you order individual rolls.
Place your order a week in advance, so you don't worry about them running out and not having what you like. And, "over buy" because party guests who've never good Artisan bread will fall in love with it and those who are familiar with products like Great Harvest tend to eat more of it (oftentimes taking the attitude that they're "at a party, so calories don't count").
In the Greater Houston Area, there are two Great Harvest Bakery locations - one in Humble and one in The Woodlands. It's a bit of a trek, but I love their breads and because I'm aware of what they offer, they're my first choice. Call them. Go there. You won't regret it.
Your Deli Meat and Cheese Party Platter
Choose an assortment of meats. Your party guests will love this deli meat list featuring sliced oven roasted turkey, a smokehouse or Honey Baked Ham, roast beef, corned beef, and pastrami. Add to your platter some of the most popular cheeses - Swiss, Provolone, American (I know, I know - it's not "your thing"... but some people really like it and even prefer it), and cheddar. Make more than one of these platters. They're always a big hit!
Your Italian Meat Party Platter
This type of platter showcases Italy's finest meats, a lots of good salami piled high with lots of pepperoni and delicious prosciutto. Add to it Provolone cheese, some slightly spicy pickled pepperoncini peppers, and red and green grapes for garnish - and it's Viva Italia!
Your Cubed Meat & Cheese Party Platter
This party platter staple offers your guests finger food catering at it's finest. Your cutting turkey, ham, Swiss and cheddar cheese into bite size cubes, so it's a no-brainer. Add your favorite savory crackers around the sides and your guests will love the simplicity of it.
In my world, the Mother of all crackers and my favorite cracker in the world is, Red Oval Farms Stoned Wheat Thins. These crackers win hands down! Because they offend no one and they compliment anything and everything, food-wise, under the sun. I mean it. They go with every kind of cheese, every cut of meat, chicken and fish included. I'm telling you, they're phenomenal! And this isn't, repeat... this is NOT a paid recommendation. I wish someone would come over to Cater-Hater and dump a gazillion Stoned Wheat Thins on me. They're just the doggone best cracker, ever.
Another reason that they're "my cracker" is because they're sturdy. I'm a caterer. And yeah, food has to look and taste good; that I serve to my clients and their guests. But I don't know... I guess I just hate cute food that is troublesome to eat. You know what I mean. Right? You know, like, if I have one more cracker break and fall all over the front of what I'm wearing at a party (making me look like the ultimate klutz... y'know? What a cute-but-no-thank-you cracker disaster. But with my crackers, you can load 'em up with a bunch of toppings. Because they're not super delicate, they won't break into a bunch of little pieces before you can even get the darned thing (cracker) up to your mouth. I hate to disparage brands that I'm not fond of, so I won't call any names. But for the record and until the end of time... if there's not a Stoned Wheat Thin cracker on your party buffet table, that's just plain wrong. Try 'em. And then come back and tell me that I lied. I love you, but I don't think so. Not. Going. To. Happen. Sorry.
Anyway... your guests have seen this type of platter a thousand times and know what they're in for as soon as they pick up their plate to dig in. Now you're clearly "catering by design"!
Your Very Important Condiment Party Platter
What's a mini-sandwich (or full-size sandwich, for that matter) without lettuce and tomato? What's corned beef without coleslaw, onions, and rye? The key word in the second question is: onion, by the way.
You have to have condiments. Condiments, next to the bread what hold everything together, are one of the major backbones of a sandwich. So, having well thought out condiments is important.
Place thinly sliced tomatoes and Bermuda onions, along with sliced sweet bell pepper rings, sliced jalapeno peppers, more pepperoncini peppers, pickles - sweet and dill with lots of shredded lettuce on your favorite platter. A medium size platter will usually feed 12 to 16 people.
It's your party, You can do what you want to.
Also add a couple small bowls of chilled Helman's Real Mayonnaise to your condiment platter. Some of your guests would probably appreciate a extra few side bowls of Thousand Island dressing too. And don't forget to include Russian dressing with slaw when you're making your sandwich.
Here's a Cater-Hater bonus for you.
The Pasta Broccoli Sharp Cheddar Cheese Bake Recipe below is an easy to make hot, gooey and wonderful-out-of-the-oven side dish for you to serve right along with everything mentioned above. Double, triple, or quadruple the amounts to accommodate your party guest count, if necessary.
Pasta Broccoli Sharp Cheddar Cheese Bake
(Printable Recipe)
Serves 6
3 cups Fusilli pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 (14 oz.) packages broccoli florets
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 - 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 tablespoon ground garlic
1/2 chopped red pepper
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with the one-tablespoon of olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons salt and pasta. Wait for re-boil. Stir frequently. Cook until al dente (firm to bite). Then drain.
3.) Cook broccoli (but don't overcook it until it's "gray"). Drain any water.
4.) In a large saucepan melt butter or margarine; stir in flour and milk and whisk until mixture boils and thickens. Add 1 - 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 3/4 Swiss cheese, salt, and garlic and stir until blended.
5.) Add cooked broccoli, red pepper and drained pasta to the cheese sauce. Mix well. Spoon into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover with 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
6.) Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
What did we forget? Anything? Write and tell us.
Add some of your own favorite deli food recipes in the Comments section below.
Happy Party! Or, maybe it would be more apropos to say - Happy Super Bowl Party! Oh, and may your favorite team win.
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