As a trusted and experienced caterer, your clients know they can count on you for a competitive price, plenty of delicious food, and on-time-every-time service. And that means you have to have catering menus for every type of event. You’re catering guests at ballroom weddings one afternoon and at a backyard reunion the next. Corporate dinners, church picnics, birthday parties, and holiday gatherings all demand their own attention and options.
Fortunately, there are some menu items that work well across multiple types of events, venues, and occasions. By stocking the staples, you can save your clients precious dollars while saving yourself stress, hassle, and most importantly, time. As an established, personal, and competitive wholesale catering supplier, Schenck Foods has you covered.
Stress-Free Catering Menus For Any Occasion
When you pull a catering menu together, you’re looking to impress by showing your clients that every event can be delicious, fun, and affordable. The options listed below are specially selected to meet that criteria. Many of the hot menu items can also be broiled or pan-roasted instead of grilled. So whether you’re hosting an indoor buffet or an outdoor party feast, these options can still find a place in your bag of tricks.
Corporate Luncheon with Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata at its simplest is chicken breast cutlets dredged in flour, browned, and served with a sauce of butter, lemon juice, capers, and stock or wine for an easy to serve, affordable, and delicious entree.
We recommend this recipe from Giada de Laurentiis on the Food Network. As promised, this one works well indoors or outdoors, at a formal plated dinner for a wedding, or as a part of a casual self-serve or butlered buffet. Try pairing with a pasta with basil pesto, a crisp garden salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing and a crusty artisan bread.
Bar Mitzvah or Quinciñera with Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Sure to be a crowd pleaser and favorite among kids and adults alike, this option gives your menu both flavor and flexibility. This one easily fits kosher or vegetarian needs, depending on your client’s request.
Our favorite recipe comes from The Chunky Chef. This gourmet grilled cheese is loaded with herbed and caramelized onions, gooey Gruyere and white cheddar cheeses, and is cooked in a savory rosemary butter! It’s comfort food perfection, but can be elegantly served not only at indoor or outdoor parties, but at light reception or even as a part of hors d’oeuvres event.
Depending on your location and the formality of the event, pair with a creamy tomato soup, a spinach strawberry salad with balsamic poppy seed dressing, pecans, and feta. In a more casual setting consider sweet potato fries as a happy partner to your grilled cheese staple. (Check out our suggestions for some casual dessert ideas that may work at the same event).
Evening Ballroom Reception with Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp
We know shrimp is on your menu. But is it on just one of your menus? With shrimp like this at your event guests will be asking for your business card and how far out you schedule catering events.
These plump shrimp are coated in sweet heat thanks to hot honey and Sriracha. (If you want to tone the heat down a notch, use regular honey instead). Check out the popular recipe at Eating Well for this tasty spotlight piece.
Here’s what we love about this one: it works. Indoors. Outdoors. As an appetizer before a plated meal, or as a favorite at an hors d’oeuvres event. Lunch. Afternoon wedding reception. Or at that evening corporate happy hour.
These are easy to serve on skewers and, depending on your venue and type of event, can be paired with a buttery seasoned rice and a farro salad with asparagus and parmesan.
Backyard Graduation Celebration with Roast Beef Tenderloin and Red Wine Sauce
Did we save the best for last? Maybe, although we’d argue that all of these are not only delicious, but incredibly versatile options. And it’s not just the food that’s delicious and versatile – that also describes the caterer that everyone’s raving about. And as a local wholesale food distributor and catering supplier, that’s who we support.
Your guests will love this combination of sear-roasted beef tenderloin with a deeply flavored red wine sauce. Not only is it elegant, but it’s also simple to make. Jenn Segal shares her take on this show-stopping roast at Once Upon A Chef.
Serve with a creamy horseradish sauce, no matter where you are–the backyard or a plated dinner. From there, the sides are as versatile as the tenderloin. Try fluffy mashed potatoes and parmesan roasted brussels sprouts at formal occasions. If yours is a casual affair, serve a blue cheese and caramelized onion tart, gourmet crackers and cheeses, or hummus and grilled pita.
Pick a Wholesaler that Can Source Your Whole Catering Menu
Remember the part where you as a caterer work with your wholesaler (that’s us!) to customize an order and delivery schedule that is efficient, fast, and tailor-made to your unique needs? Wherever you’re catering, for whatever type of event, Schenck Foods has competitive pricing, quick order processing, friendly and efficient staff, and rapid turnaround and delivery time. What we don’t have is slow corporate hassle or an impersonal bureaucracy.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to ask a question, request special ingredients, or take advantage of our $5 delivery for all orders over $250.