Easy and Delicious Bridal Shower Food Ideas
You're hosting and toasting one of your best pals. Wondering what to serve at a bridal shower that would be special but not too complicated? Relax, we've got tips and recipes to make your party shine.
Wedding Cupcake Buttercream from Recipe Girl
At the center of every successful bridal shower is great food. Whether you're hosting a simple brunch or lunch celebration, a tea party, or creating something with an elaborate theme, you can serve festive and tasty dishes without spending a week in the kitchen or hiring a pricey caterer. Here are some tips and recipes that will help you plan your own shower menu and host a sensational shower for any bride-to-be (or bridal couple!).
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Planning tips
Hosting a bridal shower party doesn’t have to be stressful. Follow these three key tips.
Tip 1: Go for variety
Before planning the bridal shower food, check with the bride, her family, and the guests to see if anyone has special dietary restrictions (allergies, gluten-free, vegan, etc.). Be sure to include a variety of dishes so there's something for everyone to enjoy. Appetizers, finger sandwiches, punch, and dessert are time-honored bridal shower foods, but feel free to think outside the box.
Tip 2: Make hosting easy
By all means, accept help if guests offer to bring anything, or assign dishes and make it a potluck. Ask guests to bring appetizers or desserts that are good cold or at room temperature so you can concentrate on anything that needs to be served warm. You can also have each guest bring two bottles of wine — one to share at the shower and one for the bride to keep. If you're planning bridal shower games or other activities, you might enlist a helper or two.
Tip 3: Get a head start on shopping
Making a detailed grocery list will help you eliminate last-minute trips to the store. To really save time, consider ordering any special condiments or spices online so you're sure to have all the ingredients on hand well before beginning to cook.
Special occasion beverages
You could serve a classic mimosa, or you could try one of these delicious bridal shower cocktails instead!
Peach Prosecco Punch
Start the celebration with a splash when you pour this four-ingredient recipe for bubbly punch made with fresh fruit and peach nectar. For serving, a pretty vintage crystal punch bowl is a great way to create a festive atmosphere, and will hold a bigger portion if you want to double or triple the recipe.
Blackberry Lavender Champagne Cocktail
Serve this lovely champagne drink in a tall glass and garnish with lavender flowers for a girly, bridal vibe.
Finger food
Bridal showers are a great occasion to serve finger food, as guests are often simultaneously mingling, sipping a cocktail with one hand, and grazing the food table with the other hand.
Classic No-Pickle Deviled Eggs
A platter or two of deviled eggs sparkles at any bridal party. In addition to being perfect bite size-morsels, they're a great canvas for creative variations you might want to try. Think classic chopped pickles, smoked ham, or crumbled blue cheese; international flavors like chutney, salsa, cilantro, or wasabi; or decadent toppers such as caviar, lobster, or shaved truffles. Check out Yummly's article, "How to Make Deviled Eggs," for more ideas.
Falafel
These falafel will be a hit with all your guests, including vegetarians and vegans, and can be paired in several ways. Top a mixed green salad with falafel, stuff them into pita, or serve them with a variety of dips and spreads, including hummus, tahini sauce, yogurt, or tzatziki. To make perfect falafel with a crispy exterior and a moist, fluffy interior, be sure to process the soaked dried chickpeas enough so the mixture holds together. When frying, don't overcrowd the pan so the falafel can fully cook.
Caprese Salad Skewers
Anything served on a skewer just feels more special, so these Caprese Salad Skewers are a perfect appetizer at a bridal shower. The classic combination of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar ensure at least one traditional dish among your array of small bites.
BLT Flatbread
The flavors and colors of Italian Caprese salad meet the BLT, and the crowd-pleasing combo is sure to be a hit on a bridal shower menu. Use the freshest basil and tomatoes, and choose a flavorful extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling. Then cut the flatbread into wide wedges for serving.
Watermelon and Feta Appetizer Bites
Watermelon's sweet taste and crunchy, juicy texture really pop when paired with salty, creamy feta cheese. The melon is a favorite fruit during spring and summer, the peak season for wedding showers. To make this version of fruit salad work as finger food, you skewer pretty little stacks of fruit and cheese with fresh mint, and optionally drizzle with balsamic vinegar. The stacks can be constructed in a few minutes and make an elegant addition to any menu.
Cheesy Keto Biscuits
These Keto diet-friendly drop biscuits swap in grain-free coconut flour for traditional wheat flour. Made with butter instead of shortening plus sharp cheddar cheese, they're loaded with flavor.
Purple Potato Bites with Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Caviar
A dollop of glossy white crème fraîche atop a deep purple-hued potato offers a striking appetizer. And any excuse to serve caviar is a good one.
Party dips
Keep the dips flowing and guests will congregate around the best spot at the party: the food table!
Lemon-Artichoke Hummus
Making homemade hummus might seem complicated, but when you start with canned chickpeas, it takes just a few minutes. Savour the Senses changes up the usual combo by adding meaty artichoke hearts to go with the tangy lemon juice. Vegan and gluten-free, this flavorful Middle Eastern spread can be served alongside falafel or as a dip for cut veggies, chips, or toasted pita bread.
Easy Salmon and Dill Party Dip
Canned salmon is the secret to this easy dip. Serve with crudités or crackers. Or transform the dip into a filling by offering lettuce leaves and making lettuce cups.
5-Minute Million Dollar Dip
Bacon bits, mayo, cheddar cheese, green onions, and slivered almonds are the only 5 ingredients you need to pull off this major crowd pleaser.
Mini sandwiches
Bridal showers have much in common with afternoon tea. Serving mini sandwiches is one popular way to blur the lines.
Cucumber-Watercress Tea Sandwiches
Pretty, petite, and versatile in terms of fillings, tea sandwiches have been a bridal shower staple for years. In this recipe, zesty radish sprouts add a little complexity to the traditional cucumber-watercress combination. English (hothouse) cucumbers provide a nice seedless crunch in the dainty sandwiches.
Strawberry Tea Sandwiches
For a modern twist, fill tea sandwiches with fragrant in-season strawberries and basil, plus rich cream cheese and mayonnaise. You might intermingle them with cucumber-watercress sandwiches for a pretty and colorful platter.
Loaded Juicy Lucy Sheet Pan Sliders
The beauty of this slider recipe is how quickly you can make all of the burgers at once. Everything gets layered, topping by topping, in a sheet pan, so that all of the sliders are ready at the same time. Guests will go wild for these loaded Juicy Lucys.
Sweet bites
Here we offer you three fun ways to do dessert at a bridal shower: a waffle bar, an individual tartlet, or an incredible homemade buttercream frosting that can be used on just about any baked good.
Classic Buttermilk Waffles
A waffle bar is a great addition to any wedding shower. To save time, you can make a batch of these fluffy Classic Buttermilk Waffles ahead of time and freeze them, then heat them up in the toaster and keep them warm in a low oven. Accompany the waffles with a variety of toppings such as sliced bananas, strawberries, cream cheese or ice cream, Nutella, and maple syrup or even chocolate sauce for guests to choose from.
Key Lime Tartlets
These beautiful dessert bites are refreshing and bright. And they come together quickly with the help of store-bought frozen mini phyllo tart shells.
Wedding Cupcake Buttercream
A rich but simple homemade frosting and a few pretty decorations go a long way toward dressing up your favorite basic cupcakes. If you're planning a themed bridal shower (or at least a color theme!), you can pick cupcake liners to match.
Can't decide?
Looking for more bridal shower food ideas to celebrate the big day? These articles offer more food and drink recipes worth considering for your event.