How to Plan a Menu for a Pool Party
The only thing that can make a pool party better is great food. Since every pool party is different, every menu will be as well. You should always take into consideration your guests, the weather, the time of day and the amount of money that you want to spend. If you take the time to plan ahead, you will be able to enjoy your party along with your guests. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Get Cooking on Your Pool Party Menu
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Pick foods that do not require refrigeration. You can find recipes for pool and picnic favorites like potato salad that do not use mayonnaise and therefore are safe to sit out for extended periods.
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Roll out the BBQ grill and cook up pool side favorites such as hamburgers, hot dogs and corn on the cob. These are simple foods that almost every guest will enjoy and that will keep you in the party mix.
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Choose finger foods that are easily transported around the pool area. Small sandwiches, chips and dips, cut-up vegetables and fruits are all good choices for a day at the pool.
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Plan an around the world menu and serve ethnically diverse foods that are representative of the countries you select.
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Mark special occasions with a more lavish menu. Serve a great surf and turf (steak and seafood) sit-down dinner after a day in the sun. Your guests will be pleasantly surprised when you light up the candles and whip out the champagne.
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Keep menus for kids' parties simple. Children are notoriously finicky, so extra fussy foods will be a big turnoff. Order a few pizzas, buy some ice cream and juice boxes and sit back and enjoy.
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Tips & Warnings
Hire a caterer who can help you come up with the perfect menu for your day. It's worth it to splurge if you don't want to take care of the shopping or setting up that must be done for any party.
Prepare dishes that can be made in advance. You don't want to spend the entire pool party bent over a hot stove or grill while everyone else is having fun. You can use portable heaters to keep foods warm.
Plan on feeding more people than you invited. You can usually plan on some of your friends bringing some of their friends. It's always better to have too much food than not enough.
Be mindful of the food requirements of your guests. Whether there are vegetarians or those who suffer from allergies, you'll want to make all guests are served something special.
