Food is usually the biggest concern whenever there is a party or even just a simple gathering. It doesn’t matter if there’s no hired band or a team of magicians to entertain the guests as long as there’s enough delicious food to keep everyone’s hunger and palates satisfied. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but a host shouldn’t be overly frugal too if he doesn’t want that the food served in his party will be mediocre at best. It is possible to be economical and at the same time secure a delicious banquet for everyone.

Feed Guests and Save Money with Party Platters

One way to save on money is to purchase party platters. These are available in Costco and Walmart stores, among others. What’s great about them is that each tray can serve up to 25 people at very, very affordable prices. For example, a Meat & Cheese tray at Walmart may cost $15-$35, depending on the tray size (small, medium, and large). The largest tray is good for 25 servings. Imagine, with just $35 you can serve your friends with a variety of meats and cheeses for a quick chow or for sandwiches.

There are other kinds of party platters too that can be served in a more formal gathering. Vegetables, fruits, condiment and dessert trays dressed up with ideas for party platters will fit in a buffet table nicely. There are also platters of Japanese and Korean food that hosts can serve in order to have something a bit new and different in the buffet.

Get Creative with Party Platters

Even though we can appreciate the appeal of party platters, we cannot deny that the presentation of these platters is sometimes too plain for a party. This isn’t something to worry about though, because this is precisely where the best part comes in.

People can get very creative and make up different ideas for party platters. Moms who habitually order party platters already know the routine: find a very attractive food platter that fits with the theme of the celebration and rearrange the food here. The way the food is laid out on the tray is very important and this is where a host’s knowledge about food presentation becomes evident. They also often add garnishes all over the platter in order to make it look more attractive and appetizing.

A person can come up with more ideas for party platters if he has a theme to work around with. If the party is in celebration of a girl’s 16th birthday, here’s an idea: scatter edible rose petals on the salad bar. If it’s a children’s party, sprinkle colorful candy beads all over the dessert platter and fruit tray. If the theme is all about pirates, you can also insert chocolate gold coins all over the deli platter, the sandwich tray, among the fried chicken, and all other hard and dry food.

It is really quite easy to think up of ideas for party platters. Just be as creative and artistic as you can and you’ll be able to make a buffet that’s stocked with party platters look like an expensive, chef-prepared smorgasbord.

It’s honestly quite enjoyable to assemble party platters in a buffet. There’s so much room for creativity. Plus, it’ll be a hoot getting people to eat because they’re so enticed by how well you presented the food.

Assembling Deli and Sandwich Party Platters

Deli party platters are usually enough for casual get-togethers among friends. You and your pals will care more for the fun conversation than the food anyway. Still, you have to think of party platter ideas to make the food look more presentable.

If you don’t want the trouble of slicing meat yourself, just buy a deli party platter at Walmart and simply rearrange its contents in a more attractive platter. Pile the slices of ham separately from the cheese. You can use the pepperoni ad other condiments to separate them. Prepare a bowl of mayonnaise and a bottle of mustard. Of course, the sliced bread should already be out of the bag and laid on a bread tray.

Arranging Platters of Condiments

Condiments are easier to fix mostly because they are the main course, are cooked in larger amounts and are therefore often placed in ordinary buffet trays. You just have to position them side by side and you’re done. If you want the buffet table to look more interesting, try these party platter ideas for condiments:

Assemble dry, fried food like chicken, pork chops, hotdogs, and barbecue in flat platters. You can use different sizes and shapes depending on how much there is for each kind of food. The condiments that are soaked in sauces, like sweet and sour pork, can remain in the ordinary buffet trays.

Common party platter ideas for condiments also include placing appetizers on the same table as the condiments. Some people like to eat them together anyway. Place the platters of shrimps and little sandwiches at the head of the buffet table though, where people will start lining up for food.

Party Platters for Desserts

Sometimes it is easier to assemble desserts on a party platter rather than serve them individually to guests. When you prepare slices of cake, for instance, and bring over the plates to guests, there might be some who would decline. That’s going to be a waste of perfectly good cake if some guests would opt to leave theirs untouched on the table all day long.

By incorporating your party platter ideas for desserts, there’s a lesser chance that food will be wasted. Guests will have their pick on which desserts to put on their plate. Plus, if the presentation is very good, people might be more encouraged to try out the sweets!

Set your dessert table apart from the main buffet to control traffic. This way, those who are already on to dessert won’t crowd with those who are still going to start eating. You can then try these party platter ideas for desserts:

Use separate platters or fancy plates for each kind of dessert. Separate cookies in a wide tray (you can either pile cookies by kind too or simply dump all of them together) and use porcelain platters each for brownies, crinkles. You can serve pies and cakes, but cut them in triangle slices first. You can also place a basket of sweet strawberries and a bowl of melted chocolate on one side.

One would think that when serving people food, the most important thing is that the food itself is cooked very well and tastes very delicious. However, chefs and professional cooks always say that presentation is also equally important. People’s appetites are naturally heightened by visual stimulation. Notice that if you don’t see any food, you’ll only feel a dull ache in the tummy if you’re truly feeling hungry. However, but once you see your favorite dish or dessert, your taste buds will start going hyperactive and your mouth will literally start to water.

That is the goal of food presentation. You want to entice people to have even just a taste the fare offered on the table. Chefs call this plating. They assemble the food creatively and adorn each dish with garnishes. When it comes to buffets though, it is a different–and more challenging–matter.

Dressing Up a Buffet

The best way to dress up a buffet is to use party platter plates along with ordinary buffet trays. The latter are staples in buffet presentations mainly because of necessity. There are dishes that will need deep containers because of heavy sauces or pasta-like qualities (dishes that are not necessarily sauced up, but cannot be served in flat party platter plates in large quantities because they will end up spilling on the table).

Assemble the main dishes and condiments on the center if you are using a single, long buffet table (although it would be better to have separate tables for appetizers, the main course, and desserts). Place the plates and utensils on the first end, followed by the platters of appetizers. At the end of the table, you can set-up the desserts and punch bowl. Don’t forget to include the punch glasses and dessert plates and forks on this side of the table too.

Get Creative with Party Platter Plates

If you don’t have party platter plates at home and are thinking twice about spending more on brand new ones, you can create your own party platter plates instead. This is good because you can decide how large the plates are going to be and what shapes they will take. In fact, many bakeries and cottage cake businesses construct their own party platter plates. It makes it easier to create cakes, pastries, and all other kinds of desserts because their designs won’t be limited by space constraints.

You can create flat platters out of thick cardboard covered in foil. These will already work for sandwiches, finger foods, cookies, brownies, and other desserts. You can also cut the corners and fold up the sides to form box-like party platter plates. These would be perfect for the sliced bread needed for the deli platter.

Recognize the Importance of Food Presentation

Yes, the taste of the food is ultimately what matters the most. On the other hand, you’ll need to get people to take a bite of the food first before they can appreciate its yummy goodness. Food presentation is easier on plate-in meals, but in a buffet, hosts will have to give more effort in making all the food look appealing.

Walmart is known in the US for having some of the lowest prices for most merchandise and food items. It is therefore unsurprising that some of the cheapest party platters in the market can also be bought here.

Planning a casual gathering or treating your workmates on a working lunch will no longer be a burden if you purchase the party platters Walmart stores have. If the goal is to have plenty of food on a short notice, this is a much more practical and affordable option compared to ordering takeout from a restaurant.

Low-Priced Party Platters for Casual Gatherings, Meetings, and Parties

The store itself assembles party platters for sandwiches, deli food, fruits, vegetables, and condiments. It’s great that they offer such a wide variety of food. Each platter will even have two or three different varieties to satisfy the different palates of different people. Walmart also makes sure that the food in each platter is fresh and delicious. The meats and cheeses of its sandwich party platters Walmart sells, for example, are premium cheeses imported from other countries.

Speaking of sandwich platters, these are perfect for impromptu working lunches at the office or for hosting girl/boy scout afternoons at your house. They are also favorites during game nights when friends come over and take over the couch. Prevent them from raiding the fridge by providing them with sandwich party platters.

Finger foods are also important for parties, both formal and casual. People will always appreciate having something delicious to pop in their mouths while huddling with friends and catching up with the latest gossip. The Pinwheel party platters Walmart makes comes to mind. These are delicious little tortilla rolls filled with roast beef and lettuce topped with ranch sauce. There’s also the traditional Snacking Tray which is filled with bite-sized meats and cheeses. Both platters cost only $25 to $35.

Obviously, besides the availability of choices, all party platters Walmart sells is affordable and often more than worth the price. Consider the largest tray of their Submarine Sandwich party platter. This costs only $25 and can serve up to 25 individuals. That makes each large, sandwich cut worth only $1.

Hormel Party Platter Discounts at Walmart

The cheapest party platters Walmart has are not the ones assembled by the store itself, though. Each year, especially during the Halloween and Christmas seasons, customers eagerly await the comeback of Hormel’s discount offers for their party platters. Hormel releases printable coupons worth $3 online which customers from all over the country can use at the Walmart store nearest them.

The smallest Hormel Snack Tray, which consists of cuts of pepperoni, crackers and cheese, costs only $4.98. This is good for up to six servings, which definitely makes it an excellent bargain. If bought with the discount coupon, customers will only have to pay $1.98 for the snack tray. That is one of the best deals people can have! This is also why so many moms around the country are eagerly waiting for the time of year when Hormel releases their $3 discount coupons.

There have been so many times in the past wherein we just want to be served food instead of laboring in the kitchen for an hour just to put together a meal for lunch or dinner. These are the times when we hop into the kitchen at home or the mini-pantry in the office long enough to assemble a sandwich using whatever ingredients are available in the fridge.

For times like this, it would be better to simply order sandwich party platters at Walmart. This is an especially good idea if you and your co-workers have a deadline to meet and cannot afford to leave work for lunch. Have one of your errand boys in the office go to Walmart and order any of its amazing sandwich platters before lunch break arrives. This way, all of you can continue working without having to skip lunch altogether.

Party Platters with Multiple Servings

A platter can never be called as such if it doesn’t contain enough food to serve at least six or eight people. Customers can therefore depend that party platters at Walmart are enough for at least six to eight people. That is the smallest serving number of their smallest party platter, followed by a medium tray that will serve up to 15 people. The largest party platters at Walmart measures 18 inches across and can serve as many as 25 people.

Depending on how many you are and how long you are planning to stay cooped up in the office, order the platter size of your choice so that you won’t be working inefficiently on an empty stomach.

Examples of Walmart’s Sandwich Platters

One of Walmart’s most popular sandwich platters is the Meat & Cheese Tray which consists of sandwich-size cuts of different kinds of meats (smoked turkey, roast beef, thin ham cuts) and cheeses (Colby Jack, pepper jack, Swiss). The tray is also garnished with green leafy vegetables as sandwich add-ons. This platter comes in small, medium and large trays priced at $15, $25 and $35 respectively. This is actually just a platter of sandwich ingredients and people will have to assemble their own sandwiches. Customers will have to get the sliced bread along with this platter too, plus some dressing if they wish.

Customers can also order Sub Sandwich party platters at Walmart. Here the bread and ingredients are already assembled according to the customer’s specifications. Yes, it is possible to put in your request for the kinds of sandwiches that will be included in the platter you order. Walmart usually allows up to three different kinds of meats and a choice of cheese and garnishes for the sub sandwiches.

The Sub Sandwich platters serves more people than the Meats & Cheese Tray. The smallest Sub tray costs $15 and consists of a two-foot sandwich that can serve up to 12 people. The $20 four-foot sandwich can feed up to 24 people, and the $25 monster sandwich serves more or less 25 people. That’s equivalent to $1 a sandwich–not a bad deal at all!

It is really easy to go crazy for party platters at Walmart. They are very affordable and the sandwiches taste good!