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55 Graduation Party Food Ideas That'll Get An A+

These graduation party foods are at the top of their class.

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rolos and reese's cups with chocolate bars stacked on top and candy to resemble graduation caps
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

You've earned it. It's time to toss that graduation cap in the air, and get to celebrating (and snacking!!). Celebrate the end of the school year by whipping up some of our favorite party-ready graduation foods to earn you an A+ with your guests, like our copycat Raising Cane's chicken and sauce, sheet-pan Italian subs, graduation caps, and a copycat Dairy Queen ice cream cake. Whether you plan on gathering with a crowd or just a small group to celebrate, we've rounded up 55 of our favorite appetizers, main meals, and desserts to help you pull off the best graduation party ever.

The future (and these delicious party foods) are newly on your graduate's horizon, but that doesn't mean it should be hard work getting your party ready. What could be easier than making a batch of sliders? It doesn't get any better than our Hawaiian roll sliders, chicken Parm sliders, and Philly cheesesteak sliders.

Celebrating for high schoolers or younger? We have tons of fun non-alcoholic party drinks and mocktails perfect for pouring up for your graduates. Our NOjito! and virgin raspberry mango "margarita" slushies are bright and refreshing, no matter your age. And if you're congratulating the 21+ crowd, we have plenty of big-batch cocktails that will be sure to please any crowd.

On a time crunch? Try some of our favorite super simple last-minute appetizers. And if you need something extra special to finish off the meal, try one of these showstopping cakes.

1

Copycat Raising Cane’s Chicken & Sauce

raising cane's chicken and sauce with crinkle fries
PHOTO: MURRAY HALL; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

If there is one copycat recipe I wanted to get absolutely perfect, it’s this one. Cane’s juicy, fried chicken strips dunked in tangy, peppery sauce is the kind of fast food meal I dream about. Plus, this recipe is so easy to scale-up for a large party.

Get the Copycat Raising Cane’s Chicken & Sauce.

2

Graduation Caps

rolos and reese's cups with chocolate bars stacked on top and candy to resemble graduation caps
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

Before you put out the festive napkins or greet guests, you should make these quick, easy, totally no-bake candy graduation caps. They come together in 30 minutes with 5 ingredients, making them extremely easy to whip up in a pinch.

Get the Graduation Caps recipe.

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3

Broccoli Caesar Pasta Salad

broccoli caesar pasta salad topped with crunchy croutons
PHOTO: ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

If Caesar salad took a vacation to the Midwest, she would become this broccoli Caesar pasta salad. Bright green crisp-tender broccoli is tossed with cavatappi, shredded parm, and shards of crispy croutons in a silky homemade Caesar dressing for an unforgettable spin on the classic cookout staple.

Get the Broccoli Caesar Pasta Salad recipe.

4

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Factory Copycat

cake and cheesecake layers topped with lemon mousse, cheesecake, and raspberry syrup
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

The Cheesecake Factory has nothing on our version of their beloved lemon raspberry cream cheesecake. This cheesecake is nothing short of decadent. The crust is a simple vanilla sponge cake that’s topped with a layer of tart raspberry-dipped ladyfingers, then a lemon cheesecake, and finally a lemon white chocolate mousse.

Get the Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Factory Copycat recipe.

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5

Chicken Parm Sliders

breaded chicken topped with cheese and marinara in slider buns
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

This mini version of the Italian-American classic is perfect as an appetizer, game-day snack, or a fun twist on dinner. I kept things super-easy and convenient by using frozen breaded chicken tenders, jarred marinara, and shredded mozzarella—all tucked into soft, fluffy slider buns.

Get the Chicken Parm Sliders recipe.

6

Mozzarella-Stuffed Pizza Bites

pretzel bites topped with salt with mozzarella in the middle
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

These mozzarella-stuffed pretzel bites are the perfect bite-sized appetizers. The best part is that they’re made with just three ingredients: store-bought pizza dough, mozzarella cheese sticks, and flaky salt.

Get the Mozzarella-Stuffed Pizza Bites.

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7

NOjito!

non alcoholic mojito with limes and mint
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: SAM SENEVIRATNE

NO booze, no problem is the name of the game with our NO-jito! This mojito-inspired mocktail is light and refreshing and has all of the flavor and none of the alcohol. You can have as many as you want without worrying about the headache the next day.

Get the NOjito! recipe.

8

Strawberries & Cream Tiramisu

strawberries cream tiramisu
PHOTO: MURRAY HALL; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Step aside, strawberry shortcake—this strawberries & cream tiramisu is taking over. In family-sized 13" x 9" tiramisu fashion, this easy dessert is perfect to make for all your summer potlucks. Instead of coffee-dipped ladyfingers, I’m using heavy cream and our Food Team secret ingredient: triple sec.

Get the Strawberries & Cream Tiramisu lead.

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9

Oven-Baked Ribs

oven baked ribs
Parker Feierbach

By cooking low and slow, you can make tender, fall-of-the-bone ribs in the comfort of your own kitchen. Paired with our signature homemade BBQ sauce, these tender ribs are the meal to make to celebrate your grad.

Get the Oven-Baked Ribs recipe.

10

Cowboy Caviar Couscous Salad

a bowl with pearl couscous, black beans, corn, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, and pickled jalapenos
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Whether you’re meal prepping lunch for the week, joining a summer potluck, or just want to enjoy an easy meal, you can’t go wrong with a pasta salad. It can come in so many different forms, but this pasta salad draws inspiration from one of Texas’s most iconic dishes: cowboy caviar.

Get the Cowboy Caviar Couscous Salad recipe.

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11

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Lasagna

layers of lemon, blueberry, and cheesecake in a casserole dish topped with fresh blueberries
PHOTO: LINDA XIAO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

This easy no-bake dessert is filled with layers of lemon Oreos, blueberry cheesecake, and lemon whipped cream, celebrating the classic spring dessert combination: lemon and blueberry. This tart, tangy sweet is the perfect way to follow up a spring dinner or a summer potluck.

Get the Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Lasagna.

12

Pigs In A Blanket

pigs in a blanket with a mustard dippings sauce
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

There's something very classic about the crescent roll dough flavor, so we tend to gravitate toward it, but puff pastry or even biscuit dough should work here too.

Get the Pigs In A Blanket recipe.

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13

Blueberry Crumble Cheesecake Bars

blueberry crumble cheesecake bars
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

If you’re craving an easy creamy, tangy dessert you can serve to a crowd, look no further. Taking inspiration from our all-star strawberry cheesecake bars and our cranberry crumble cheesecake bars, I developed this extra-springy version that showcases jammy blueberries and a lemony crumble topping.

Get the Blueberry Crumble Cheesecake Bars recipe.

14

Sheet-Pan Italian Subs

sheet pan italian subs
Andrew bui

Overlapping the bread slices means you can fit more onto the sheet pan, and don’t worry—the melty Provolone and pressing these down (sort of like a massive DIY panini press) makes sure they still hold together.

Get the Sheet-Pan Italian Subs recipe.

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15

Piña Colada Lasagna

creamy coconut lime cheesecake layered with buttery shortbread cookies, crushed pineapple jello, cool whipped cream, and maraschino cherries all on a graham cracker coconut crust
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI ; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Need an easy summer dessert? Enter this easy no-bake piña colada lasagna. It's got a base of coconut and graham cracker, layered with a coconut cream cheese, shortbread cookies, and pineapple Jell-O, echoing its namesake frozen drink.

Get the Piña Colada Lasagna recipe.

16

CPK Italian Chopped Salad

california pizza kitchen italian chopped salad
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: SPENCER RICHARDS

California Pizza Kitchen may be famous for BBQ Chicken Pizza, but the Italian Chopped Salad is the unsung hero on their menu. An exuberant jumble of lettuce, chickpeas, turkey, salami, tomatoes, and cheese, all tossed in an Italian mustard-herb vinaigrette, this is one salad that might actually tempt us to put down the pizza in favor of the greens.

Get the CPK Italian Chopped Salad recipe.

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17

Buffalo Cauliflower Kebabs

buffalo cauliflower kebabs with peppers and celery
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: SPENCER RICHARDS

We know what you’re thinking, “... grilled celery?” We were doubtful too. But it tastes even better than it sounds. Glaze the kebabs with more Buffalo sauce, grill until the cauliflower is tender, then drizzle with blue cheese dressing.

Get the Buffalo Cauliflower Kebabs recipe.

18

Fruit Popsicles

fruit popsicles
Andrew bui

In the heat of summer, nothing satisfies quite like a fruit popsicle. This classic strawberry version is big on fruit flavor and not too sweet.

Get the Fruit Popsicles recipe.

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19

Reuben Pinwheels

swirled corned beef and pastry pinwheels with russian dressing
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Made with store-bought buttery puff pastry and layered with corned beef, gooey Swiss cheese, creamy thousand island dressing, and crunchy sauerkraut, these bites have everything you love about the classic Reuben sandwich in a party-ready shape.

Get the Reuben Pinwheels recipe.

20

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

gemelli pasta tossed with chickpeas, bell pepper, cucumber, scallions, feta, olives, herbs, and tomatoes, then tossed in harissa mayo
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

This time around, pasta salad gets a Mediterranean twist, showcasing some of my favorite flavors from that corner of the globe. And the best part—although pasta salad is usually thought of as a side, the added protein from the chickpeas will make this easy to turn into a main.

Get the Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe.

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