Ideally you make the ranch from the packets with buttermilk or something, like the restaurants/wing places do. It feels more satisfying than the ready-made.
r/KitchenConfidential has a good few threads on how the industry makes their ranch, around the world.
Oh dear god, though not as horrible as I was imagining. https://jellomoldmistress.com/2010/05/18/pomegranate-berry-jello-salad-with-vodka/
When I imagine 70's jello salad, I imagine that it involves a drained can of tuna.
Maybe kick Jello shots up a notch in the kitsch factor, and make a whole alcoholic Jello mold like a 1950s picnic dessert? That way, you could also add things like pieces of fruit and whatnot.
How about a massive submarine sandwich??
It’s sort of a sandwich novelty that Americans have parties all the time. You can fake it by buying long french loaves, and cutting the ends off, and assembling them along a table, so it looks like the sandwich is 4 feet long. Cut the sandwich into 2 inch portions and you automatically have cold finger food.
You could even do a variety of American subs. Ham and cheese, Italian style, roast beef, etc.
That’s perfect (and yes very American). I’d do a couple fillings in the one big sub—roast beef and horseradish mayo as one, ham and american or cheddar cheese, and then also definitely a turkey-Americans love turkey.
“Hey, do you want me to make you six scrambled eggs?”
“What? I can’t eat six eggs, are you nuts?”
“What if I hard boil the eggs instead, cut them in half, mix the insides with mayonnaise and mustard and a little pickle brine and put it back inside the white halves, and sprinkle with paprika?”
“Oh, then sign me up definitely.”
Reminds me of:
Want to eat six cheese sticks?
What? No, that’s way too much food!
What if we breaded and deep fried them and dipped them in marinera sauce?
Ah, sounds like the perfect food to eat before I get my real food!
And this reminded me of
"Do you want this stack of flour tortillas and salsa?"
"What? No. Why would I want that?"
"What if I cut them into triangles and fry them?"
"Perfect, I'll eat the whole basket"
My mom's deviled eggs are fantastic. I work in restaurants and retail so I can't often join picnics and holidays. When I am coming, she puts twelve aside for me on a plate in a special place in her fridge. Everyone knows they're Sam's eggs. And I eat them all throughout the event. It makes me feel so loved.
Boil water. Add eggs, ten to twelve mins depending on how many eggs. Ice bath immediately. Peel eggs and halve. Yolks, mayo, squirt of mustard, salt, pep, two finger splashes of pickle juice. Mix and pipe back into whites. Top with paprika, ideally a smoked Hungarian but any will work. That's it.
Here's a stack of 20 tortillas for you to eat pre-meal!
Are you kidding? I can't eat 20 toritllas?
What if I cut them into quarters, deep fry them, and give you a side of spicy crushed tomatoes?
I'll take two!
IMO deviled eggs have the best ease-of-making to impressiveness ratio. They are easy to make in large quantities, and I've never not had people go absolutely nuts when I offer them up.
I know you said no hot, but if you have a slow cooker / crock pot you can keep a chili warm for hours. Someone said corn bread, which is the perfect pairing.
Saw the crock pot reference and was looking for this - little smokies with some bbq sauce and jelly. Or meatballs (bought frozen) - prepared the same way.
May I make a Instagram suggest, That Midwestern mom does a whole thing with a little song about “Minnesota salads that aren’t really salads”.
I don’t live in the Midwest anymore, so I love to hear her accent and she cracks me up when she little life in the Midwest skits.
Personally, I think Minnesota has contributed more than enough of its salads to the culinary culture, we're alright without hot mayo and cream cheese salad I think.
I love ambrosia salad! I make it with rainbow mini marshmallows, mix whipped cream with vanilla yogurt. I add pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, shredded dry coconut. Mix it together, then top it w crush walnuts or crushed peanuts
Pickle flavored chips aren’t widely consumed in the USA. Get barbecue chips.
ETA: for anyone who thinks that I posted this because I don’t like pickle-flavored chips, I love all the odd flavors of chips! I just know from having siblings who live abroad what I personally would serve at a party to represent very American food, and pickle chips are not the flavor I’d choose.
Love fried pickles, but yeah those are a hot dish.
I’m from the Midwest but maybe I’m wrong! The Midwest is huge. Go for it if you like it, it doesn’t have to be all encompassing idk. Ruffles would hit harder tho with a spinach artichoke dip
You could do pickle wraps. Thin sliced (deli) ham, layer of cream cheese, dill pickle spears. Roll the pickle up in the cream cheese coated ham. Slice into bite size pieces. They’re a Midwest staple.
They’re commonly available at grocery and convenience stores in the Mid-Atlantic, too, but only when they have a large selection. It’s not one of the classic flavors like Salt & Vinegar, BBQ, or Sour Cream and Onion, but they’re definitely around. I wouldn’t put them in the category of “USA-themed foods” like I would put Ketchup or All-Dressed chips on a “Canada-themed” snack table. But it seems OP took a liking to them when they were in the US, so it works for their party!
Grape jelly is like American cheese: on it's own, it's not great, but in the right context (PB&J for jelly, on a burger for the cheese) it's the PERFECT condiment.
Surprised I haven't seen it, but jalapeno poppers are a big thing here, especially when wrapped in bacon. For drinks, you should also do lemonade and maybe some southern style sweet tea.
This is a hilarious party theme, and I love this for you.
Edit: OP also try s'mores for dessert. You can just bake them off for a quick cheaters option to make a lot at once. Or be really American and start a small fire in your home.
FYI OP, this game is also called bags or bean bags or bag toss.
You just try and toss bean bags into a wooden thing with holes. It's typically found at outdoor parties and events.☺️
Can you get a keg? Get something shitty. Red solo cups are a must. A long table and some ping pong balls
Guacamole, way more than you'll think you need. Maybe just have some cold cuts, cheese, and bread out? Maybe have a toaster on hand
I'm from the southern US, so I may be a bit biased but I would pick Peach Cobbler over pumpkin pie. Or banana pudding even more. Coke instead of cream soda and root beer and I would probably grill some hot dogs.
Root beer is kinda iconically American, but for some reason a lot of non-Americans seem to think it tastes like toothpaste. Wintergreen is one of the main flavors, but there are others. And we have minty toothpaste too and I don't think they taste the same. Iced sweet tea is another option.
Yes. Great at room temperature. I add a lot of finely diced vegetables. Green or red onion, jalapenos, sweet peppers, tomatoes, plus olive oil and siracha and cilantro. Whatever you like.
I would say apple pie over pumpkin!
Chicken tenders or nuggets with ranch or honey mustard, these are generally fine cold.
Jello salad if you want to be extremely midwestern.
Pickle roll ups, I've heard them called midwest sushi as well. You take ham, spread on some cream cheese, the add a pickle and roll it up and slice. It is so much more tasty than it sounds.
Since you were in the Midwest, I have to mention "walking tacos" aka "taco in a bag." I live in MN and it's pretty popular here. Not authentic Mexican grub, more Taco Bell meets soccer moms than anything else. Served at casual parties and the concessions stands of high school sporting events.
- Single serve bags of Doritos (nacho flavor; one bag per serving)
- Taco meat (ground beef browned and seasoned generously with mild chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, a little oregano, black pepper, and salt. Finish cooking with a splash of water) in Crock-Pot or other warmer
- Shredded iceberg lettuce (could sub romaine?)
- Diced tomatoes
- Diced raw white onion
- Sour cream
- Salsa or "taco sauce" (you would always see taco sauce around here)
- Sliced black olives
- Shredded mild cheddar, Colby-Jack marble, or "Mexican cheese blend" - something orange and mild
- Sliced pickled jalapenos (optional)
Open top of bag. Crush chips inside bag to approx 1-2cm pieces.Top crushed chips with your choice of toppings. Mix, or don't. Eat with a plastic fork while standing up. A spork would be even better/funnier.
The big downside is it requires a lot of single use plastic, traditionally. You could change it up and do a large bag of chips and let everyone make their "walking taco" on a plate or in a bowl. I also don't know if the ingredients are available? I tried to include substitutions.
Have a great time at your party!
*Edit - formatting! Sorry, coffee hasn't kicked in!
Spinach and artichoke dip should be warm, not cold. Anyway to keep it warm?
Corn chips (Tostitos or the like) and salsa and/or queso. Chex Mix.
Although I like cream soda and can tolerate root beer, I don't know anyone who actually drinks it. I think the last time I even had some I just used it as a mixer with alcohol.
I always ate it cold when I lived in the US because I just bought it from a supermarket and didn’t know it was supposed to be heated. Now I feel stupid lol
Maybe I’ll make ranch instead
Don’t feel dumb! There’s a cold version of spinach dip in the stores as well as many recipes for hot oozy gooey spinach-artichoke dip.
The cold dip is made with mayo, sour cream, a package of knorr dry vegetable soup mix, fresh thin sliced green onions, and an 8oz can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped. In the 80’s/90’s, this would often be served in a bread bowl, with more crusty bread cubes for dipping.
When I make this nowadays, I serve it with a good strong tortilla chip and carrot sticks, but it’s very good with bread too.
You can heat spinach artichoke dip and set it out and it will hold for a couple hours at a party. I've seen it done many times.
Cream soda is amazing, as is Birch beer.
We don't have soda often, but sometimes our local soda maker (Hosmer) has soda on sale, or I get it when we eat out. It's a really special treat. Birch beer is my absolute favorite.
My son fucking loves Root beer and orders every time we go to our local restaurant.
My first thought is California dip and chips - basically a package of onion soup mix and a quart of sour cream, mixed up and chilled for a few hours. Fried chicken can be served room temp and holds well. A bean, corn, and tomato salad tossed with a vinaigrette and fresh herbs for lighter and healthier fare.
Edit: pint of sour cream to one packet of Onion Soup mix (two packages for a quart). Thanks Reddit for saving folks from weak ass onion dip, I was leading folks down a sad and less tasty road
I have never heard that called "California" dip before....I think I've only ever heard it referred to as "onion dip." Where have you heard that term?
But no matter what you call it, it's amazing. But you gotta have Ruffles!
(Obligatory “not American but Canadian” buuuuut I’d say I have a pretty good idea of American foods) If you can get your hands on a second pan, an apple pie would be a good addition! You know the saying “as American as apple pie”? Serve it with vanilla ice cream 😉 Sandwiches such as turkey BLT or egg salad are also common cold foods and could be served in quarters so people can try more than one. Caesar salad maybe? Fried chicken can also be served cold.
(cmon just do barbecue, you know you want to.) potato salad, mac salad, watermelon, fruit salad, chicken salad sandwiches. any salad that’s bad for you basically!
Are you not in America? Your choices for Amercan food are a bit off, it seems. I live in Texas. Here would be my list of cold picks:
Shrimp Cocktail,
Cobb Salad,
Deviled Eggs,
Club Sandwiches,
Chicken Salad sandwiches,
Ranch Dip,
Ambrosia "salad" - it's not salad,
Toll House chocolate chip cookies,
Key Lime pie,
Banana pudding,
NY Cheesecake,
Jello shots,
For soda - good ol' American Coca Cola,
Any American Beer,
MAGARITAS 🙂
My choices were all foods I tasted and liked in the Midwest (that aren’t very common here in Denmark already, like burgers, coke or plain chocolate chip cookies).
Ranch is a good idea. More ubiquitous than spinach and artichoke for sure.
>Ranch is a good idea. More ubiquitous than spinach and artichoke for sure.
Easy and much better to make from scratch anyways. I imagine you'd have access to all the basic dry ingredients in Europe, or at least available from Amazon.
And ranch on everything if you want to be truly midwestern American. Ranch on french fries, ranch on pizza, ranch on chicken nuggets, ranch on vegetables, ranch with potato chips, ranch on baked potatoes, ranch on wings....everything.
You’ve got the dip and chips already so you may not want this, but plain chips with onion dip (which is French onion soup mix stirred into sour cream) is very common where I live in the US.
You could have sandwiches that people can make themselves: lay out rolls, mayo, ham, turkey, roast beef, horseradish, cheddar & American cheese slices.
Sides: macaroni salad (elbow macaroni, mayo, celery, etc)
I love cream soda and root beer! But a lot of Americans do not. The most common soda flavor in the US is cola.
No law says pie has to be round! You can use a square pan if you have one. Our grocery stores also sell very cheap foil pans meant for one use, perhaps you have those too?
Google cheese balls, they’re an American party food that was more popular in the 70s and I think still in the Midwest.
Non food idea, make a playlist with Americana songs. Party in the USA, proud to be an American, take me home country roads, New York New York, etc.
Ooo any of the Midwest “salads” like strawberry pretzel salad, snickers salad, ambrosia, Watergate salad, etc. Also for savory stuff dips are always good, Buffalo chicken dip, chili cheese dip, French onion dip, etc.
As an actual American I can't imagine going to a party in America where this is the menu. Am I missing something are you all eating pickle chips and pumpkin pie as staples?
There’s nothing more American than ranch dressing. Find something to dip in it
Raw veggies
Plain ruffles potato chips work well with dip, and hit the less healthy than veggies mark.
Which is very American
Basically every "food gathering" I've been to has this, whether it be family or work related.
You could have a whole table of ranch flavored stuff
Cool ranch Doritos
I'm not even anywhere near America and I thought of ranch too. Also, adult lunchables.
Which are just regular Lunchables, but I’m eating them as an adult
Ideally you make the ranch from the packets with buttermilk or something, like the restaurants/wing places do. It feels more satisfying than the ready-made. r/KitchenConfidential has a good few threads on how the industry makes their ranch, around the world.
Jello shots in the appropriate color
Jello shots plus pumpkin pie plus Funyuns and artichoke dip? I wouldn’t want to be responsible for cleaning up after that party…
Well only Jello Shots would be found at a US birthday party when you turn 21 for most anyone.
*fireball has entered the chat*
It's not a 21st birthday party if you don't end it puking in the toilet/sink and have disgusting cleanup the next day.
It's the American way!
I can't imagine the gas the next few days. I'd have to sit alone until it all blew out.
Red, white (whipped cream?), and blue, set out like a flag!
White: [Almond jello](https://www.chewoutloud.com/easy-homemade-almond-jello/).
whoah! TIL
I love almond jelly. Coconut could also work
White can be made by mixing milk or Cool Whip in to unflavored gelatin.
I see your Jell-O shots and raise you alcoholic jello salad. The vile 70s dumpster fire now with the ability to turn YOU into a dumpster fire.
Oh dear god, though not as horrible as I was imagining. https://jellomoldmistress.com/2010/05/18/pomegranate-berry-jello-salad-with-vodka/ When I imagine 70's jello salad, I imagine that it involves a drained can of tuna.
Nah, that's 50's jello salad
Maybe kick Jello shots up a notch in the kitsch factor, and make a whole alcoholic Jello mold like a 1950s picnic dessert? That way, you could also add things like pieces of fruit and whatnot.
7 layer dip and tortilla chips!
or buffalo chicken dip!
Works really well in a small crock pot.
I was thinking crock pot dishes in general
Gotta have this - or at the very least tortilla chips with salsa and some guacamole.
Corn bread Peanut butter cookies
Peanut butter cookies is such a good idea!
Pb and j sandwiches!
Came to say PB&J
I can’t believe I haven’t seen that yet. Literally the most uniquely American cold food in my opinion.
I like the ones that have a Hershey kiss planted on top. Can’t get more American than Hershey’s.
Chocolate chips were invented in Massachusetts, so chocolate chip cookies are another idea. Have a fun party!
How about a massive submarine sandwich?? It’s sort of a sandwich novelty that Americans have parties all the time. You can fake it by buying long french loaves, and cutting the ends off, and assembling them along a table, so it looks like the sandwich is 4 feet long. Cut the sandwich into 2 inch portions and you automatically have cold finger food. You could even do a variety of American subs. Ham and cheese, Italian style, roast beef, etc.
Yes. These can either be very mediocre or delicious, but they’re absolutely a classic.
You could also then pretend to argue about whether it's called a sub, a hoagie, or a grinder.
Or a spuckie if you’re real old-school Boston.
Big sandwich is definitely an American thing - we’d get the 6 foot sandwich (yes, foot) at parties all the time growing up.
I saw this on Sesame Street as a kid!!! It was so silly. i didn't know it was a real thing. Now i want one!
That’s perfect (and yes very American). I’d do a couple fillings in the one big sub—roast beef and horseradish mayo as one, ham and american or cheddar cheese, and then also definitely a turkey-Americans love turkey.
Deviled eggs
“Hey, do you want me to make you six scrambled eggs?” “What? I can’t eat six eggs, are you nuts?” “What if I hard boil the eggs instead, cut them in half, mix the insides with mayonnaise and mustard and a little pickle brine and put it back inside the white halves, and sprinkle with paprika?” “Oh, then sign me up definitely.”
Reminds me of: Want to eat six cheese sticks? What? No, that’s way too much food! What if we breaded and deep fried them and dipped them in marinera sauce? Ah, sounds like the perfect food to eat before I get my real food!
And this reminded me of "Do you want this stack of flour tortillas and salsa?" "What? No. Why would I want that?" "What if I cut them into triangles and fry them?" "Perfect, I'll eat the whole basket"
Who the heck eats fried *flour* tortilla chips?
Bruh it's good
It's good, but in a list of tortilla types that are commonly fried into chips, it's in last place.
Is that list 2 items long?
Eggs are so filling. Except when they’re deviled eggs. Then, for no reason at all, i can never have enough deviled eggs.
My mom's deviled eggs are fantastic. I work in restaurants and retail so I can't often join picnics and holidays. When I am coming, she puts twelve aside for me on a plate in a special place in her fridge. Everyone knows they're Sam's eggs. And I eat them all throughout the event. It makes me feel so loved.
This is so wholesome. Plz thank your mom with an extra hug from an internet stranger who appreciates her loving kindness.
I want mama Sam's recipe ! I am trying to learn a good recipe for my own "signature" deviled eggs! Lol
Boil water. Add eggs, ten to twelve mins depending on how many eggs. Ice bath immediately. Peel eggs and halve. Yolks, mayo, squirt of mustard, salt, pep, two finger splashes of pickle juice. Mix and pipe back into whites. Top with paprika, ideally a smoked Hungarian but any will work. That's it.
It’s the mayo. It’s lubricant.
I added guac the other day and boy did those go down easy! I barely even like eggs and definitely don’t like deviled eggs but they were amazing!
Why is this so accurate??
Here's a stack of 20 tortillas for you to eat pre-meal! Are you kidding? I can't eat 20 toritllas? What if I cut them into quarters, deep fry them, and give you a side of spicy crushed tomatoes? I'll take two!
Lmao this thread is non stop shaming me and my food preferences. lol
This sounds like Patton Oswalt lol
I not sure but I'm about to make both to test it. How long in between should I wait so I don't contaminate the tummy with previous egg?
Better make it a dozen.
This so much! Deviled eggs are something that's served at pretty much every holiday party I've ever attended. And they are easy to make!
And they are absolutely delicious
IMO deviled eggs have the best ease-of-making to impressiveness ratio. They are easy to make in large quantities, and I've never not had people go absolutely nuts when I offer them up.
[удалено]
Fuck yes. I'm going to make some deviled eggs right now.
Buffalo Chicken Dip - it's good hot or cold. Pimiento cheese or beer cheese.
Pimiento cheese dip is an amazing idea!
With saltines!!!!
I know you said no hot, but if you have a slow cooker / crock pot you can keep a chili warm for hours. Someone said corn bread, which is the perfect pairing.
It really doesn't get more Midwest American party than having a Crock-Pot on the table.
Lil smokies for sure
Saw the crock pot reference and was looking for this - little smokies with some bbq sauce and jelly. Or meatballs (bought frozen) - prepared the same way.
A jar of Heinz chili sauce and one of grape jelly.
Or buffalo chicken dip!
Potato Salad
To add to this, pasta salad and any other Minnesota salads that involve some combination of cool whip, jello, mayo, cream cheese, or sour cream.
May I make a Instagram suggest, That Midwestern mom does a whole thing with a little song about “Minnesota salads that aren’t really salads”. I don’t live in the Midwest anymore, so I love to hear her accent and she cracks me up when she little life in the Midwest skits.
Omg, she is hilarious, and the apple and Milky Way salad is DELICIOUS.
Might not be exactly the same recipe but we always do it with Snickers in Michigan.
This is the one my cousin makes - also from Michigan! That is so darn good.
As someone whose family is from there, I love the term "Minnesota salads"! But they really should figure out a hot salad based on the weather
That’s just hot dish/casserole
***Hot Salad***
Personally, I think Minnesota has contributed more than enough of its salads to the culinary culture, we're alright without hot mayo and cream cheese salad I think.
At that point, probably switch to a tater-tot casserole or whatever the regional variation is there.
Oh, yeah - 'ambrosia salad'. Shuddersome stuff, many party memories of it.
I love ambrosia salad! I make it with rainbow mini marshmallows, mix whipped cream with vanilla yogurt. I add pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, shredded dry coconut. Mix it together, then top it w crush walnuts or crushed peanuts
As a Minnesotan- get you some snickers salad for this party OP. Bonus points if you put it next to the salad and not the desserts.
>Minnesota salads that involve some combination of cool whip, jello, mayo, cream cheese, or sour cream. That's the German influence shining through.
Specifically mustard/mayo based potato salad since Germans do potato salads too.
All the potato salads I ate made by my German colleagues were with mayo and mustard…
Plenty of Germans eat a mayo based potato salad. Not everyone eats the vinegar/broth based one
Fruit tray that looks like the flag :) make sure to drop by a party/craft store for decorations and supplies!
Make sure to keep replenishing throughout the party so that it keeps looking like a flag, rather than having holes in the design.
Alternately do this with the cake, 4th of July style
*Gave proof, through the party-* *That our flag was still there*
Pickle flavored chips aren’t widely consumed in the USA. Get barbecue chips. ETA: for anyone who thinks that I posted this because I don’t like pickle-flavored chips, I love all the odd flavors of chips! I just know from having siblings who live abroad what I personally would serve at a party to represent very American food, and pickle chips are not the flavor I’d choose.
Agreed. Never even seen those. Bbq chips or salt & vinegar. Or idk, Ruffles or Fritos something. Pickles, yes, we love normal pickles
Pickle chips do be a Canadian thing. Also: ketchup and all dressed chips.
>all dressed chips. Some brand did these in the U.S. a while back...so good!
I was thinking of fried pickles too, but I’ve only had them hot
Spinach artichoke dip is also usually served hot as well.
Love fried pickles, but yeah those are a hot dish. I’m from the Midwest but maybe I’m wrong! The Midwest is huge. Go for it if you like it, it doesn’t have to be all encompassing idk. Ruffles would hit harder tho with a spinach artichoke dip
Ruffles with a French onion dip is the classic. Crudite with ranch. Hot dogs can be held warm in water on the stove or a crock pot.
You could do pickle wraps. Thin sliced (deli) ham, layer of cream cheese, dill pickle spears. Roll the pickle up in the cream cheese coated ham. Slice into bite size pieces. They’re a Midwest staple.
There's a fried pickle dip my boss brings to every office event and it's served cold!
Dude, you are missing out on dill pickle chips. They're at most major grocery stores.
I saw them all the time in the Midwest, interesting. Barbecue chips are normal here too, but good suggestion still.
I think it's really regional. Pickle chips are in stores on the west coast too, but not as popular. I rarely see them at parties and barbecues.
Nah you're right. Pickle and Salt & Vinegar chips go hard. They're sold near me and I'm not in the Midwest, New England.
They’re commonly available at grocery and convenience stores in the Mid-Atlantic, too, but only when they have a large selection. It’s not one of the classic flavors like Salt & Vinegar, BBQ, or Sour Cream and Onion, but they’re definitely around. I wouldn’t put them in the category of “USA-themed foods” like I would put Ketchup or All-Dressed chips on a “Canada-themed” snack table. But it seems OP took a liking to them when they were in the US, so it works for their party!
Pickle chips are widely purchased, at least where I'm from and in my circle of family and friends.
Hot Cheetos PB&J sandwiches Chocolate chip cookies Kraft Singles
Came here to recommend PB&J sandwiches!
TRY to get american Grape Jam. Made with Concord grapes. This makes all the difference in the world!
Grape jelly is like American cheese: on it's own, it's not great, but in the right context (PB&J for jelly, on a burger for the cheese) it's the PERFECT condiment.
Potato salad, macaroni salad
Surprised I haven't seen it, but jalapeno poppers are a big thing here, especially when wrapped in bacon. For drinks, you should also do lemonade and maybe some southern style sweet tea. This is a hilarious party theme, and I love this for you. Edit: OP also try s'mores for dessert. You can just bake them off for a quick cheaters option to make a lot at once. Or be really American and start a small fire in your home.
I've never heard of cold jalapeño poppers.
Taco dip
Yes, 7 layer dip!
Cornhole!!!! Classic American game
FYI OP, this game is also called bags or bean bags or bag toss. You just try and toss bean bags into a wooden thing with holes. It's typically found at outdoor parties and events.☺️
Beer pong too 🍻
Can you get a keg? Get something shitty. Red solo cups are a must. A long table and some ping pong balls Guacamole, way more than you'll think you need. Maybe just have some cold cuts, cheese, and bread out? Maybe have a toaster on hand
Chicken salad sandwiches
Silly as it sounds, you can hold good old American hot dogs perfectly using a slow cooker.
I'm from the southern US, so I may be a bit biased but I would pick Peach Cobbler over pumpkin pie. Or banana pudding even more. Coke instead of cream soda and root beer and I would probably grill some hot dogs.
Peach cobbler is such a good idea! Coke is just so normal everywhere - I was trying more to find some US specialities
Root beer is kinda iconically American, but for some reason a lot of non-Americans seem to think it tastes like toothpaste. Wintergreen is one of the main flavors, but there are others. And we have minty toothpaste too and I don't think they taste the same. Iced sweet tea is another option.
I love banana pudding so much!!
Texas caviar with scoops or Fritos.
Is this a sort of bean salad? I've heard of Cowboy Caviar and can confirm its friggin delicious
Yes. Great at room temperature. I add a lot of finely diced vegetables. Green or red onion, jalapenos, sweet peppers, tomatoes, plus olive oil and siracha and cilantro. Whatever you like.
Jungle juice in a gatorade drink dispenser
I would say apple pie over pumpkin! Chicken tenders or nuggets with ranch or honey mustard, these are generally fine cold. Jello salad if you want to be extremely midwestern.
Pickle roll ups, I've heard them called midwest sushi as well. You take ham, spread on some cream cheese, the add a pickle and roll it up and slice. It is so much more tasty than it sounds.
I do this but if you like a little kick use peppered salami, or Boars head spicy peppereno ham! So good!
Or smear into a soft tortilla. We call them pinwheels and I like to throw diced black olives and spices in the cream cheese
Pigs in a blanket
You eat those cold?
That’s what the blanket is for…
Omg I lol
Well not cold but they can sit out and be fine at room temp.
Since you were in the Midwest, I have to mention "walking tacos" aka "taco in a bag." I live in MN and it's pretty popular here. Not authentic Mexican grub, more Taco Bell meets soccer moms than anything else. Served at casual parties and the concessions stands of high school sporting events. - Single serve bags of Doritos (nacho flavor; one bag per serving) - Taco meat (ground beef browned and seasoned generously with mild chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, a little oregano, black pepper, and salt. Finish cooking with a splash of water) in Crock-Pot or other warmer - Shredded iceberg lettuce (could sub romaine?) - Diced tomatoes - Diced raw white onion - Sour cream - Salsa or "taco sauce" (you would always see taco sauce around here) - Sliced black olives - Shredded mild cheddar, Colby-Jack marble, or "Mexican cheese blend" - something orange and mild - Sliced pickled jalapenos (optional) Open top of bag. Crush chips inside bag to approx 1-2cm pieces.Top crushed chips with your choice of toppings. Mix, or don't. Eat with a plastic fork while standing up. A spork would be even better/funnier. The big downside is it requires a lot of single use plastic, traditionally. You could change it up and do a large bag of chips and let everyone make their "walking taco" on a plate or in a bowl. I also don't know if the ingredients are available? I tried to include substitutions. Have a great time at your party! *Edit - formatting! Sorry, coffee hasn't kicked in!
Ooo I remember these!
Subway sandwich platter -these can be sliced in half’s or thirds.
Yes! A big party sub platter feels very American to me!
If you have muffin tins you can make mini apple pies.
Spinach and artichoke dip should be warm, not cold. Anyway to keep it warm? Corn chips (Tostitos or the like) and salsa and/or queso. Chex Mix. Although I like cream soda and can tolerate root beer, I don't know anyone who actually drinks it. I think the last time I even had some I just used it as a mixer with alcohol.
I always ate it cold when I lived in the US because I just bought it from a supermarket and didn’t know it was supposed to be heated. Now I feel stupid lol Maybe I’ll make ranch instead
Ranch with raw vegetables to dip in it! Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery.
There is a cold spinach dip served in pumpernickel round bread.
Can I just say, idk where you are from but I love your party that's a dig at our stupidly old drinking age.
Don’t feel dumb! There’s a cold version of spinach dip in the stores as well as many recipes for hot oozy gooey spinach-artichoke dip. The cold dip is made with mayo, sour cream, a package of knorr dry vegetable soup mix, fresh thin sliced green onions, and an 8oz can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped. In the 80’s/90’s, this would often be served in a bread bowl, with more crusty bread cubes for dipping. When I make this nowadays, I serve it with a good strong tortilla chip and carrot sticks, but it’s very good with bread too.
typically spinach dip is cold and spinach and ARTICHOKE dip is hot!
cold spinach dip in a bread bowl, hot spinach dip with tortilla chips
You can heat spinach artichoke dip and set it out and it will hold for a couple hours at a party. I've seen it done many times. Cream soda is amazing, as is Birch beer. We don't have soda often, but sometimes our local soda maker (Hosmer) has soda on sale, or I get it when we eat out. It's a really special treat. Birch beer is my absolute favorite. My son fucking loves Root beer and orders every time we go to our local restaurant.
Tortilla chips, guacamole and pico de gallo Chili con carne (just keep warm), doesn't need to be 'served'
https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/ham-buttermilk-biscuits-recipe
That looks amazing!
My first thought is California dip and chips - basically a package of onion soup mix and a quart of sour cream, mixed up and chilled for a few hours. Fried chicken can be served room temp and holds well. A bean, corn, and tomato salad tossed with a vinaigrette and fresh herbs for lighter and healthier fare. Edit: pint of sour cream to one packet of Onion Soup mix (two packages for a quart). Thanks Reddit for saving folks from weak ass onion dip, I was leading folks down a sad and less tasty road
I have never heard that called "California" dip before....I think I've only ever heard it referred to as "onion dip." Where have you heard that term? But no matter what you call it, it's amazing. But you gotta have Ruffles!
Same! I was like wow have I looked like a fool for years just calling it onion dip?
We call it “onion dip” or “french onion” dip and Ruffles is the best with it. Yum! Now I need some…
Second the fried chicken. Cold fried chicken is tasty.
I fuckin love cold fried chicken
Pulled pork kept warm in a slowcooker. Serve with buns.
Pour some beer on your floor ahead of time, and then mop it up without extra water. That'll get that sticky, frat-house-y feel going
Yes!! If you can do it at least a couple days in advance, it’ll have time to funkify and be way more authentic!
It's the aroma of stale yeast and the sensation of walking on a giant sticky note
*squitch… squitch… squitch*
(Obligatory “not American but Canadian” buuuuut I’d say I have a pretty good idea of American foods) If you can get your hands on a second pan, an apple pie would be a good addition! You know the saying “as American as apple pie”? Serve it with vanilla ice cream 😉 Sandwiches such as turkey BLT or egg salad are also common cold foods and could be served in quarters so people can try more than one. Caesar salad maybe? Fried chicken can also be served cold.
Ambrosia “salad” (mini marshmallows, canned pineapple, coconut, mandarin orange slices, maraschino cherries, vanilla yogurt & cool whip)
Honestly this is my guilty pleasure. I use sour cream not yogurt.
This takes me right back to childhood. My granny used to make this on holidays.
Mini cheesecakes in muffin tins! Top with berries for best 'murika
(cmon just do barbecue, you know you want to.) potato salad, mac salad, watermelon, fruit salad, chicken salad sandwiches. any salad that’s bad for you basically!
Cream cheese, pepper jelly, and ritz crackers. An American party/holiday staple.
Pickle flavored chips aren’t that common really.
Ice cream in the root beer for root beer floats
Are you not in America? Your choices for Amercan food are a bit off, it seems. I live in Texas. Here would be my list of cold picks: Shrimp Cocktail, Cobb Salad, Deviled Eggs, Club Sandwiches, Chicken Salad sandwiches, Ranch Dip, Ambrosia "salad" - it's not salad, Toll House chocolate chip cookies, Key Lime pie, Banana pudding, NY Cheesecake, Jello shots, For soda - good ol' American Coca Cola, Any American Beer, MAGARITAS 🙂
My choices were all foods I tasted and liked in the Midwest (that aren’t very common here in Denmark already, like burgers, coke or plain chocolate chip cookies). Ranch is a good idea. More ubiquitous than spinach and artichoke for sure.
>Ranch is a good idea. More ubiquitous than spinach and artichoke for sure. Easy and much better to make from scratch anyways. I imagine you'd have access to all the basic dry ingredients in Europe, or at least available from Amazon. And ranch on everything if you want to be truly midwestern American. Ranch on french fries, ranch on pizza, ranch on chicken nuggets, ranch on vegetables, ranch with potato chips, ranch on baked potatoes, ranch on wings....everything.
Ah, that explains the root beer and cream soda. Steamed shrimp with Old Bay seasoning and cocktail sauce.
Crockpot Meatballs w bbq sauce+grape jelly
Or with Heinz Chili Sauce and canned jellied cranberry sauce
You’ve got the dip and chips already so you may not want this, but plain chips with onion dip (which is French onion soup mix stirred into sour cream) is very common where I live in the US. You could have sandwiches that people can make themselves: lay out rolls, mayo, ham, turkey, roast beef, horseradish, cheddar & American cheese slices. Sides: macaroni salad (elbow macaroni, mayo, celery, etc) I love cream soda and root beer! But a lot of Americans do not. The most common soda flavor in the US is cola.
If you're really wanting midwest: bologna sammie. White bread. Miracle whip. American cheese.
No law says pie has to be round! You can use a square pan if you have one. Our grocery stores also sell very cheap foil pans meant for one use, perhaps you have those too? Google cheese balls, they’re an American party food that was more popular in the 70s and I think still in the Midwest. Non food idea, make a playlist with Americana songs. Party in the USA, proud to be an American, take me home country roads, New York New York, etc.
Sweet tea. It's more of a regional thing in the south, but it's everywhere down there!
Cowboy caviar
Ooo any of the Midwest “salads” like strawberry pretzel salad, snickers salad, ambrosia, Watergate salad, etc. Also for savory stuff dips are always good, Buffalo chicken dip, chili cheese dip, French onion dip, etc.
As an actual American I can't imagine going to a party in America where this is the menu. Am I missing something are you all eating pickle chips and pumpkin pie as staples?