Every year there is the usual round of graduation parties—fun and important—but very often very similar, especially in the food department. Your graduate isn’t ordinary, though—so have a graduation buffet magna cum laude—with high honors!!
I really got my start in special-occasion cooking when I and all my friends were doing graduation open-house buffets for our children. I was willing and in demand to do parties for all my friends as well as for my own four children. However, we all travelled in the same circles, so each party needed a fresh face. Realizing that decorations would be similar and the food would need to be popular with grandparents, parents and teens; I set out to find some special menus. Also, I couldn’t forget budget and time considerations.
Here is a buffet that has everything and is truly deserving of high honors—but let your graduate and guests be the judges. There are quite a few variations to this buffet so that you can fill in blanks and change a few of the dishes as well as the ingredients in some of the dishes.
Deviled Eggs
Miniature hamburgers
Pulled pork sandwiches
Chicken salad on baby bagels
Sweet Potato Salad
Couscous Salad
Graduation cake
Diploma Cookies
Wild-berry Sangria (non-alcoholic)
Everyone loves deviled eggs and you may have your own special recipe, but I think the simpler the better. This one is easy and has few ingredients:
Deviled Eggs
10 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled, halved lengthwise
½ cup chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Scoop yolks out of eggs; place in work bowl of food processor with 2 Tbsp. chives, mayonnaise and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Mound, filling in egg halves and sprinkle with remaining chives. Arrange on platter. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover loosely and chill.)
Chicken Salad on Baby Bagels (makes 8—use multiples of recipe as desired)
1 large skinless-boneless chicken breast, poached and diced small (about 2 cups)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
2 tsp. Thai garlic-chile sauce
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Toss together all ingredients. Pile on mini bagel bottoms and place tops and press gently.
Sweet Potato Salad
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup mayonnaise
Salad
6 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup raisins
For Dressing: Whisk all ingredients except mayonnaise in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
For Salad: Steam sweet potatoes in batches until just tender, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to large bowl. Cool to room temperature. Add green onions, parsley, pecans, apricots and raisins. Pour dressing over; toss gently to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Right before serving, fold in mayonnaise, gently. Serve immediately. (Can sit for 1 hour at room temperature.)
Couscous Salad with Dates and Almonds
2 cups water
½ tsp. salt
1 10-oz. box couscous
½ cup olive oil
6 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 15-to-16-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
½ cup chopped pitted dates
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
¼ cup minced green onions.
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Bring 2 cups water and ½ tsp. salt to boil in medium saucepan. Add couscous; stir 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Transfer to large bowl to cool. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel and cardamom to blend in small bowl. Drizzle over couscous. Mix in garbanzo beans, dates, almonds, minced cilantro and green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Garnish with cilantro sprigs right before serving, if desired.
Diploma Cookies
5 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 large egg whites
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
In bowl of electric mixer, beat 3 tablespoons butter and sugar until coarse meal forms. Beat in egg whites, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Add flour and beat until well blended. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in small saucepan over low heat. Mix warm butter into batter. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 nonstick baking sheets (or spray regular sheets with vegetable spray.) Spoon 1 heaping teaspoonful batter for each cookie onto sheets, spacing 4 inches apart. Using a small offset spatula or back of spoon, spread batter for each cookie to very thin 4-inch round. Bake cookies on 1 sheet until ¾ inch of edge is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Run thin flexible spatula under edge of 1 cookie to loosen and remove from sheet. Working quickly while cookies are still warm and flexible, roll 1 cookie around handle of wooden spoon into cylinder. Slide cookie onto work surface. Shape remaining cookies into cylinders, returning sheet to oven briefly to soften cookies if necessary. Bake cookies on second sheet while first baking sheet cools. Repeat with remaining batter, using cool baking sheet each time. Cool rolled cookies completely on cooling rack. Tie with narrow ribbon to resemble diplomas.
Wild-berry Sangria (Serves about 24)
8 cups water
8 wild-berry tea bags
2 cups sugar
4 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled
2 750ml bottles chilled sparkling apple cider
6 kiwis, peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes
4 cups ice cubes
Bring 4 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add tea bags; cover and let steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add sugar to hot tea; stir until dissolved. Stir in remaining 4 cups water. Chill tea until cold, about 3 hours. Puree 2 baskets strawberries in processor. Slice remaining 2 baskets strawberries. Place pureed and sliced berries in large pitcher, punch bowl or two pitchers. Add tea and all remaining ingredients. Stir and serve.
Cook’s Tips:
Deviled egg mixture can be put into pastry bag and piped into egg whites.
Small hamburger buns can be purchased at many supermarkets and bakeries or made from Rhodes frozen roll dough. If using Rhodes, thaw and cut Texas size rolls in two. Shape into balls, put into pan, ½ inch apart. Let rise; brush 1 whole egg, beaten, over the tops and bake according to directions. When making small hamburgers, put a dab of mayo, a squirt of catsup, mustard and a slice of dill pickle on each one.
I really got my start in special-occasion cooking when I and all my friends were doing graduation open-house buffets for our children. I was willing and in demand to do parties for all my friends as well as for my own four children. However, we all travelled in the same circles, so each party needed a fresh face. Realizing that decorations would be similar and the food would need to be popular with grandparents, parents and teens; I set out to find some special menus. Also, I couldn’t forget budget and time considerations.
Here is a buffet that has everything and is truly deserving of high honors—but let your graduate and guests be the judges. There are quite a few variations to this buffet so that you can fill in blanks and change a few of the dishes as well as the ingredients in some of the dishes.
Deviled Eggs
Miniature hamburgers
Pulled pork sandwiches
Chicken salad on baby bagels
Sweet Potato Salad
Couscous Salad
Graduation cake
Diploma Cookies
Wild-berry Sangria (non-alcoholic)
Everyone loves deviled eggs and you may have your own special recipe, but I think the simpler the better. This one is easy and has few ingredients:
Deviled Eggs
10 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled, halved lengthwise
½ cup chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Scoop yolks out of eggs; place in work bowl of food processor with 2 Tbsp. chives, mayonnaise and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Mound, filling in egg halves and sprinkle with remaining chives. Arrange on platter. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover loosely and chill.)
Chicken Salad on Baby Bagels (makes 8—use multiples of recipe as desired)
1 large skinless-boneless chicken breast, poached and diced small (about 2 cups)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
2 tsp. Thai garlic-chile sauce
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Toss together all ingredients. Pile on mini bagel bottoms and place tops and press gently.
Sweet Potato Salad
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup mayonnaise
Salad
6 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup raisins
For Dressing: Whisk all ingredients except mayonnaise in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
For Salad: Steam sweet potatoes in batches until just tender, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to large bowl. Cool to room temperature. Add green onions, parsley, pecans, apricots and raisins. Pour dressing over; toss gently to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Right before serving, fold in mayonnaise, gently. Serve immediately. (Can sit for 1 hour at room temperature.)
Couscous Salad with Dates and Almonds
2 cups water
½ tsp. salt
1 10-oz. box couscous
½ cup olive oil
6 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 15-to-16-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
½ cup chopped pitted dates
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
¼ cup minced green onions.
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Bring 2 cups water and ½ tsp. salt to boil in medium saucepan. Add couscous; stir 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Transfer to large bowl to cool. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel and cardamom to blend in small bowl. Drizzle over couscous. Mix in garbanzo beans, dates, almonds, minced cilantro and green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Garnish with cilantro sprigs right before serving, if desired.
Diploma Cookies
5 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 large egg whites
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
In bowl of electric mixer, beat 3 tablespoons butter and sugar until coarse meal forms. Beat in egg whites, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Add flour and beat until well blended. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in small saucepan over low heat. Mix warm butter into batter. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 nonstick baking sheets (or spray regular sheets with vegetable spray.) Spoon 1 heaping teaspoonful batter for each cookie onto sheets, spacing 4 inches apart. Using a small offset spatula or back of spoon, spread batter for each cookie to very thin 4-inch round. Bake cookies on 1 sheet until ¾ inch of edge is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Run thin flexible spatula under edge of 1 cookie to loosen and remove from sheet. Working quickly while cookies are still warm and flexible, roll 1 cookie around handle of wooden spoon into cylinder. Slide cookie onto work surface. Shape remaining cookies into cylinders, returning sheet to oven briefly to soften cookies if necessary. Bake cookies on second sheet while first baking sheet cools. Repeat with remaining batter, using cool baking sheet each time. Cool rolled cookies completely on cooling rack. Tie with narrow ribbon to resemble diplomas.
Wild-berry Sangria (Serves about 24)
8 cups water
8 wild-berry tea bags
2 cups sugar
4 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled
2 750ml bottles chilled sparkling apple cider
6 kiwis, peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes
4 cups ice cubes
Bring 4 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add tea bags; cover and let steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add sugar to hot tea; stir until dissolved. Stir in remaining 4 cups water. Chill tea until cold, about 3 hours. Puree 2 baskets strawberries in processor. Slice remaining 2 baskets strawberries. Place pureed and sliced berries in large pitcher, punch bowl or two pitchers. Add tea and all remaining ingredients. Stir and serve.
Cook’s Tips:
Deviled egg mixture can be put into pastry bag and piped into egg whites.
Small hamburger buns can be purchased at many supermarkets and bakeries or made from Rhodes frozen roll dough. If using Rhodes, thaw and cut Texas size rolls in two. Shape into balls, put into pan, ½ inch apart. Let rise; brush 1 whole egg, beaten, over the tops and bake according to directions. When making small hamburgers, put a dab of mayo, a squirt of catsup, mustard and a slice of dill pickle on each one.
Graduation Cake
Make 1 Duncan Hines white cake mix for each sheet according to package directions but put into a 15x10x2” pan instead of a 9x13x2”. Bake 4 minutes less than 9x13 instructions on box or until cake tests done. Cool for 5 minutes. Carefully turn out onto sturdy base covered with foil or doily. When thoroughly cool, frost with cream cheese frosting, saving about ¾ cup frosting; set aside. Tint 3/4 cup frosting with purple food coloring.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla (if you don’t want an ivory color, use white vanilla)
6 cups sifted powdered sugar
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, to reach spreading consistency.
Frost cake, piping edges with decorative shell tip or leaving plain and running a purple grosgrain ribbon all around sides of cake. Use purple frosting to write graduate’s name, congratulations, the year, etc. on cake. Place one diploma cookie on bottom right corner of cake and mortar board on top left.
To make mortar board: Melt ½ cup dark chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet chocolate chips) in microwave using 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir. If chocolate doesn’t stir into smoothness, microwave at 10 second intervals until it is just melted. Add ½ tsp. vegetable oil and microwave for 10 seconds more. Pour half of chocolate onto baking sheet and tilt until it is 1/8 inch thick. Pour the rest of the chocolate into small deep bowl (such as a custard cup). Put baking sheet into refrigerator for 5 minutes. Dip one end of small balloon (blown up) into chocolate in custard cup and set in refrigerator on a plate. Remove baking sheet and score chocolate into 3 ½” square. Refrigerate until set. Burst balloon with a sharp object (such as a pin) and pull balloon away from chocolate. This is the head cup. Place it in left top corner of cake. Next, remove 3 ½" square with wide-bladed spatula and with a bit of frosting as glue, set it on the head cup. Using the same frosting-glue, put a stem-on maraschino cherry in center of mortar board for tassel.
If your cake will be outside in hot weather, this chocolate mortar board will melt. In that case, you can make one from phyllo pastry, using four phyllo layers, with melted butter brushed on each sheet between layers. Cut out 3 ½ “squares and bake about 7 minutes
at 350 degrees. Use the rest of the squares to make Napoleons!
The Sangria can be embellished with white wine for adults.
Setting up your party:
Use the colors of the graduate’s school. I learned from a recent graduate from Red Wing High School that in addition to the purple and white colors (which I knew)—red is an official color as well. Purple and white flowers, tablecloth and balloons can be punched up with red napkins and tableware, ribbons, and other small accents. Adorn your table with splashy bouquets of garden flowers, if possible. Greenery is also very festive and beautiful and more available for everyone.
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