MetaChat - party food!

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29 January 2014

party food! I'm having a bit of a party on Sunday. Its theme is something along the lines of USA! USA! USA! I'm trying to brainstorm stuff that screams "America" to put out. The less prep the better. Ideas? thanks, bunnies! obvs the beer and bourbon are a given

post by: gaspode at: 13:13 | 29 comments

pigs in a blanket.

posted by stynxno 29 January | 13:29

Freedom fries

posted by msali 29 January | 13:41

Potato salad from deli
Hot dogs
American pizza

Or is it fancier?

posted by mightshould 29 January | 13:44

It is absolutely not fancier, mightshould.

posted by gaspode 29 January | 13:44

Are deviled eggs an American thing? Anyway, they are delicious.

posted by mullacc 29 January | 13:45

Jello salad!

posted by JanetLand 29 January | 14:15

And for really simple, can't go wrong with popcorn.

posted by JanetLand 29 January | 14:15

Processed cheese food. Only in America.

posted by ethylene 29 January | 14:24

"Chinese food." "Mexican food." "Italian food."
The whole bastardized food thing seems thematic. Is it a delayed citizenship todo?
"Melting pot" just screams for a queso dip or stew of questionable origin.

posted by ethylene 29 January | 14:32

Pigs in a blanket.

posted by Splunge 29 January | 15:44

Pancakes for breakfast. Huge portions.

posted by jouke 29 January | 15:55

grilled cheese finger sandwiches

posted by mullacc 29 January | 15:59

Apple pie. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich squares on white bread. Tater tots. Meatloaf.

posted by initapplette 29 January | 16:08

In addition to what has been mentioned, hot dogs. Put out yellow mustard for those. Hamburgers. Fried chicken. Ketchup. Awful colored drinks like Kool-Aid (and, of course, the usual soft drinks like Coca cola, Pepsi, etc.) Onion rings as well as French fries. PIzza.

It is also very, very US to decorate the food patriotically. E.g. red , white and blue sheet cake or cupcakes or cookies. Or you could do a sheet cake with icing in the shape of an American flag. Or fly little flags from the cupcakes. Or all of the above.

Red white and blue bunting everywhere too. And don't forget to wear your US flag lapel pin, naturally.

posted by bearwife 29 January | 17:05

Anything in the shape of a gun ;-)

posted by dg 29 January | 18:08

The thing where you mix Rotel and Velveeta

posted by mightshould 29 January | 18:21

A bucket of chicken.

posted by Ardiril 29 January | 19:35

You mean Super Bowl Sunday, yes? Please don't be a Commie and forget to put BBQ chips in the football-shaped plastic bowl made in China.

posted by danostuporstar 29 January | 19:42

Yes, the party is for my recent citizenship, but it will roll over into the superbowl.

We do have the decorations sorted, and it will be something along those lines, bearwife. We have flags. And USA tattoos :) And bunting.

A sheet cake though, yes, that will definitely be done!

lots of good ideas!

posted by gaspode 29 January | 19:57

anything distinctly southern is a good bet. so fried chicken and sweet tea. also pimento cheese on white bread (which i refused to try when i lived in the deep south).

posted by bluesapphires 29 January | 20:03

Mac and cheese made with Colby and Monterey Jack (or Co-Jack)

posted by brujita 30 January | 01:56

You could do those tater tots we had on Sunday, with the melted Velveeta on them.

posted by Senyar 30 January | 08:19

It's not the right season, but there's hardly anything more American than strawberry shortcake, made with homemade (or baked from the can) biscuits. Strawberries aren't great right now but they can be had...

posted by Miko 30 January | 08:49

Happy Citizenship! :)

Big Gulps?

I like ethelyne's idea above. I remember visiting a restaurant in rural Washington state where you could get nachos with all the pizza fixin's you could want.

The "¿Que es eso?" served around here is usually Velveeta with salsa and ground beef. Ground turkey sometimes.

Most of these were already mentioned. According to PBS, the quintessential American foods are burgers, apple pie, potato salad, chocolate chip cookies, and macaroni and cheese.

Oooh, strawberry cheesecake. With Coolwhip. Now I'm hungry, Miko.

posted by lysdexic 30 January | 14:54

Nothing more American to me than cornbread, though it's not exactly a party food. My family's recipe comes from my mom's side, who went West in covered wagons in the 1840s, ending up in San Francisco. My great grandmother's high school graduation was held in Golden Gate Park because her high school was wrecked in the Great Quake of '06.

I'll try to remember to post the recipe when I get home. I'm slightly ashamed that I don't have it memorized anymore, but my husband doesn't care for cornbread so I don't make it very often.

posted by workerant 30 January | 15:20

Chili, with or without beans
BBQ ribs

posted by mightshould 30 January | 18:25

Meat seems necessary. The plentitude of meat always seemed to be a thing to various waves of immigrants. Meatballs and patties and just these bits! Indigenous cooking usually has more to do with making do, ribs and guts and left overs.
You could just do an endless variety of wings and sauces, or types of meatballs, or anything with dipping sauces. A world of dumplings.

Processed food, canned food, frozen food, California cuisine, clambake-- anything is defensively all American. Super bowl food might just be it. I keep wondering when it's over.
That Pioneer woman thing with crackers and bacon seems very "aMurikin."

I should get food but I'm so tired.

posted by ethylene 30 January | 18:41

We have so much wonderful, real food in this country. Kind of sad that the commercial junk food is the first thing people identify with our cuisine.

posted by Miko 30 January | 21:29

Word, Miko.

posted by brujita 31 January | 17:03

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