You can keep your reception catering budget-friendly by sticking with a variety of creative – and delicious – hors d’oeuvres.
The literal French meaning of hors d’oeuvres is “outside the body of work,” interpreted loosely to mean “not the main course.” With a little creativity and careful planning, you can serve a dazzling variety of delicious small bites that your reception guests will love as much as your budget will.
An appetizers-only menu is as appropriate for a corporate event as it is for a wedding reception, and the sky’s the limit for your hors d’oeuvres reception catering menu options.
Why Hors d’Oeuvres Are Perfect for a Budget-Conscious Reception
As an alternative to a traditional buffet or plated meal, you can ensure your guests are delightfully sated by serving a series of one-bite appetizers.
Depending on the arrangement of your event, you can set up a single hors d’oeuvres station, multiple stations throughout the venue or have servers circulate through the room with trays.
Passed appetizers are ideal if you prefer to keep your guests fairly stationary, rather than have a constant flow of traffic throughout the venue. If you’d prefer to keep your guests moving and interacting, set up multiple stations throughout the space.
Cold Hors d’Oeuvres for Reception Catering Menus
Cold appetizers and small bites are ideal for passing as well as for inclusion on your hors d’oeuvres stations.
Consider starting with one of these delightful cold or room-temperature options.
- Three tomato salad with Drake goat cheese
- Hummus and pomegranate puree on a pita chip
- Avocado crostini with cream cheese and sweet chili peppers
- Grapefruit and scallop ceviche skewer
- Shrimp cocktail
Top off your reception catering mini menu with an assortment of mini desserts and a custom candy station.
Hot Hors d’Oeuvres for Reception Catering Menus
Although cold or room-temperature options are the most practical option for most reception catering menus, consider offering two or three hot hors d’oeuvres as a focal point. Hot options tend to be the more substantial, protein-heavy options
Because hot appetizers will cool quickly on trays, you may prefer to limit your warm options to appetizer stations.
Some excellent options to consider are:
- Sake-marinated chicken satay with tamarind glaze
- Mini crab cakes with lemon aioli
- Seared scallops with a wonton crisp
- Meatball and pecorino soup sip
For your vegetarian guests, consider herb-stuffed mushrooms and mini chive pancakes with crème fraiche and red onion confit.
Brown Brothers Catering offers a variety of delicious, high-quality catering hors d’oeuvres that look as good as they taste. We can also work with you to customize an appetizer menu to fit your budget and your event’s theme. We provide professional catering services in Provo and throughout northern Utah. Contact us today to learn more about our reception catering services, designed to make your event stress-free.
