Getting the Grub Ready for the Ride
Alright, so we had this party bus trip planned. Fun times ahead, right? But someone’s gotta think about the food. That ended up being me this time around. Figured I’d share how I tackled it, maybe it helps someone else out.
First thing, you gotta think practical. A moving bus isn’t exactly a fine dining restaurant. So, anything needing forks and knives? Out. Anything super sloppy or drippy? Big nope. You want stuff people can just grab and eat without making a huge mess on themselves or the bus seats. Finger foods are your best friend here. Seriously.
So, planning phase. I brainstormed a bit:
- Mini sandwiches or wraps – easy to hold.
- Chips and dips – classic, but gotta pick dips that aren’t too thin. Think hummus or thicker salsa, maybe French onion dip.
- Veggie sticks (carrots, celery, peppers) with dip.
- Fruit platter – grapes, melon cubes, berries. Stuff that’s not too juicy.
- Cheese and crackers. Can’t go wrong.
- Maybe some cookies or brownies for a sweet tooth.
Next step: the shopping run. Headed down to the local grocery store. Grabbed all the ingredients. Bread, deli meats, cheese slices, tortillas for wraps. Bags of chips, couple tubs of dip. Pre-cut veggies save time, but I just bought whole ones, cheaper that way. Got grapes, a cantaloupe, some strawberries. Crackers, a block of cheddar, cream cheese for the wraps. Oh, and brownie mix – baking from scratch felt like too much work.
The Prep Work
Did most of the prep the night before. Didn’t want to be rushing on the day. Washed and chopped the veggies – carrots and celery into sticks, peppers into strips. Cubed the cantaloupe. Washed the grapes and strawberries.
Made the mini sandwiches. Just basic ham and cheese, turkey and swiss. Cut them into quarters to make them smaller, easier to handle. For the wraps, I spread some cream cheese, added turkey, rolled ’em up tight, and then sliced them into pinwheels. They look kinda fancy but are dead simple.
Baked the brownies. Box mix is fine, nobody cares on a party bus. Let them cool completely, then cut them into small squares.
Packing is super important. You need containers that seal well. Nobody wants dip spilled everywhere. I used a bunch of those disposable plastic containers with lids. Put the dips in smaller ones. Arranged the veggies, fruit, sandwiches, and wraps in larger flat containers. Kept the cheese and crackers separate so the crackers wouldn’t get soggy. Chips stayed in their bags until we were ready to serve.
Everything got loaded into a couple of cooler bags with ice packs to keep the perishable stuff cold. Especially the meats, cheeses, and dips.
On the Bus
When we got on the bus, I just found a relatively stable spot, opened the cooler bags, and laid out the containers. People just helped themselves throughout the ride. It worked out great. Minimal mess, everyone got to snack, and nobody had to worry about complicated food. Kept things simple, and it paid off. That’s pretty much how I handled the party bus food situation. Done and dusted.