Planning a funeral is tough enough without worrying about what food to serve. With so many people with different preferences and cultures, putting out a spread that everyone will like.
Food brings people together, and although a funeral is a sad occasion, friends and family will gather and share a meal. Use these funeral food ideas to help you provide a tasty spread for those who come to celebrate the life of your loved one.
Some funeral homes have the food catered and prepare the meal themselves. Others have a pot luck approach to feeding everyone. There are no hard and fast rules you have to follow really. If you don’t know the best meal to supply or bring along, check out these seven comforting funeral food ideas:
Idea #1: Funeral Buffet Style
After the funeral service, people want to mingle and share memories, so having a sit-down meal may not be the best option. Usually, a buffet-style layout works well for most guests and lets them come up as many times as they like to grab a small replica rolex yachtmaster bite while the day unfolds.
You can do almost anything with a buffet, including soups, appetizers and another fare. Leave room on the table for guests to contribute, and then everyone can easily share it. You can put up tables for those who want to sit down to eat and chairs around the room for others to rest and snack.
Idea #2: Funeral Food Trays
Trays are always a great option because they display what is being offered, and it is a quick grab to put on your plate. Classic trays include:
- Cut up vegetables
- Deli meat, olives and pickles
- Crackers and cheeses
- Mixed fruit
- Sandwiches
- Wraps
- Deviled eggs
- Desserts
This list can go on and on with any food your guests may like. Dips, sauces and spreads can also accompany your trays to give a tasty add-on.
Idea #3: Hot Food
If you have access to chaffing trays, hot dishes are excellent funeral food ideas. Food is comforting, and if you can put out a variety of hot and cold options, there will be something for everyone. You don’t want anything too messy because people are dressed up and don’t want stuff dripping down their best clothes.
Items like sausage rolls and mini quiches kept hot are perfect. Meatballs and even chicken skewers are tasty and easy to manage. Encourage people to bring casseroles or lasagna because they are popular and fill guests up. Warm desserts are also a nice touch, including brownies and pies to finish the meal.
Idea #4: 2-Bite Foods
When people are around the room, catching up and reminiscing, having a large plate with big items is tough, you want to encourage people to eat and visit, so consider small portion items that they can pick from. This allows them to have a variety of tastes, and they are easier to eat.
Two bite foods are perfect funeral food ideas since they usually aren’t too messy for the fingers. They are enough to fill the mouth without looking like a chipmunk and let guests carry on conversations while eating. These can be appetizers like cut wraps and sandwiches, raw veggies, sliced fruit and dessert squares.
Idea #5: Family style dishes
You want to make the after-event easier on everybody so preparing family-style offerings is ideal. They can be placed on a table for self-service, and you don’t need to replenish the plates. They are also much easier to prepare ahead of time.
Pasta salads and homemade macaroni & cheese go over really well. You can bake a whole tray of halved chicken breasts or even scalloped potatoes. Make a huge plate of meat and veggie sliders and paninis and big hermes 725776 1 fashion handbags bowls of salad. You shouldn’t have to spend the whole time replenishing the food table so take advantage of a family-style setup.
Idea #6: Breads & Buns
Everyone loves bread, and it is easy to carry around and eat with a small plate. It is also the best vessel to make a sandwich from meat, cheese, and veggie tray items.
Provide a few different buns to choose from, like potato buns, dinner rolls and sourdough buns. Has French bread sliced with a garlic butter spread and a herb focaccia cut into squares? Sliced baguette with cream cheese and chives is a simple bite that tastes excellent, and you can even include scones and croissants if you want to.
Idea #7: Simple Beverages
You don’t need to overdo it at a funeral with exotic drinks and a full bar. This isn’t a wedding, and while some people may want to drink, don’t make alcohol your primary beverage.
You can put up a simple coffee bar with a few different options, including decaf and make a tea station with a dozen selections from green to herbal. Cold drinks are also popular, so you can provide iced tea and lemonade as well. If you are serving alcohol, make it simple with red and white wine and two or three varieties of beer. Hard liquor can be provided, but you will also need mixers.
