Party Food

[JontheParent]

Hi everyone! I am really hoping I can get your help on this.

I have been tasked with organising DD's birthday party this year in my back yard. I have never cooked for other children before and am a little nervous about what food they might like! DD isn't particularly fussy so cooking for him is completely different than for others!

I am planning on making a few mains, some sides and drinks. I was hoping as parents you could help guide me on what kids may or may not like.

These are my current options (i was planning on choose 6-8 for my mains, 10 for sides and 3-4 for drinks). Alternatively, if you know any thing better than what I have I am all ears :)

Mains
Chicken Yakitori Skewers
Herb Grilled Chicken
BBQ Chicken Wings
Mascarpone, Chicken and Basil Pasta
Chicken Mayo & Avocado Wraps
Training Wheels Lamb Tagine with Mediterranean Couscous
Grilled Aubergine with Mozzarella
Pork Sausage and Spinach, Chicken Orbs
Crispy Baked Chicken
Hawaiian Meatball Bake with Penne Pasta

Sides
Sweet Potato Fries
Home-made Healthy Coleslaw
Sesame Rice
Courgette and Mozzarella Fritters
Salami Cheese & Cucumber Rolls
Crust-less Quiche
Carrot & Pineapple Salad
Beetroot and Orange Salad
Homemade Hummus with Veggie Dippers
Kale Chips
Ham, Apple and Cheese Wraps
Egg, Salmon, Cream Cheese and Cucumber Rolls
Aubergine, Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella wraps

Drinks
Iced Lemon Tea (caffeine, sugar free)
Iced Peach Tea (caffeine, sugar free)
Banana, Strawberry and Vanilla Smoothies
Orange, Lemon with Lime Squash
Blackberries, Sage with Blackcurrant Squash
Orange and Mint with Lemon Squash

What do you all think?

Gosh that all sounds amazing, but to answer your question properly can you tell us how old your DD is and how many people are coming? 6 toddlers in the garden will need something quite different to an 18th birthday with 50 teenagers.

How old is your DD? How many adults / children have you invited? And WHY are you doing so much??
I would be cutting that menu by half and putting some more ‘plain’ food on there. My DD would love itbut lots of kids are fussy or only like plainer food. Cheeseburgers, plain pork sausages. Carrot sticks, chopped pepper insticks, cherry tomatoes in bowls. Regular French fries as well as sweet potato.

To me, it feels like unless you are catering for 120+ you have far too much food on there especially if you are doing it yourself.
I have done professional catering and no way would I have ever offered a menu like that for a kids party. Remember, it’s a kids party first and foremost , not an adult one and not one where you can show off your skills.

Don’t offer SIX drinks either! Kids get overwhelmed. One iced tea ( I’m guessing you are American with your back yard reference) , orange squash and black currant squash. Some lemonade might be nice too. But blackberries and Sage? For kids? This is a drink not an accompaniment to pan seared duck !

Tone it down. You will find you are less stressed too as a stressed mummy is never good at a party! Good luck!

Sounds lovely, but very grown up. How old are the children?

Training Wheels Lamb Tagine with Mediterranean Couscous

What is a training wheel lamb regime?

Tagine! Not regime.

It sounds absolutely amazing. It mudy br an adult dd I presume

Otherwise i agree with maybe a few plain dishes but honestly it sounds like the type of food fit for a king

Chicken Orbs

What are these?

How old are the children and how many guests will be coming?

I would suggest you simplify that menu, unless you are inviting a hundred 16 year olds and plan on having a lot of outside help.

Yip how old? I’ve just done a party for my dd 8 food choices was hot dogs or pizza.
Though your food sounds amazing it may be over the top for a kids party

Many of the dishes seem to be chicken-based. If you are really planning on doing 6-8 main course options, I would suggest a mixture of chicken, red meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. Don't forget a green salad and some good bread, and some puddings/desserts.

Sounds like a big and expensive feast OP! Guess it depends on whose coming age wise really. Classic party foods that always go down well I find are a pasta dish (veggie & a meat one- maybe a cold pasta salad and a hot lasagne?), homemade (or shop) pizza, big salad, dressing options, nice French stick and some mini picky bits (e.g sausage rolls/cocktail sausages/carrot sticks/crisps etc). Then a cheesecake or some kind of cake w/ fruit for dessert! :)

How bizarre! Can I come?

Well I am a huge food lover and so is my DD. Yes i tell him he has it good all time, but he never believes me! I have tried to advocate healthy eating in my household so we stay clear away from processed food as much as we can. In a way I want to show the other parents that we can still cook healthy food which tastes good.

DD is turning 11.

Let me see if i can reply all of you now :)

@Xiaoxiong - He is 11

@yorkshireyummymummy
Thank you for your kind advice. It was only a draft menu, I shared this with DD and he picked these things. I told him i couldn't do it all so i would think about what out of these options would appeal to other kids. I can imagine it must be a nightmare to do it all! You are 100% right and simplicity will be the key.
Great idea about the lemonade though :)
I made it quite complex because I wanted to take the opportunity to see if other kids enjoyed healthy food as well as what they normally eat.

@PurpleDaisies
I call it training wheels because it has half the spice of a regular tagine! An orb is another fun way i call it a ball with DD.

@Littlelambpeep
So should i make the food simpler? If your child was presented with this menu (assume he is around the same age) will he enjoy it? And thank you for the king comment! I will be sure to show this to him to let him know how good he has it!

@SoftSheen
My FB event says around 20 children + parents

@Dons1975
Do you think the other children will enjoy this range, or should i reduce it? I have made a lot of these meals before so the complexity is not a huge problem because I have some help from friends as well.

@SoftSheen
Thanks for the advice! The other half is doing the sweet snacks (thank god!) Ill review the menu to see if I can include other meats as well.

@atryingmama
Perfect! Thanks for that! Ill see what everyone says! But DD definitely loves a pasta so he wouldn't have any problems with that.

Thanks everyone for your time!

Is the DD/he thing to avoid stating gender?

This looks far too poncy for an 11 year olds party. Is this food for the kids to enjoy or for you to show off to their parents? Kids like pizza and pasta and quiche and because it’s on Mumsnet I’d better say to add a few salads, buts it’s a party! Do some sausage rolls, chicken nuggets, chips, maybe a more basic cheese and tomato pasta, do some veg sticks and hummus but I guarantee you’ll be chucking some away.

Ah I assumed it was an adult child from that list! I don't think other 11 year old children are likely to enjoy or appreciate the range - there might be some, but as they'll likely be playing or tearing around doing an activity they probably won't even notice the many dishes and I doubt their parents will risk their kids kicking off at someone else's party if they are forced to try anything they might not like. My kids are adventurous eaters and would eat anything on your list at home on a normal day, but at parties they run around with their friends doing the party activity and getting them to sit down at all is always a challenge, they can usually just about handle a slice of pizza and maybe some pizza and cherry toms and they're off again.

Anyway at parties I always think it looks more generous to have fewer things in larger quantities - so off your list I'd say other kids are most likely to enjoy the BBQ chicken wings, the wraps, and pasta, sides of coleslaw and sweet potato wedges, and maybe if you really want to prove a point you could have a big platter of crudités with dip (guacamole, white bean dip, that kind of thing). Big jug of one of any of those drinks, lots of water. Cake.

I work with this age group and know techies tastes quite well.
If I were in your situation I would aim to please the majority at the party and cook your son a birthday meal of his favourite dish on another night.
I would go for chicken skewers or baked crispy chicken and baked haloumi for any veggies
Pork sausages
Meat balls and pasta

With fries
Bread rolls
Humous and veggies
Cherry tomatoes

Water, squash and 1 iced tea

In a way I want to show the other parents that we can still cook healthy food which tastes good.

They are coming to a party, not for a lesson on how to feed their children.

To comment on the food I would do a vegetarian dish that wasn't aubergine based. I grew up veggie and wouldn't have liked that, I imagine others might be the same.

It all sounds amazing OP, but I imagine most 11 year olds would eat the crispy chicken and the pasta at a push and turn their noses up at the rest.

You could invite us lot round instead?

Blimey

sounds gorgeous hun.and your son and you sound like you have a amazing foodie relationship.
I think it sounds lovely too that your putting on a spread like this.buuut I only say this because im thinking do all his mates have such great expansive tastes on food.
sorry to offend but also where you live might mean this is more the norm party food.but whrere we are and with kids that age its much more party rings and sauasage rolls are the norm.
if all you and his mates love anf eat the same then they are in for a great time though.and you sound very kind to cater to this.
if not perhaps a separate party meal could be had for close nit family where you cook your son his favourites.

Hi everyone!

Point taken indeed. I think the general feel of the conversation is to create something simple that the kids will enjoy. I should have mentioned that we love cooking at ours and my son is always keen to help out in the kitchen and experiment with new food - that is probably why we are so keen on creating something special.

I will probably keep the basic things that children will enjoy (i.e. pasta, chicken, etc.) but not venture on anything too adventurous! After all I have to remember that what he enjoys might not be the same as everyone else!

Thanks for your help everyone and wish me luck :)