Buffet

• A buffet for an open-house style graduation party provides variety and stimulates socializing. Please everyone on the guest list with one beef, one chicken and one pasta or vegetarian dish. London broil, roast beef with gravy, Swedish meatballs, chicken cordon bleu, chicken Parmesan, baked ziti, lasagna and roasted vegetables can be prepared ahead and warmed just before serving. Add baked potatoes with a topping bar, green salad, and crusty bread to round out the meal. If your graduate prefers casual fare, try a taco bar with beef, chicken and bean fillings, a deli platter, tuna-stuffed tomatoes, cold salads and fruit.
  
  

Appetizers

• An appetizer-only menu will please the graduate who wants a refined celebration. Plan to serve six to ten kinds of appetizers, depending on the number of guests, and estimate that each guest will sample three to four of each type. Mini quiches are versatile and can be made ahead in bulk batches. Adding ingredients such as spinach, ham, bacon, mushrooms or cheese to pre-made pastry shells before adding the eggs creates several different flavors at once. Other popular hot appetizers include spring rolls, chicken wings or fingers, and shrimp kabobs. For cold appetizers, melon or asparagus wrapped in proscuitto are crowd-pleasers, and chicken or tuna salad finger sandwiches go a long way with minimal effort. Cheese and crackers and a fruit tray give your guests even more options.
  
  

Sit-Down Meal

• If your graduate prefers a formal sit-down meal, plan on preparing one type of appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert, unless a guest has dietary restrictions. You may also choose to serve a soup before the salad. The graduate's input is critical if planning a sit-down meal. Treat him to his favorites, but choose foods that can be prepared ahead so you can spend time with your guests. You wouldn't want to grill steaks to order while appetizers are served.
  
  

Cake and Dessert

• The cake is the centerpiece of most college graduation parties. Whether it is homemade or purchased, indulge your graduate with his favorite flavor. Trim the cake in his school's colors, and add special touches such as a cap and mortarboard, diploma, or other graduation decorations from craft or cake supply stores. A message of congratulations and the year commemorate his accomplishment. If serving only cake or a single dessert estimate one full-sized serving for each guest, or two to three smaller portions if there are several choices. Offering fresh fruit also provides a healthier alternative.
  
  

Drinks

• As college graduates are adults, you may choose to serve alcohol as well as soda or other soft drinks for non-drinkers. Red and white wines are sufficient for a sit-down meal, but alcohol can become costly at open-house style parties. Offer beer, red and white wines, and one or two blender drinks. Avoid expensive hard liquor and blend drinks yourself to control the alcohol content.