Graduation Party Recipes

June 15, 2022Lynley Jones

Congrats! And now it's time to par-TAY! I combed through all our recipes with a couple of friends to assemble the trendiest, finger-foodiest, make-aheadiest, gen-Zeezy-est, crowd-pleasiest recipes on the website.

Party on!

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Aleppo Pesto-Chimichurri

A little bit pesto, a little bit chimichurri, and lots of flavor! Spoon it over grilled meats or veggies, toss it with pasta, slather it over crostini or dribble it onto your pizza. Made with lots of fresh herbs, garlic and shallots, plus toasted pine nuts, mixed together in olive oil with a splash of lemon juice and a little Aleppo pepper.

Grilled Peaches with Aleppo-Tequila Honey Sauce

Grilled peaches drizzled with a tequila-honey sauce infused with Aleppo pepper and a punch of lime. It’s like a party for your peaches! (And for you, of course.)

Watermelon-Lime Granita

Watermelon and lime blended into a frosty-cold dessert that’s simple to make, and sophisticated enough for any dinner party. (Double win!)

Sumac-Basil Vodka Lemonade Cocktail

Super-refreshing, fizzy and fun lemonade cocktail infused with basil and sumac.

Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza with Aleppo Pepper

Arugula and prosciutto pizza with cracked black pepper and sea salt, drizzled with garlic olive oil and spiked with Aleppo pepper.

Queso Fundido with Roasted Chiles and Mexican Oregano

Melty, gooey cheese, with roasted poblanos. Scooped into a warm tortilla and topped with salsa and other goodies, you can think of queso fundido as a vegetarian taco option (but it’s more likely you’ll just think of it as heaven).

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Funky Lemon Eggplant Hash

Caramelized eggplant, sauteed with preserved lemon, leeks and herbs. Funky, spunky and addictive.

Frozen Sweet Sumac-Sage Cucumber Spice Pops

Sweet frozen cucumber pops infused with sage and flecked with sumac.

Frozen Sumac-Basil Lemonade Spice Pops

Lemony-sweet basil frozen ice pops. Flecked with sumac, to bring nuance to the tartness and gorgeous pink color to your Spice Pop.

Frozen Hibiscus-Mint Lime Spice Pops

Frozen ice pops made from hibiscus-mint syrup blended with lime juice, frozen into a sweet summer treat.

Stuffed Burgers with Gochujang Mayo and Scallion Curls

Burgers stuffed with melty cheese on the inside, topped with red cabbage and scallion curls and a slather of gochujang mayo. Full Korean flavor on a stuffed burger. (Seriously, is there anything else to say?)

Mexican Stuffed Burgers

Burgers stuffed with melty cheese on the inside and topped with chiles, grilled onions, avocados and crunchy cilantro-cabbage. Get ready to party!

Mucho Mango Tart

Miles of mangoes and flaky puff pastry make for a fairly simple but impressive dessert, especially when topped with homemade Cajeta de Leche.

Classic Lasagna

A classic Italian lasagna, made with red wine Bolognese sauce and Parmesan bechamel, with a touch of pecorino Romano and parsley.

Mexican-Style Ceviche

Fish marinated in lime juice and tossed with chiles, onions, tomatoes, avocados and orange juice.

Beer-Simmered Beef and Gruyere Casserole

Ground beef and Swiss chard simmered together in beer, then combined with gruyere cheese in a casserole topped with breadcrumbs and more cheese.

Beer-Braised Sausages with Peppers and Onions

Sweet or spicy Italian-style sausages, braised in a little beer with soft, sweet peppers and onions. Easy weeknight dinner or football-watching crowd-pleaser.

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Summer-Thyme Peach Lemonade

Lemons, peaches and thyme combine to fill every glass with the flavors of summer.

Extra Lemony Lemonade

We boost the lemon flavor by steeping lemon zest in the sugar syrup. Sweet, refreshing lemony goodness.

Fizzy Mint Limeade

Cool, fizzy and refreshing drink, perfect for a summer day. Or any day. Add a little gin for a grownup twist.

Classic Guacamole

Guaranteed to disappear the minute it's served. Check out the recipe notes for tips on how to achieve guacamole awesomeness in your kitchen.

Budin Azteca (Mexican Tortilla Casserole)

Vegetables layered with corn tortillas, roasted chiles, pureed tomatoes, Mexican crema and a little shredded chicken. Serve with beans or refried beans.

Grilled Summer Veggie Tacos

Tacos filled with grilled summer veggies for your next party - or for dinner tonight.

Pico de Gallo

A fresh, raw salsa that adds a burst of flavor to almost anything, from tacos to scrambled eggs.

Originally created for our Mexican Cooking Fiesta class, this recipe was featured in our Mostly Plants series.

Charred Cauliflower With Brown Butter Scape Sauce

Cauliflower grilled crispy and brown, then dressed in a rich garlicky-buttery sauce.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillos and chiles roasted together and blended with onions and cilantro. This green salsa is cool, crisp, spicy and a little tangy, perfect on tacos or tostadas, or dolloped on fried or scrambled eggs.

Tomato and Grilled Corn Salad

Juicy tomatoes, grilled corn kernels, red onions and cilantro, with a squeeze of lime and just a hint of mild pepper. Simple to make and full of flavor (plan to lick the bowl).

Grilled Ratatouille Pizza

Grilled pizza topped with grilled summer veggies - zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs - strewn over herbed goat cheese that's been slathered onto crisp pizza crust.

Grilled Swordfish with Blistered Grape Tomatoes and Sea Beans

Grilled swordfish with a topping of grape tomatoes and sea beans, a fresh, crunchy-salty seaweed found at farmers markets and specialty shops. See recipe notes for more about sea beans, and how you can still make this if you can’t find them.

Basil-Peach Toasts

Sweet, juicy peaches with basil and a hint of cinnamon, mounded onto mascarpone-slathered sourdough toast.

Garlic Mascarpone with Chive Blossoms

A super-simple hors d'oeuvre to showcase those gorgeous spring chive blossoms.

Sonoran Beef Casserole

A simple ground beef and macaroni casserole Infused with the flavors of the Sonoran Desert, topped with melty cheese and the crunch of breadcrumbs.

Potstickers with Two Sauces

Potstickers served with Sriracha sauce and Hoisin sauce. Plus, how to make Asian meatballs with the extra filling!

Pink Raspberry Cupcakes

Cupcakes tinted pink with fresh raspberry puree, with a berry special surprise inside. Frost with Lemony-Basil Buttercream or frosting of your choice.

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Chicken Adobo

Chicken poached in vinegar and soy sauce with garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns, then broiled dark and crispy. A super-flavorful classic Filipino dish that’s simple to make. Plan ahead to make rice bowls with the leftovers…

Mexican Black Bean Dip

Addictively tasty Mexican dip for chips, or spread for veggie burgers or sandwiches.

Curried Beet Chips

Like potato chips made out of beets! Slightly sweet, salty, and a little spicy with a hint of curry.

Creamy Goat Cheese Dip

Mild, creamy dip with a hint of goat cheese tang. Perfect for crudite or chips, as a spread on sandwiches or to dollop on veggies.

Grilled Pizza with Beet Greens and Goat Cheese

Crispy grilled pizza crust, topped with goat cheese, greens and tomatoes. No party trick here, just really great food.

Fried Zucchini with Marinara Dipping Sauce

Golden-fried zucchini spears served with a savory marinara dipping sauce.

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Garlic-Basil Ranch Dip (or Dressing)

Addictively delicious dip for veggies or chips.

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Nachos with Mexican-Spiced Vegetarian Lentils or Ground Beef

Nachos with your choice of ground beef or vegan lentil filling, spiced with Mexican oregano, cumin, chipotle and lime.

Hibiscus Cookie Glaze with Candied Hibiscus Flowers

Dress your cookies to impress with a sophisticated cookie glaze and candied hibiscus crumbles. (Bonus, you can also make cocktails while you’re at it!)

Crunchy Curried Chickpea Snack

Addictively snackable crunchy chickpeas, roasted with coriander, cumin and fennel seeds, with a pinch of asafetida and a little hot paprika zing.

categories party, recipes
tags dips, casseroles, make ahead, graduation, spring

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Graduation Party Recipes

June 15, 2022Lynley Jones

Party on!

Email Us!

Adventure Kitchen

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Graduation Party Recipes

June 15, 2022Lynley Jones

Party on!