Graduation open house food ideas: what to serve between 1 and 5 pm

For graduation open house food ideas for a 1 to 5 pm party, serve a lunch-style hot item, a cold grazing table and sweets that last the afternoon. For 50 guests, Upper Crust trays cover it for $746 before tax, about $14.92 a guest: pulled pork sliders, finger sandwiches, a cheese tray, a fruit display, brownies, cookies and a drink. The trick is timing, because guests arrive in waves.

Why a 1 to 5 pm party is different

Guests drop in over four hours instead of arriving together, and many treat it as lunch because it starts at 1. So plan a plate at the start, snacks through the middle and sweets at the end. Because the window covers a mealtime, we lean toward the high side of our rule of one hot tray per 20 guests. That is a planning guide, not a rule.

The menu for 50, with the math

• 3 trays BBQ Pulled Pork, $95 each, serves 20: $285
• 3 trays Slider Sandwich Buns, $12 each, 24 count: $36
• 1 tray Assorted Finger Sandwiches, $89, 60 pieces: $89
• 1 Assorted Cheese Tray with Crackers, $69, 60 pieces: $69
• 1 Seasonal Fresh Fruit Display, $74
• 1 tray Brownies, $59, 35 count: $59
• 1 tray Assorted Home Baked Cookies, $45, 40 count: $45
• 1 Iced Tea, Punch or Lemonade, $89, 50 servings: $89

Add it up: $285 + $36 + $89 + $69 + $74 + $59 + $45 + $89 = $746. Divided by 50 guests, that is $14.92. With 9.25% sales tax it is about $815. A chafing dish set is $17 if you want the pork held hot.

A schedule for the afternoon

• Noon, before guests: Set up tables, ice and drinks. Put out the cold trays, the cheese tray and fruit, and the sweets.
• 1 pm: Open the first pork tray in the chafing dish with buns beside it. Finger sandwiches go out at the same time.
• 2 to 3 pm: Refill the sandwich and cheese trays from the back stock. Open the second pork tray.
• 4 pm: Open the last pork tray only if the line is still moving. Move the brownies and cookies to the front.
• 5 pm: Pack leftovers into containers.

Open one tray at a time. Trays stay fresh longer when they stay covered.

Variations

• No hot food: skip the pork and use Pinwheel Sandwiches, $79, 60 pieces, and Fresh Vegetable Crudités, $59. See graduation party food ideas.
• Pasta instead of sliders: Baked Mostaccioli is $45 a tray in the smaller size. Pasta catering has sizes.
• Larger crowd: our graduation party food for 50, 100 or 150 has totals for each size.

Setup items

Plates, napkins and silverware are $1.50 a person ($75 for 50). Tongs and serving spoons are $1 each. Our graduation party checklist covers pick-up and setup. Browse graduation party catering.

Ordering

Order about three days ahead. Pick up at our Yorkville kitchen or ask for a quoted delivery. Send the date and headcount through the quote form or call (630) 553-9533.

Questions

How much food do I need for an open house?

For 50 guests, three pork trays with buns and four cold or sweet trays, as above.

Should I serve a full meal at an open house?

If the party spans lunch, yes, one hot item is plenty. Everything else can be cold.

How do I keep food fresh for four hours?

Open one tray at a time, keep the rest covered, and keep hot food in a chafing dish.