Baby shower food for 50 guests

37 Crowd-Pleasing Baby Shower Food Ideas

Planning a baby shower is lots of fun, especially when it comes to brainstorming food ideas. Whether you’re looking for food ideas that match your chosen baby shower theme or you’re just looking for quick, easy, and flavorful options that everyone will love, you’ve come to the right place. Check out our 37 baby shower food ideas, including savories, sweets, and thirst-quenching drinks.

9 Tips and Ideas for Planning a Baby Shower Menu

When planning a baby shower, you can be as creative as you like with the food ideas, but it’s also important to consider some practical aspects.

As the host, you’ll have a lot to take care of, including decorating the venue, so it’s good to plan food that is quick to make and easy to serve and eat.

Here are some tips to help you think about the types of food to choose, how to serve it, and more:

Savory Baby Shower Food Ideas

Whether you plan on having only finger foods or an entire menu at the baby shower, here are some ideas for the savory food:

Baby Shower Dessert Table Food Ideas

Besides having a baby shower cake as a centerpiece, you may want to have a dessert table with an assortment of other sweet offerings. Here are some ideas for crowd-pleasing sweets and desserts:

Drinks

Beyond serving the usual wine spritzer or sparkling wine at the baby shower, consider some alcohol-free drinks, like mocktails, punch, and homemade sodas:

The Bottom Line

You’ll no doubt have lots of fun planning and serving the food for the mom-to-be’s baby shower.

If you’ve decided to prepare most of the food, round up some of the mom-to-be’s friends and family to help. Make it easier on yourself by using some store-bought elements, too. You could also make some of what’s on offer but ask each guest to bring a small plate to share.

Set up food and dessert tables so that guests can serve themselves buffet style, and stick to foods that aren’t too messy to eat while standing up and mingling.

If you have a set theme, you can tie the food into the theme by using colored frosting, or by piping lettering onto foods like “Oh, Baby!” Cookie cutters are your friend! Cut everything from brownies to sandwiches into shapes that match the theme. You can also connect the food and drinks to the theme based on the colors you choose for the straws, napkins, and cupcake liners.

Having a chocolate fondue fountain or a soda bar can create an interactive element that guests will love.

Have fun with it! Your options are endless, and you might find you really get into it once you get started. And, always remember, no matter what food and drinks you serve, your guests — especially the guest of honor — will really appreciate your efforts and thoughtfulness.

While you’re here, check out our baby shower checklist to double-check that you’ve covered everything for the upcoming event.

25 Perfect Baby Shower Food Ideas on a Budget – Instacart

Throwing a fun, memorable party to celebrate the new arrival in your life doesn’t have to break the bank. You can decorate a party or backyard and prepare a tasty menu affordably without compromising on quality—it just takes planning. If you’re stuck and don’t know where to start, these baby shower food ideas on a budget will get the ball rolling.

How to throw a baby shower on a budget

Before we get into baby shower food ideas, these are our cost-cutting tips for throwing a wonderful baby shower on a budget.

1. Don’t host at mealtimes

If you host a baby shower at mealtimes, you’ll have to serve full meals, which can be expensive. Instead, throw your baby shower between meals, so you can serve only appetizers and sweet snacks. 2 p.m. is a popular time for these events.

2. Keep a pared-down guest list

On average, guests eat around 5 pieces of food at baby showers. The more people you invite, the costlier the event will be.

3. Ask guests to bring food or drinks

If you still want a full party but can’t afford to feed everyone, ask your guests to bring over food or drinks. It will be a baby-shower-meets-potluck type of event, which can be a lot of fun.

4. Choose local, seasonal ingredients

The cheapest food for a baby shower is the one that’s local and in season. Research what fresh produce is cheapest, then come up with recipes using those ingredients.

Following a themed menu can help you pinch pennies. For example, if you’re using chicken for 1 appetizer, make sure to include it in another snack. This way, you don’t have to buy as many ingredients and end up saving money.

6. Ditch the fully stocked bar

Choose just 1 or 2 drinks to serve—preferably non-alcoholic for baby showers. No need to keep a handful of spirits and mixers on hand.

7. Make your own decorations

DIY the décor using things you already have at home. Visiting a thrift store can also help you throw a stylish baby shower for cheap.

Affordable appetizers for a baby shower

Plate up these tasty, budget-friendly appetizers for your guests.

1. Ham and cheese sliders

Ham and cheese sliders are simple, easy to make, and affordable.

2. Pulled pork buns

Pulled pork sliders are also a popular snack for baby showers. Don’t skip out on the barbecue sauce.

3. Turkey cheddar hot pinwheels

With pre-made pizza dough, deli turkey slices, and cheddar cheese, you can make this comforting finger food.

4. Tomato and broccoli mini quiches

Quiches are sophisticated but surprisingly cheap to make. For this version, use ripe sliced tomatoes and broccoli florets for the filling.

5. Hummus and roasted veg toast

Spread homemade or storebought hummus on toasted bread and top with an assortment of roasted veggies.

6. Build-your-own chili

If you’re looking for a more filling snack, chili is the way to go. Let your guests add their own toppings.

7. Potato skins with bacon

Hollowed-out baked potatoes, bacon, and sour cream make the perfect appetizer. It’s easy to eat and packed with flavor.

8. Summer pasta salad

For something lighter, serve individual portions of pasta salad. Toss fusilli and whatever veggies are in season in olive oil and a pinch of salt.

9. Deep-fried pickles

Pickles are a popular satisfying snack among many moms-to-be. Set out a plate of deep-fried pickles with ranch dressing on the side.

10.

Babies in a blanket

Give pigs in a blanket a twist. Wrap the dough around the sausage so it looks like a swaddled baby and add chocolate sprinkles for the eyes.

11. Grape jelly wieners

Toss smokies in a grape jelly and ketchup mixture, then serve on toothpicks.

12. Barbecue meatballs

Another hearty appetizer, meatballs doused in barbecue sauce are a crowd-pleaser.

13. Tater tot casserole

Tater tot casserole is pretty inexpensive to make. Use a blend of affordable cheeses to take this comfort food to the next level.

14. Chicken salad sandwiches

Spread chicken salad on soft white sandwich bread and serve with an olive and a toothpick on top.

15. Pesto chicken tea sandwiches

Grilled chicken and basil pesto is another great combination. Cut the sandwiches into quarters so they’re easier to eat.

16. Hamburger meat empanadas

Pie crust and hamburger meat can be turned into delicious empanadas. Salsa makes for a great dipping sauce.

17. Cheese pizza bites

Make finger food pizza bites using a cupcake tin, pizza dough, pizza sauce, and shredded cheese.

Cheap desserts and treats for baby showers

What’s a party without something sweet? These cheap recipes for a baby shower will satisfy your sweet tooth without going over budget.

1. Gendered rice crispy treats

Rice crispy treats are cheap to make. They only call for margarine, marshmallows, and puffed rice. Add red or blue food dye for a gendered twist.

2. Carrot cupcakes

Not into gender-themed desserts? You will probably love carrot cupcakes. Making your own is cheaper than getting it from the store—and surprisingly easy!

3. Fruit on a skewer

Pierce a skewer through pieces of fruit for a healthy snack. Grapes, banana, strawberry, apple—whatever is in season.

4. Caramel apples

In the fall, when apples are abundant, caramel apple slices hit the spot.

5. Waffle bites

Waffle mix is inexpensive, so why not make waffle bites? Cut a waffle into fourths and top with fruits, caramel, or chocolate.

6. Decorated sugar cookies

Take sugar cookies to the next level by decorating them. All you’ll need is icing, food dye, and a piping bag.

7. Ice cream sundaes

Sundaes are perfect for summer baby showers. Choose 1 ice cream flavor and let your guests pick their toppings—pretzels, caramel drizzle, and chocolate chips are just some of the options.

8. S’mores bar

Set up a s’mores bar for a DIY dessert. You’ll need graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows. Don’t forget skewers and a few candles.

Save time and money with a little help from a friend

You probably have a clearer picture of what you’ll serve at your budget-friendly baby shower, right? Now comes the fun part: creating invites, making a playlist, and decorating the space. What’s not so fun is doing the grocery runs—but, fortunately, you can leave that to Instacart. Order everything you need with just a few clicks and focus on the party. You may also want to check out current deals from our retailers.

Grab it now on Instacart:

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TOP 10 Buffet Dishes - Jack's Company

Buffet is the most common way of catering for guests at events in the office, parties, holidays and feasts at home or in nature. The buffet table is usually served with a wide variety of mouth-watering snacks in the style of “finger food” - such treats are served in small portions and it is convenient for guests to take them without using cutlery, without being distracted from communication.

You can easily choose and order delicious buffet snacks that will be prepared by professional chefs, festively decorated and delivered ready-made at the agreed time directly to the address of the event. What treats are most often included in the buffet menu? Let's take a look at ten of the most popular types of dishes that are commonly used for serving holiday tables:

Canape

Canape is a light snack similar to a miniature "sandwich" consisting of different ingredients, which in most cases can be put in the mouth as a whole. Usually, elegant small skewers are used to fix the “layers”. Canapes are most often based on slices of fresh or toasted bread on which other products are located in various variations: ham, smoked chicken, vegetables, cheese and much more. Canapes without bread are also widespread, and various modern variations of this popular snack are gaining more and more popularity: canapé burgers, canapé pancakes, canapé pizza, canapé sandwiches, Asian canapes, etc.

Tartlets

A universal and favorite buffet dish for many people are tartlets, traditional for a festive feast - baskets made of dough with various fillings. There are countless filling options for tartlets, it can be various salads, vegetable purees, pates, julienne, creams, fruits, etc. Many types of tartlets can be consumed both warm and cold. This popular snack also has "exotic" varieties. For example, the so-called "kartallets" are oversized baskets of potatoes with various hearty fillings. Asian types of tartlets are also gaining popularity and are increasingly on the festive tables both in offices and at home.

Rolls

Appetizing rolls with various fillings often serve as starters for the buffet table. There are a lot of recipes for making rolls. The basis of the treat can be a thin flatbread, sliced ham, fish, or even fried zucchini and eggplant. The variety of fillings for rolls can amaze the imagination of even the most sophisticated gourmet - these are favorite ingredients familiar in Russia, and exotic Italian, Caucasian, Mexican, etc. A pleasant price, combined with the excellent taste of these hearty dishes and their "buffet" format, contribute to the fact that Almost no celebration can do without such an appetizer. And the most convenient and frequently ordered version of the dish is assorted rolls. Having ordered one tray, you can try several types of snacks at once, and such an attractive dish looks just great on the table!

Pirozhki

We live in Russia and, of course, almost no festive feast in our life is complete without pirozhki, adored by both adults and children. Ruddy, beautiful, tasty and satisfying, they will certainly please you and all guests not only during a home feast, but also at a buffet table in the office. Once upon a time, beloved grandmothers and mothers were “responsible” for baking pies in our families, and it seemed that we had never tasted anything tastier in our lives. But some companies still preserve the best traditions and technologies of "home" cooking and can please their customers with the very taste of Russian pies from childhood. Although there are a lot of classic options for hearty and sweet fillings, even with this type of treat, you can experiment and diversify the menu with the help of additional types of this convenient buffet and delicious pastries. Try rye pies or Mexican Empanadas, amazing Russian-Italian pies that combine the taste of a traditional Italian filling with the usual dish format, a new alternative to the common type of pies - Ossetian pies, as well as Indian Samosa. Are you afraid of your figure? Order pastries in the size of "mini" and do not limit yourself - there are never too many pies!

Sandwiches, bagels and sandwiches

Great sandwiches, stuffed croissants, classic sandwiches or American-style round bagels are almost indispensable items when preparing a menu for a buffet table. Treats are prepared on the basis of a variety of fresh pastries. The main part of this kind of snacks is the filling, which can be used as sausage, ham, tuna, salmon, cheeses, tomatoes, bell peppers and many other products. Recently, such Italian types of “sandwiches” as bruschetta and crostini have become increasingly popular with customers.

Cheese, fruits and berries

Assorted fruits and dried fruits, berries in cups, gourmet cheese plates are excellent options for light snacks that can also play the role of a dessert on the buffet table. Elegant, beautiful and incredibly tasty, they are able to give joy and pleasure to guests during any festive event.

Fresh vegetables

No buffet is complete without a set of fresh vegetables. Finely chopped and beautifully served tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, green beans, celery and other vegetables are not only delicious, but also very healthy. Assorted vegetables will cheer you up and keep your figure! Usually such dishes are served with salad dressings or a variety of sauces. Vegetable sticks and skewers are the favorite and most convenient format for serving fresh vegetables for the festive table.

Desserts

Attractive and bright buffet desserts are appropriate for any holiday celebration, whether it be any formal event, a less formal office party or even a children's party. Exquisite eclairs and profiteroles, assorted cakes, favorite Macaroons and Shu, delicate fruit tartlets, jellies and other types of treats in convenient cups - one or more of these dishes will be a spectacular end to the festive event.

Salads in cups

Festive feast almost never can do without such a favorite dish as salad. Almost everyone loves this treat, but for a buffet table, the format of serving salads is slightly different from serving at other events. For the convenience of guests, in this case, salads are usually served in small portioned "glasses" - shots or verrins. Can be used as glass cups, and safer for mass events - from food plastic. Salads in cups can be taken from the buffet table and eaten even while standing, using the included fork or spoon.

Mini kebabs

Even at the buffet, guests often want to taste something meaty and satisfying. You can really impress those present during the event in the office or at home with original mini-kebabs. From the dish that we ourselves usually cook in nature, mini-kebabs differ not only in a more convenient size, but also in variety. Not only can you order several types of kebabs on one large tray without any hassle, but you can also form an assortment to your own taste and taking into account the preferences of the guests. For ease of use, the appetizer is prepared from small pieces of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish or vegetables, which are strung on small skewers. Traditionally, mini-kebabs are served on the table with various sauces.

How to organize meals at the glamping at the recreation center

After a long day of enjoying nature, food is the most necessary resource for recuperation. And not just nutritious and tasty, but also beautiful, like on Pinterest pages.

What steps to go through

First of all, you should work on the concept of your glamping, and only then build a food system. For ideas, go to gourmet restaurants, scroll through the Instagram accounts of food bloggers and get inspired by aesthetic content on the Internet. This approach will help organize your thoughts and lead to a clear understanding of who your guests are and what they expect from your project.

Beautiful pictures, of course, good. But how to think through all the difficulties that the project may face? A business plan and a financial model come to the rescue, with which FREEDOME can help. Understanding how much resources are needed and where to allocate them will protect against problems in the next stages of working on a glamping project. Make a rough estimate of the cost of creating a food zone in the glamping, taking into account its location.

Explore the location for transport accessibility, infrastructure in the form of grocery stores and cafes. Although glamping is a vacation in the wild with comfort, the prospect of remaining hungry does not inspire confidence. Therefore, in locations far from the benefits of civilization, 3 meals a day should be organized, as well as the possibility of snacks and vending machines on the territory.

Cafe in Oroktoy glamping, 3D visualization, Altai Krai

Human Resources

The most important stage is the selection and communication with the team. The staff is a reflection of the concept of the project. The membership should include people who share your views and approach.

Staffed staff is:

technologist-consultant responsible for menu selection, quantity of cutlery and crockery, food delivery;
chef supervising the kitchen, selects chefs and trains them;
all-round chef or sous chef who has extensive knowledge in the field of cooking technologies for various dishes, working daily;
waiter who organizes the process of transferring the dish from the kitchen;
dishwasher , an essential part of any kitchen;
an aesthete person, who knows creative ways of serving dishes and their photogenic angles.

Depending on your needs, the number of kitchen staff may vary. A large project requires additional bookkeeping and the R-Keeper information terminal system. A small project can be limited to one professional chef.

You may be considering making your own breakfast. In this case, you should pay attention to sanitary rules and regulations.

Cafe in the Northern Crimea glamping, Leningrad region, Mobi 130 steel dome from FreeDome

Sanitary and epidemiological regulation

The health of guests depends on the sanitary condition of public catering areas, and with it your reputation. There are no special rules and regulations specifically for glamping. But SanPin cafes and restaurants are applicable for this niche:

storage
transportation
food distribution
insect and rodent control
personal hygiene of personnel

A full kitchen according to all the rules for glamping is not a cheap pleasure. Firstly, the cost of the kitchen equipment itself is far from small. Secondly, it is necessary to provide the staff with comfortable living conditions on the territory if the glamping is located far from the necessary infrastructure.

Of course, you yourself can be a cook, and a waiter, and a washer. However, the responsibility for the health of the guests falls on your shoulders. Just wearing gloves won't help. If you are feeding a guest, you need to study all the SEN and monitor their implementation. Protect yourself from Rospotrebnadzor checks and choose your own way of establishing a food system in the project.

Glamping catering ideas

The attractiveness and profitability of the restaurant business depends on a planned food system. Guests are looking for an option that fully covers their needs.

Expensive equipment in the kitchen, like in hotels, and a high-class chef in the glamping are difficult to organize. But it is possible to deploy high-quality cuisine even in the wildest place. The best restaurateurs are those who break the rules. And the best ones are those who look for opportunities for maneuver in them.

Most glamping sites operate in BB or HB. Getting up in the morning and preparing your own breakfast is not the brightest prospect on vacation. It is much more pleasant when guests are offered a ready-made morning menu. For lunch or dinner, you can cook a culinary masterpiece on your own, inspired by nature and its fresh air. Many glamping sites are experimenting with the option of ordering food from a nearby restaurant. This option requires building a well-established delivery system from organizations with which glamping has previously concluded an agreement.

You can improve your culinary skills in kitchenette in the cottage. Our domes have just about everything you need to cook your own food. This option is good because it does not involve concluding contracts with suppliers and following SanPin standards (Kiselny Bereg). A similar format is the organization of a common kitchen on the territory of the glamping. This is an area where guests can interact with each other while cooking (My Hills). This option is also convenient because the guests themselves clean up the dishes, which is not always the case when cooking in the kitchen in the house.

Catering is suitable for large events. Especially for significant events like weddings or anniversaries. However, it is not always convenient to come from afar to nature, and not everyone is ready to overpay for it. Therefore, it is more profitable to provide food on site.

If you want to organize three meals a day in the All inclusive format, it is better to delegate the development of technological maps and menus to professionals. Here it is important to choose the right chef, whose vision will coincide with the general idea of glamping (Forest and Sea). Alcohol is also on the menu. However, most glampings have an important rule: to observe the culture of drinking alcohol without disturbing the rest of other holidaymakers. Still, people go to glamping for the contemplation of nature, and you can also have a glass of wine. For example, glamping My Hills works with alcohol according to the cork collection system.

Often there is a restaurant on the territory of the glamping, which offers guests to choose dishes from the prepared menu - A-la carte . World Altai, LES glamping, Northern Crimea work in this format, for which in 2021 we designed and built a domed cafe. The large steel frame dome is insulated with PIR panels. From the inside, we sheathed the structure with a plywood frame, covered it with decorative fabric and complemented the internal design with a geodesic pattern.

Quite often, glampings set up campfire and grill areas where you can cook imported food, as well as buy local goods in vending machines. Choosing the right meal plan and building a clear kitchen system takes more than one year. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Cafe "Northern Crimea", Leningrad region, Mobi 130 steel dome from FreeDome

Choosing the perfect menu

When considering the option of providing glamping meals, it should be remembered that each of us has different taste preferences. Understanding your audience profile makes it easier to work in the kitchen. Maybe your glamping will host family guests, then you should consider creating a special children's menu. Or maybe lovers of a healthy lifestyle, for whom proper nutrition is important.

In any case, the rules for an ideal glamping menu are:

A small number of dishes, but different every day.
Availability of vegetable dishes for vegetarians and vegans, which will expand your target audience.
Local products or organic products. There are usually farms near the glamping where you can buy farm products. But it is important that such farmers have special certificates and declarations for the supply of products.
Seasonal menu. Covers the needs of guests with low costs for the kitchen. Seasonal produce tastes better and is easier to deliver.
Attractive presentation. High service, as in good restaurants.

Microwave ready meals (GFC, Qummy) help to simplify the work of the kitchen. We are not talking about semi-finished products that are not of the best quality. These are restaurant frozen foods that keep for 180 days. In addition, restaurants can help make food preparations. Again, it should be understood that not everyone is profitable to cooperate with a glamping located far outside the city.

Therefore, it is necessary to plan a system for accounting for products and prepared dishes. This will allow you to predict purchases in time and find out what guests need in a particular period, what dishes are popular and optimize the cost of purchasing the right products.

Cafe in the glamping "Northern Crimea", Leningrad region, kitchen area

Food should be beautiful

The appearance of dishes requires special attention. Aesthetic and comfortable interior, polite and attentive staff, quality and serving of dishes are essential accompanying elements. Set the accents with handmade dishes or use branded items. These chips will help make dishes a little more interesting and increase the visibility of your project in social networks. Carefully place branded items around, because guests want to take photos with your beautiful location. Who knows, maybe a mug with your project logo will end up in the Instagram feed.

One of FREEDOME's competencies is the marketing strategy and promotion of glampings. A visually recognizable image for a project is as important as air. In hotels, this approach is called “invisible service”. Small bonuses that are usually overlooked, but thanks to them, guests get more pleasure from staying in this place. Why not let yourself end the evening with mulled wine and marshmallows by the fire, as they offer at Les i morye glamping?

And that's not all the nice bonuses that can be found in glampings. Some arrange entire gastro tours and master classes from chefs. Such events greatly increase social media coverage and bring in new guests who want to check into the glamping site for the show. And for guests whose soul requires privacy, glampings provide romantic locations. A table with a beautiful view and a personal waiter is offered as an additional service at Polyana Glamping and the Valley of Dreamers.