You can make a variety of finger food appetizer platters for a funeral reception.
Tea sandwiches, fruit and vegetable platters are welcomed choices for guests attending a celebration of life.
Finger foods can be kept small, and be individually portioned for guests to pick and choose what they would like to have.
Tea Sandwiches
Tea sandwiches are small sandwiches that are usually served with tea for a funeral reception.
Tea sandwiches are cut into rectangles or circles to give them a unique shape.
You can serve different types of sandwiches to accommodate for your guests such as:
- ham and cheese
- cucumber and cream cheese
- egg salad
- chicken salad
- tuna salad
- strawberry, basil and cream cheese
- horseradish and roast beef
BLT Egg Sliders
BLT egg sliders are finger food appetizers that look like miniature burgers.
BLT egg sliders are made by cooking hard boiled eggs and then cutting them in half to create the “buns”.
The bottom half of the “buns” need to have a little bit of the bottom of the egg cut off so it can sit flat on a serving plate.
Add a little salt, pepper, and your favorite sauce (ketchup, mustard, mayo, hot sauce, horseradish) to the bottom half of the egg.
Assemble the egg sliders by placing a strip of freshly cooked bacon, a slice of tomato to fit right inside the slider, and a piece of lettuce.
Top the slider with the other half of the egg to make the sliders complete.
Garnish the egg sliders by adding a little more pepper and sesame seeds.
Place a toothpick through the egg slider to make sure it stays together.
You can make these ahead of time, and place them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them.
Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie boards are made with a variety of meats, cheeses, condiments, and crackers.
Meats are rolled or fanned out to create a textured look to the charcuterie board.
Soft and hard cheeses can be paired with meats, mustard, pickles, honey, or spreads (jelly’s, jam), layered on top of crostini’s, crackers, or slices of baguette.
You can include extra foods like grapes, arugula, hummus, dried fruits, and nuts for a complete charcuterie board for a funeral reception.
Pinwheels
Pinwheels are small circular appetizers that have savory fillings inside of them.
Pinwheels are made by using a tortilla, and spreading the filling over the tortilla in a thin layer.
The pinwheel is made by rolling up the tortilla, and then slicing it into 1/2-3/4″ rounds.
Stuffed Celery
Stuffed celery are creamy and savory fillings that are spooned inside the well of a celery stick.
You can prepare the celery sticks to be about 2-3″ in length as an easy finger food appetizer for a funeral reception.
Stuffed celery is prepared with either Greek yogurt or creamy cheese, and then filled with a variety of spices and herbs.
Meat Balls
Meat balls are a bite sized appetizer that are packed full of savory flavor and sweet sauce.
Sweet and Tangy Asian meat balls are covered in teriyaki sauce for a sweet and savory flavor.
Garnish the meat balls with fresh parsley and sesame seeds.
You can place a toothpick into each meat ball for an easy serving finger food appetizer.
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a savory appetizer to serve, and are a good sized portion for guests.
Deviled eggs are made by boiling eggs until they are hard boiled, and then letting them cool down until you’re able to cut them in half.
The center portion of the egg is scooped out, and placed in a bowl. The cooked egg yolk is mixed together with mayo, diced dill pickles, mustard, pepper and paprika.
The filling is piped back into the white portion of the egg, and garnished with a bit more paprika.
Crostini’s
You can serve crostini’s with a variety of toppings so guests can pick and choose their favorites to try.
Crostini’s can be topped with:
- cheese and prosciutto with arugula and balsamic reduction
- fresh pesto mixed with diced tomatoes, topped with grated parmesan cheese
- ricotta, sliced pears or apples, walnuts, drizzled with honey
- mashed avocado topped with grilled garlic shrimp
- watermelon bruschetta topped with balsamic reduction
- goat cheese, apricot preserves, sprinkled with pistachios and mint leaves
- garlic and dill cream cheese, slices of cucumber and radishes, topped with smoked salmon
Sushi
Sushi is individually portioned, therefore guests can fill up their own plates with their choice of sushi rolls.
You can serve a few different types of sushi for your guests such as:
- vegetable rolls
- avocado rolls
- cucumber rolls
- California rolls
Cookies
Cookies for a funeral reception should be kept quite small.
Many people feel overwhelmed celebrating the life of their loved one, therefore they don’t want too much of anything.
A little treat, that’s small enough to enjoy in a couple bites is the best choice for preparing cookies for a funeral reception.
You can make cookies that are shaped into hearts for celebrating the life of a loved one that you’ll carry in your heart forever.
A heart shaped cookie can be decorated with writing if you like with a few sayings if desired:
- In our hearts and memories forever
- Your wings were ready, but our hearts were not
- In loving memory
- Always in our thoughts, forever in our hearts
- A life that touches others goes on forever
- Gone but never forgotten
