Event Catering Inspiration: Great Meal Ideas

Recently updated on October 25th, 2022 at 11:29 am

When you’re in the process of planning an event, there are so many things that you’ll need to do. From finding the right venue to searching for different entertainment options, it’s going to be challenging working your way through your event planning checklist.

But you could make the argument that coming up with the right event catering solution is going to be the most important aspect of all. You’re going to have to locate a company that has lots of experience when it comes to catering events.

You’re also going to have to work with your corporate event catering company to generate a long list of great catering ideas. It’s the only way to make sure company-catered events are memorable in the end.

Get some event catering inspiration by checking out a few excellent meal ideas for your next event below.

1. Chicken

We know what you might be thinking right now: “Ugh, chicken? Is that really going to get people excited when they’re attending my event?” But hear us out!

When you work with the right corporate caterer, they should be able to set you up with a wide range of meals that feature chicken. And each one will be even better than the next.

Some good examples of chicken-based dishes that you can serve at an event include:

• Chicken Francese
• Chicken Marsala
• Chicken Balsamico
• Chicken Roulade
• Moroccan Chicken
• Chicken Cassoulet
• Chicken Oreganata

And on and on…

While chicken might not initially pique your interest, you will reconsider once you see all the options available to you. It’s why chicken has turned into an event catering staple over time.

2. Beef

In addition to serving chicken at an event, you should also have a healthy selection of beef-based dishes. They’re pretty much guaranteed to be a hit, especially if you offer a bunch of different ones.

You can, of course, start with basic beef-based meals like filet mignon. But you can also expand your menu to include dishes like:

• Balsamic Skirt Steak
• Flank Steak Roulade
• Chipotle-Rubbed Flank Steak
• Beef Brisket

You’re not going to have to worry about the guests at your event going home hungry when you hook them up with several of these beef dishes. They’re going to fill people up and earn rave reviews in the process.

3. Seafood

While chicken and beef are typically the two most common event catering dishes available, you shouldn’t sleep on seafood. You can take your event to the next level by providing your guests with plates filled with different kinds of seafood.

Here are several great meal catering ideas that incorporate seafood into the mix:

• Sesame Crusted Salmon
• Salmon En Croute
• Jumbo Shrimp Francese
• Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass

Some people are under the impression that seafood is going to break the bank. But each of the dishes that we just described will usually cost right around what chicken and beef dishes will. It makes serving seafood at an event a no-brainer.

4. Sandwiches

Are the people who attend your event going to be moving around a lot while they eat as opposed to sitting down for a formal meal? Then you might want to serve the sandwiches as opposed to a sit-down meal.

We’re not talking about just slapping a handful of submarine sandwiches out on a table and calling it a day, either! Instead, you should obtain a variety of sandwiches that will offer up something for everyone.

Some good sandwiches to serve at your event might include:

• Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwiches
• Mini Reuben Sandwiches
• Mini Cuban Sandwiches
• Mini Chicken Salad Sandwiches

You can also find some other popular local sandwiches too by searching “sandwiches near me” on google and people at your event who will appreciate the fact that sandwiches will allow them to eat with their hands while they’re on the move. They’ll love being able to mingle with other guests without having to sacrifice their mealtime.

5. Salads

No matter what you decide to serve as your main dishes at your event, you shouldn’t ever forget to provide people with salads. Some of them will eat salads as sides, while others will eat them as their main meals.

It’s good to go above and beyond serving up basic house salads, too. You should dig a little deeper and find some salads that are really going to tickle people’s taste buds while they’re eating them.

A few of the salads that should be on your menu should include:

• Greek Salads
• Cobb Salads
• Southwest Salads
• Asian Spinach Salads
• Mesclun Salads

Serving salads at an event is a fantastic way to target those who might not eat chicken, beef, or seafood for one reason or another. It’ll ensure that everyone is able to eat something when they show up for your event.

6. Stations

If you really want to inject some creativity into your event catering, coming up with different stations for it will definitely capture your crowd’s attention. There are tons of stations that you can set up at your event to give people lots of options when it’s time to eat.

These options can include:

• Sushi Stations
• Pasta Stations
• Cheesesteak Stations
• Barbecue Stations

You can even go as far as to set up carving stations with an event catering chef at each one. They can serve your guests hot food on the spot and give your entire event a more high-end feel. This could very well prove to be the best meal idea of all for your event. 

Put Some of These Event Catering Ideas to the Test Today

Now that you’ve seen all your options when it comes to what you can serve at an event, it’s easy to see how some people get overwhelmed by them all. They aren’t sure if they should have an event catering company services to their guests.

You should think about who is going to be in attendance at your event when coming up with a menu for it. You should also think about what kind of feel you want your event to have. These things should spark some inspiration and make it easier for you to choose your final event catering dishes.

Find out more about throwing a successful event by reading through the rest of the articles on our blog.