Cooking with Tammy: Graduation party planning tips

By Tammy O’Hara
Special to the Herald

It’s so hard to believe that another school year is quickly coming to an end. I am very excited to share that my youngest will be graduating from UCF with his bachelors degree (Go Knights!). I also have several friends with graduating seniors and they have asked me for easy ideas with graduation parties.  
Since I’ve been through it before, twice for high school and once previously for my other son’s college graduation, and have also helped coordinate parties for friends in the past, I thought it would be nice to share a few tips that will help you in getting ready for the party and then be able enjoy the party yourself since most of the work will be done before it starts.
With a little preplanning and prepping the day or two before the party, you will be amazed at how easy it is to pull things together. You can also use these ideas for other gatherings you might host throughout the year.  
After you determine the guest list (or maximum if it’s going to be an open house), you’ll also need to assess what dishes, bakeware and appliances you have as well as those that you might be able to borrow from friends rather than buy them if you don’t think you’ll use them again.  
A crock pot is a definite necessity. I actually have multiple crock pots that are different sizes as well as a 3 in 1 crock pot. Not only can you do the actually cooking in the crock pots but they also help to keep your food warm during the length of the party. Serving platters always come in handy.  If you don’t have many, you can often find re-usable ones at the dollar store! Casserole dishes and/or cake pans/lasagna pans are also definite necessities in my opinion. I have several of each and sometimes wish I had more, depending on how big of a gathering I’m hosting.  
When you are planning a party like this, don’t be afraid to ask your friends for help! Odds are, they will be in the same boat as you one day and you can trade assistance. Also, while making most of the food yourself is generally the most cost effective way of hosting a party, you can certainly pick and choose the items you want to prepare yourself and then get a few other things from the grocery store or the “big box” stores if you are a member (or have a friend that is!).  

Snacks/Appetizers:

Deviled eggs – Everybody has their own twist on how they make deviled eggs and I’m no exception. In fact, I like to add different flavors to “kick them up a notch” so to speak such as jalapenos, bacon bits or chopped pickles, just to name a few. I am a definite fan of mayo (Hellman’s of course!) versus salad dressing (Miracle Whip) and I always add a little bit of dry mustard, regardless of the other items I’m using.  
Taco/7 layer dip with chips – This is a definite favorite at our house and very rarely is there anything left in the pan. Simply take a can of refried beans, straight from the can, and spread on the bottom of a 8 x 8 square dish. Next mix a packet of taco seasoning with a 2-cup container of sour cream until well blended and spread that across the top of the beans. All of the layers after that are up to your liking but the basics are chopped lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, jalapenos (fresh or pickled), black olives, green onions & cilantro.  Serve with corn or tortilla chips.  
Fruit & veggie trays – You can buy these at any grocery store but they are so much cheaper to make yourself and very easy to do. I like to do one with just veggies (carrots, celery, pepper strips, cucumber slices, squash, radishes, cherry tomatoes) and one with fruit (grapes, melon chunks, apples & pears, strawberries & pineapple chunks. I usually do cheat and pick up the dips at the grocery store! Be sure to soak the apples & pears in diet lemon-lime soda before serving to avoid discoloring when they sit out.
Cheese & crackers – this is pretty self explanatory. Slice or cube up the cheese ahead of time and keep flavors separate in plastic bags in the fridge. Don’t forget to put a container of toothpicks on the tray for your guests to make serving very simple!
Salads – Potato salad, cole slaw, tossed salad & macaroni salad are popular and easy to make (or buy!).

Meats/Mains:

Pulled pork (easy to do yourself in a crock pot or oven) - I did it for both boys grad and there wasn't even string of pork left either time.  I make mine by marinating a large Boston Butt roast (as big as my crock pot can hold) in a zip lock bag with a bottle of Mojo sauce (in the Hispanic food section), overnight at least. I also like to poke holes in the pork and stuff it with peeled cloves of garlic. Cook it in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours, depending on size. You’ll be able to tell when it’s done because it just starts to fall apart. Let it cool & then shred it up with a couple of forks. After it’s shredded, I like to put in a little additional Mojo sauce to keep it moist and also season it with garlic powder and adobo seasoning to taste. If there are any leftovers, this is a great pork mixture to use as a base for Cuban sandwiches!
Lasagna or baked ziti - Serve with extra sauce and store bought meatballs on the side (the meatballs & sauce can stay warm in a crock pot). You can also have buns/rolls to make meatball subs & you just added another option that basically took no time at all besides opening a bag of meatballs & adding sauce! Shake up your regular lasagna and use alfredo sauce and chicken instead of red sauce and ground beef!  
Italian beef - Cook a beef roast (rump time, not pot roast) with a packet of onion soup mix and a jar of pickled Italian veggies (with the liquid from the jar). Cook & shred like you would with the pulled pork.
Enchilada casserole/Mexican lasagna - Make taco meat & layer tortillas (corn or flour, whichever you prefer), meat & cheese like you would in making lasagna. Cook in the oven for about 20-30 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.  

Desserts:

This is where I keep it very simple and get dessert from the store! Cupcakes & cookies are both popular with kids and adults. Of course, you can make them at home as well.  

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions about food, recipes, etc.  You can find me at www.facebook.com/goodfoodforeverymood.  Happy party planning!