Baby shower hot food ideas
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 baconHollowed-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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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.
Children's menu. Original food design ideas.
How to outsmart
feed the unwilling woman?-----
"Oh, how to feed this child?!" - Mom sighs again. Maybe there are happy parents who do not know about such problems, but most of them are familiar with them firsthand. “I don’t want this, I won’t, porridge with lumps, catch the cabbage from the soup, the fish is smelly, fu-u, byaka, bwe-e!” - what you just do not hear enough! And laughter and tears. Have to turn on fantasy: to tell tales about airplanes flying into the mouth, about Misha and Masha, about porridge from an ax. In general, who is in what much.
If fairy tales do not help, we offer you to turn the dish itself into a fairy tale. True, it will take longer than usual. But, we hope, it will more than pay off by eating it faster.
Any dish can be creatively decorated : and milk porridge, and the second, and even soup. We offer you some original design ideas for children's breakfasts, lunches and dinners, which are also perfect for a children's celebration.
Funny sandwiches.
Ingredients for making these classic sandwiches: bread, butter, cheese, sausage, meat pates, fish, boiled egg. But even from all this you can create a real miracle: a funny cat face, a pig, a ladybug or even a cell phone. You will need some vegetables for decoration. It can be cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, herbs, olives or black olives. Disguised as "ears, whiskers and noses", healthy vegetables are more likely to be eaten.
And if you make a lot of sandwiches, you can get a real glade with ladybugs or company of funny bear cubs , quite suitable for decorating a festive children's table. Many fun sandwich recipes can be found here and here.
Good porridge!
Porridge is a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients. What could be better than milk porridge for breakfast?! These are "slow carbohydrates", they give a feeling of satiety, supplying the child's body with the substances necessary for growth and development. You can add 9 to porridge0016 fresh or dry fruits, nuts - another source of vitamins and microelements. They can also decorate a plate of fragrant hot porridge. Another option: "artistic painting" with jam, jam or honey over porridge. Turn on your imagination and draw! We are looking for some more interesting ideas here.
Fairy soup.
Soups can be decorated with latte art and sour cream art.
• Master class on drawing sour cream on soup: take a bag of sour cream (only so that it is not too liquid) , cut off the corner, leaving a small hole. We squeeze out sour cream, as if from a pastry bag and draw whatever our heart desires on the soup: cars, flowers, tanks, little men, the sun.
• Cream soups can be painted with cream (latte art) as baristas do on coffee. Pour cream in a thin stream and draw beauty with a wooden stick.
• The interior of the soup can also be varied. Now on sale a lot of curly pasta: letters and numbers, stars and bows, cars and rockets.
And what about the second?
Garnish, meatballs and vegetables can be used to create real appliqué paintings. A hated boiled carrot can turn into someone's paws or a flower - what if they don't notice and eat it?! Variations on the theme of sausages know no boundaries at all.
I especially like it when sausages are pierced on spaghetti and boiled together. Cuttlefish turn out wonderful. Curly pasta, again, will come to your rescue. A few detailed recipes for main courses can be found here.
Dessert. How to disguise fruits?
You can also paint with fruits. You can also hide them in chocolate, turn them into animals, build fruit skewers or even make popsicle ice cream. Especially successful is kiwi ice cream: cut kiwi into thick circles, put on popsicle sticks, dip in chocolate melted in a water bath (milk, dark or white - to taste your favorite child) . We spread it on a dish and put it in the freezer for an hour or two. Very tasty, if you are not afraid of angina. If you have time and desire, you can master the art of carving. A flurry of applause and enthusiastic “ahs” at family celebrations will be absolutely provided for you!
Here you can find another good article with many daily and holiday recipes for children.
Don't be afraid to experiment! Imagine and create! Good luck with your culinary achievements and grateful children's mouths and tummies!
Happy Old New Year!
Author of the article: Olga Bobylevich.
Tags: children's menu , how to feed a baby , original design , recipes , porridge , soup , sandwiches , dessert , second
What to cook for your birthday quickly, tasty and inexpensive: 20+ best recipes
The choice of menu and the design of festive dishes depends on who you invited to your birthday. A feast for teenagers is different from a celebration where elderly relatives will come. When thinking about what to cook for your birthday, choose recipes depending on the time of year. In summer, use more seasonal greens, fruits and vegetables, and in winter, give preference to hot food.
For any party where there will be many invited guests, a la carte dishes are good, such as rolls, canapes and sandwiches, as well as meat, cheese, vegetable and fruit platters. They look great on the table and are comfortable for guests.
It takes time to organize a party, and in addition to working in the kitchen, you also need to entertain guests. Komsomolskaya Pravda shares recipes for simple, tasty and inexpensive dishes, the preparation of which does not take much effort.
Snacks
Light snacks are essential. With these dishes, the birthday begins, and they set the mood for the whole feast.
Canape with sausage and cheese
Use plastic or wooden skewers for an appetizing treat
Mushroom and chicken tartlets
A delicious appetizer can be prepared quickly, because its basis - tartlets - is sold in almost any store
Photo: @dayvison-de-oliveira-silva, pexels.com Tartlets 15 pcs. | |
| Chicken eggs | 3 pcs. |
| Mushrooms | 300 g |
| Chicken fillet | 400 g |
| Vegetable oil | 2 st. spoons |
| Mayonnaise | 2 tbsp. spoons |
| Onion | 1 pc. |
| Greens | to taste |
| SOL | to taste |
| Black pepper |
000 CURMA CURY MOACHIC. Saute chopped onions and mushrooms in butter. Cut the fillet, eggs, mix with mushrooms, salt, pepper and season with mayonnaise. Put the mass in tartlets and decorate with greens.
Starter of eggplant, cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers
A beautiful dish similar to a peacock's tail is a great idea to surprise guests with an unusual serving
Photo: pixabay.com| Eggplants | 3 pcs. |
| Cucumbers | 3 pcs. |
| Tomatoes | 3 pcs. |
| Cheese | 200 g |
| Mayonnaise | 3 tbsp. spoons |
| Pitted olives | 15 pcs. |
| Garlic | 3 cloves |
| Salt | to taste |
Sprinkle eggplants for half an hour and sprinkle them with salt. Rinse with water, dry with paper towels and fry on both sides in oil. Cut the tomatoes and cucumbers into slices. Grate cheese, add crushed garlic, salt and season with mayonnaise. Lay the eggplant on a platter. Put on them a mug of tomato, cheese mass, circles of cucumbers and halves of olives.
Rolls with crab sticks
Delicate dish with delicious filling just melts in your mouth!
Photo: pixabay.com| Toast bread | 4 slices |
| Crab sticks | 10 pcs. |
| Curd cheese | 100 g |
| Mayonnaise | 2 tbsp. spoons |
Trim the crusts from the bread. We unfold 5 crab sticks, lay them on cling film with an overlap and grease with 1 tbsp. l. mayonnaise. Finely chop the remaining sticks, mix with curd cheese and the remaining mayonnaise. Put the bread on the unfolded sticks, roll it on top with a rolling pin, and then spread the curd mixture in a layer. Carefully roll up the roll and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
Simple and delicious dishes are a real decoration for a birthday. Salads are hearty and light - for every taste. To make it easier to work on the holiday, prepare them ahead of time and store them in covered containers in a cool place. 1 pcs
Layer the diced breast, nuts, fried mushrooms with onions, chopped eggs and grated garlic cheese on a plate.
We will tamp each layer with a fork and grease a little with mayonnaise.
Squid salad with pineapple
An exotic salad with unexpected flavors that will perfectly complement the festive table
Photo: @caleb-oquendo, pexels.comSquid, pineapple and potatoes cut into small cubes. Peel the pepper and cut into strips. Mix with corn, chopped herbs, pepper, salt and season with mayonnaise.
Salad with sausage and beans
Appetizing salad suitable for a holiday or a modest family feast
Puff salad with mushrooms
If you cook vegetables and eggs in advance, it will take less than 10 minutes
photo: @anthony-leong, pexels.
co | Pickled mushrooms | 300 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Potatoes | 2 pcs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carrots | 2 pcs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicken eggs | 4 pcs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The smashed cheese | 300 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Green onion | 100 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mayonnaise | to the taste of the first SARTOTATIONAL COMPOTATIONS IN THE COMPLITUTA Lubricate with mayonnaise, sprinkle with chopped onion, boiled eggs grated on a coarse grater and add another layer of mayonnaise. Then lay out layers of sliced champignons, small cubes of ham and again grease with mayonnaise. The top layer will be made from grated cheese mixed with mayonnaise. We wrap the salad with cling film, put it in a cold place, and before serving, decorate the dish with chopped green onions. Salad with crab sticks in tartlets It is convenient that the festive dish is already divided into portions.
We welded the eggs screwed and crushed crab sticks. Chop the eggs, cut the cheese and sticks into cubes. Pass the garlic cloves through the press, salt, add chopped greens and season with mayonnaise. Stir and arrange on tartlets. Share your recipe Email your specialty recipe to [email protected] . "Komsomolskaya Pravda" will publish the most interesting and unusual ideas Hot dishes The main treat at the holiday is the pride of the hosts. Cooking hot dishes takes a lot of time, so you should take care of the products for them in advance. Rabbit with adjikaTender delicacy meat will appeal to everyone who likes "spicier" Photo: pixabay.com
Cut the fillet 1 cm and a length of 4-5 cup 10 minutes. DessertsA sweet end to a birthday is a real culmination of the holiday. In addition to the traditional birthday cake or cake, guests especially appreciate delicious homemade desserts. Bananas in chocolate with nutsThe original portioned dessert is similar to ice cream, but much healthier than the usual store-bought treat. To prepare it, you will need 20 cm skewers Photo: pixabay.com
Peel the bananas and cut them into 10-12 slices. We string 4-5 slices on skewers, lubricating each slice with almond oil. Melt the chocolate in a water bath. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the chopped walnuts in a bowl. Take one skewer, dip bananas in melted chocolate, roll in peanuts and put on a baking sheet. When everything is ready, put the dessert for half an hour in the freezer. Coconut BallsA three-ingredient sweet treat in just 20 minutes Photo: pixabay.com
Pumpkin jam with lemonBirthday - warm home holiday, so delicious amber jam will be the way photo: Pixabay.com
Cut the peeled pumpkin and lemon into cubes. Put in a saucepan, add sugar, mix and let it brew for 20 minutes. Put on medium heat, cook for 20 minutes and leave at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Then boil the jam again and cook for another 20 minutes. | 1 packaging | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tomati Cherry | 0.25 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Natural tuna | 1 bank | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| mustard any | 1ch. spoon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olive oil | 3-4 tbsp. spoons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground pepper | to taste. |
Fry onions and carrots until golden brown. Add the carrot-onion mixture and finely chopped tomato to the chicken. Put washed rice, hot peppers and unpeeled garlic heads on top. Pour in the broth, wrap the form with foil and cook for 50 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees. Remove the foil, and then heat the pilaf in the oven for another 7-8 minutes. 
In the remaining sauce, dilute the flour and squeezed garlic through a press, salt, pepper and add to the chicken. We will simmer under a closed lid over low heat for 20-30 minutes. 
We wrap the coriander in paper, beat it with a culinary hammer, and then pour it over the meat. Let the pork marinate overnight. The next day, remove the pieces from the marinade and fry until golden brown in oil. Then put in a saucepan, pour marinade and simmer until tender. 
In the remaining oil, fry chopped onions and carrots, add tomato paste and fry for another 3-5 minutes. Pour 500 ml of water into the pan, put suneli hops, paprika and sugar. When the contents of the pan boil, add the meat and chopped pickles. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes. In a separate pan, fry the chopped potatoes until cooked. We shift it to the turkey and cook under the lid for another 5 minutes. Then sprinkle the azu with chopped herbs, garlic, close the lid and let the dish brew for 10-15 minutes. 
From the cooled mass we blind round sweets, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. We will bake for 20 minutes in the oven at 150 degrees. 
Boil and peel eggs. Wash lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Defrost the beans and pour boiling water over them. Drain the tuna, but do not discard the liquid. Cut the eggs and cherry tomatoes in half. Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
Refuel. Mix mustard and olive oil, add some tuna liquid and ground pepper. Mix well until smooth. If sauce is thick, add more tuna liquid. Optionally, you can add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
Mix lettuce, beans, part tuna, half the eggs and cherry tomatoes. Pour sauce over, reserving a third. Mix carefully, put in a salad bowl, adding the rest of the tuna, eggs and cherry tomatoes. Pour sauce over and serve immediately.
Baked turkey with garlic and prunes
for hot prepare a bird with garlic and dried fruits-the guests will evaluate an unusual taste combination
Photo: @alleksana, Pexels.com| Garlic | 1/2 heads |
| Prunes | 0.1 kg |
| Vegetable oil spoons | |
| Salt | to taste |
| Pepper | to taste |
Rinse and dry the turkey fillets. Peel the garlic and cut into large chunks. Pour prunes with boiling water for 30 minutes, and then cut into 2-3 parts. Using a small knife, make cuts in the turkey and stuff it with garlic and prunes. Mix oil, salt, pepper and rub the fillet with the mixture.
