What better way to celebrate your hard-working years in college than with a graduation party? Clearly, it is a perfect time to commemorate your achievements while having all your friends and family around you.
But you can’t have a party without food. For this reason, we have compiled a list of all the best catering food ideas for graduation parties. So, you can relax and take it easy (you’ve deserved it!).
So read on and see if there’s anything that takes your fancy.
1.Graduation Pretzel Pops
Nothing quite screams graduation celebration like these pretzel pops. Topped with fondant graduation caps, and an array of decorations, they’ll make the perfect party centrepiece. Let your imagination run wild and decorate personalise them in whatever way you like.
The best thing about buffalo wings is that all you have to do is throw them on a baking tray, smother the wings in sauce, and then let your oven do its magic.
It’s a great, hassle-free catering food that everyone loves. What’s more, quantities can be easily adjusted to suit the number of people attending, and you don’t have to worry about spending all your day in the kitchen – the perfect graduation food.
Take your graduates back to their college days by making some pizza – a staple dinner on every college student’s menu. However, as most students are probably sick of eating takeout pizza, why not make homemade pizzas that are even tastier?
Modern home Pizza Ovens come in so many shapes and sizes. From electric ones that sit on your bench top to wood-fired ones for your deck or garden, we’ve got them all. Click here for more information and prices.
Completely customisable, you can add whatever toppings you want. In fact, you could even have a pizza-making station.
This easy-to-make recipe means that you’ll have a huge batch of guacamole in no time. Add some tortilla chips and you will have the perfect combination.
Not only does it work as a dip, but you can use guacamole for a variety of other foods. Whether you are putting it in a burger, eating it on its own, or even as a salad dressing.
This multi-purpose guacamole is sure to be a crowd favourite at any party.
These tiny cheeseburger sliders make for the perfect bite-size portions. You can make a ton of these cheeseburgers with little effort, and people will gobble them up in no time. And that means no waste.
You could even prepare the patties ahead of time, and simply reheat them when they’re ready to be served. Assemble with your favourite toppings, and voila: the perfect mini cheeseburger. Best of all, it looks like you put a load of effort into it when in reality, it is really simple.
This is definitely one of our most popular catering food ideas for graduation parties.
Is it really a party if there isn’t any popcorn? This delicious popcorn makes for a perfect and simple-to-make party food that everyone loves.
You don’t even need to stop at caramel popcorn either. A popcorn station would be a great way for everyone to make their favourite flavour. You could add chocolate, candies, salt, or sugar, to make the best popcorn for all your guests.
You can’t go wrong with some delicious and hearty pasta that even the fussiest people will enjoy.
A pasta bar is a perfect way for people to customise their own pasta to their liking with different toppings, sauces, and pasta varieties. Moreover, it’s great for the vegetarians/ vegans in the family.
This can be paired with bread rolls and salad, to create an appetising and simple-to-make catering food that everyone will enjoy.
By the time graduation season comes around, the temperatures are starting to rise, and there is no better way to cool down than with some cold ice cream. So, why not incorporate an ice cream station at your graduation party?
For Ice Cream of any flavour, whenever you want it, it’s worth getting your own Ice Cream Maker. And these days, they are both easy-to-use and budget -friendly. For a range of models and prices, click here.
Include everything you need to make the perfect ice cream sundae with a fun do-it-yourself station. Whether this is an array of different toppings, ice cream flavours, or sauces, it is sure to be a delicious and fun way for guest to interact.
Everyone loves chocolate-dipped strawberries; they’re festive, delicious, and look amazing. These are also incredibly popular, and easy to make, so you’ll have enough for the whole party. And honestly, catering food ideas for graduation parties don’t come much more straight forward.
You could even go one step further and set up a chocolate fountain for your guests to have fun dipping their own strawberries. You don’t even have to stick to just strawberries, you could include marshmallows, grapes, pretzels, and much more. After all, everyone loves chocolate-covered food.
A build your own hot dog station is perfect for a casual, no-fuss graduation party. A quick and easy way to feed all your guests. You can even prepare the sausages ahead of time to make it even easier.
Simply lay out everything you need for a tasty hot dog station. This could include hot dog buns, ketchup, mustard, onions, and anything else you prefer on your dog. Pair with salad, fries, or coleslaw, and you have yourself a great way for guests to please themselves.
Nachos are a perfect graduation party appetiser as all you need to do is throw a load of ingredients on top of some tortilla chips and put them in the oven.
Black beans, guacamole, tomatoes, olives, lettuce, cheese, and anything else you want to include can make a delicious loaded nachos meal.
Get as crazy or as minimalist as you like! What’s great about nachos is that you can add as much or as little as you prefer.
These are also great for anyone with allergies or dietary restrictions.
No one is too old for donuts. They make the perfect graduation party food. Donuts are simple to make and completely customisable, and you can create some awesome donut layouts or designs.
Whether this is having a donut wall (so people can just pick off a donut), or a tray of donuts decorated in your graduation year, the possibilities are endless.
You can’t go wrong with some mozzarella sticks. These satisfying, crunchy, and cheesy delights are sure to be a crowd favourite.
They are easy to make and come together so simply and deliciously, that you’ll find people popping them into their mouths straight from the oven. If you’re feeling even more stylish you can pair these sticks with a marinara sauce on the side.
Coming in next on our list of catering food ideas for graduation parties is the timeless charcuterie board.
The beauty of a charcuterie board is that you can add anything you like to it. For an Italian flair, you could add pepperoni and prosciutto. Whilst, Brie cheese and rolled hams give you a French feel.
Of course, a mouth-watering charcuterie selection should be perfectly presented. And that means on an attractive Charcuterie Board. For some stylish examples, see here.
Whatever your mood, you could even combine these two options, or create your own by adding olives, breadsticks, raisins, crackers, nuts, or any meat – there are so many possibilities.
You could even turn your graduation party into Taco Tuesday with these loaded chicken tacos. Completely customisable, you can adjust the ingredients to your liking. Whether you want to make it spicier, or less, the option is up to you.
Looking for a way to fill up all your guests while still keeping things relatively healthy? Why not include a veggie tray at your graduation party?
Include whatever vegetables you like. Whether this is carrots, tomatoes, celery, cauliflower or capsicum, then watch as your family devours this delicious, vitamin-packed, veggie tray.
To add some extra flavours, why not include some dips on the side? This could include hummus, garlic and herb dip, or even some of the guacamole you made earlier.
A macaroni and cheese station is sure to be a hit with the whole family; whatever the age. It’s easy to make and tastes delicious, your friends and family will never want to leave.
What better way to serve it than with customisable toppings, so everyone can make their perfect mac and cheese.
This is ideal for a midday graduation party. A sandwich buffet is an easy-to-make idea that everyone can enjoy. It’s great finger food for outdoor parties where people are socialising and constantly moving around.
Fill your sandwiches with whatever fillings you like. A combination of options will mean that there is something for everyone.
Whether you are planning an early morning, midday, or afternoon graduation party, this guide has different suggestions that are great for any time of the day.
Hopefully, this guide has provided you with some inspiration for catering food ideas for graduation parties.
When it comes to great places to eat in Australia, the list really is endless. There are so many different restaurants, cafés, and chains to try that you really are spoiled for choice. From Italian food, to Japanese food, to a good ‘ole rump steak, the food options are endless.
This is why I decided to set up my blog, Eatability, to share the best food and drink spots in Australia with as many people as possible. Hi, my name is Dylan Cole, and I moved to Australia five years ago from England, UK.
Through this blog, I will be sharing and recommending some of my favorite places you need to visit, such as where to find the best pizza in Adelaide, and the best bakery in Brisbane. Whatever food you are fancying, I have got you covered!
