Five Great Snacks for Your Graduation Party (page 2)

Some other ideas for this treat are to use chocolate coated grahams, so you don’t have to mess with frosting. Also, you can use cupcake papers and food coloring in the colors of your child’s high school to make them more festive. Add an M&M candy to the top of the tassle to look like a button holding it in place. You can also use mini-muffins and place a square chocolate on top! The variations are endless….have fun with it!

3. Rivalry roll-ups (bacon-chicken)

Most teens want food they can easily pop in their mouth, especially while the party is rocking. But you want them to eat something more substantial than pretzels and chips. These fun and easy bacon-chicken roll-ups are tasty and full of protein to keep them going all night.

What You Need:

• Chicken breasts
• Bacon
• Toothpicks
• Oil for cooking
• Salt and pepper

What You Do:

• Cut the chicken into strips.
• Salt and pepper them liberally.
• Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
• Cook the bacon until it’s cooked, but not crisp.
• Remove the bacon from the pan and place on a plate with paper towels.
• When it is cool, but not cold, wrap each chicken strip with a piece of bacon by rolling the bacon around the strip. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.
• Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the chicken-bacon roll-ups in a baking dish, lightly greased, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the meat thermometer reads 170 degress.
• Remove from the oven and place on a platter. You can replace the toothpicks with toothpicks that showcase the colors of your child’s high school.

To make these true rivalry roll-ups, make tiny little school flags and wrap them around the toothpick tops. You can do several of the colleges and universities that the kids are attending. Then they can eat the roll-ups of their new school – or their new rival school!

4. Dorm dogs

Hot dogs are bound to be a staple of every teen’s college diet. So get them into the college mode now at their graduation party. These dogs are a bit more gourmet than the ones they’ll likely microwave when they get to school!

What You Need:

• Hot dogs (all-beef ones are tastiest and best for you!)
• Crescent roll dough or other pastry dough
• Egg (for wash)
• Mustard, Ketchup, or BBQ sauce for dipping
• Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, parmesan cheese (optional)

What You Do:

• Slice the hot dogs into pieces about two inches long.
• Unwrap the dough and let rest according to package instructions.
• Make tiny slits in the hot dogs (so they don’t explode!)
• Beat an egg with a little water and set aside in a bowl.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle shape.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into rectangles about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide (alter this depending on the size of your hot dogs.)
• Wrap the hot dog pieces in the dough.
• Use the egg wash to seal the dough to itself and to brush on the tops of the dogs, This will help create a golden color while baking.
• If you’re so inclined, you can sprinkle the dogs with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or even parmesan cheese.
• Place the wrapped hot dogs on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees until they are golden in color.
• Serve with a variety of sauces. BBQ is great for dipping, as is mustard or ketchup. Place them among pickle spears and potato chips to round out the platter!

5. Honor Rolls

These tasty rolls are filled with tangy and delicious stewed meat that will fill up your guests and leave them begging for more. They’re also a cute, small size so they’re easy to eat.

What You Need:

• Slider rolls (mini hamburger rolls)
• Rotisserie chicken
• BBQ sauce
• Lettuce (optional)
• Cheddar cheese (optional)

 What You Do:

• Slice the slider rolls down the middle so they are open faced.
• Remove the meat from the rotisserie chickens and place in a bowl.
• Place a large skillet on the stove over medium heat.
• Combine the shredded chicken and BBQ sauce in the pan.
• Warm it until it’s hot and ready to serve, but do not over cook. Since the chicken is already cooked, you just want it to be heated up.
• Place a dollop of the chicken mixture on one side of the roll. Place the top on it.
• Feel free to add a piece of lettuce (adds a nice color) or some cheddar cheese to the rolls.
• This recipe also works with shredded beef or pork – why not make them all!