Holidays & Occasions Graduation 29 Graduation Party Recipes That Will Earn You Top Honors By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is an Associate Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 21, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Graduating, whether from high school, college, or any graduate school, is a huge deal that deserves a celebration. Southerners have never taken issue with celebrating, especially when there's ample homemade food involved. These are the best graduation party food ideas to show your grad how proud you are of them. Everyone will be happy with party classics like ham biscuits and deviled eggs, and you can mix in new favorites like roasted broccoli salad and our latest spin on potato skins. Remember dessert when planning the festivities because every party needs to end on a sweet note. Instead of ordering one, try a homemade chocolate chip cookie cake, or send your grad off to the real world with a decadent Texas sheet cake. Whatever recipes you choose for your graduation party, be sure your graduate feels the love. These ideas will end the school year on the best note. 01 of 29 Pork Tenderloin Sliders Hector Sanchez Pork tenderloin sliders are the best party food—they feel dressy but are budget-friendly. Plus, they're easy for guests to pick up but more filling than other bite-size foods. Arrange fresh rolls and condiments, and let your guests help themselves. 02 of 29 Southwest Black-Eyed Pea Dip Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos There's nothing like a creamy dip to get the party started. This one combines all the ingredients you love from Texas Caviar and makes them into a warm, cheesy treat. Top with diced tomatoes, zesty cilantro, and spicy jalapeños. 03 of 29 Ham Biscuits Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Ham biscuits are a Southern party staple. Why? They're easy, filling, feed a crowd, and make a pretty spread. Save time by cutting and freezing the biscuits up to two weeks in advance. 04 of 29 Petite Sweet Potato Biscuits with Pulled Pork and Slaw Hector Manuel Sanchez These perfect party bites pack everything we love about a cookout in a grab-and-go form. Sweet potato biscuits bake until golden brown and then benefit from a generous topping of cabbage mixture, barbeque sauce, and chives. 05 of 29 Queso-Filled Mini Peppers Antonis Achilleos Make these poppable bites a day in advance to help with preparation time. For a tangy flavor note, use pickled jalapeños or finely chopped fresh jalapeños for extra spice. Top the peppers with the panko mixture and cilantro for the perfect finish. 06 of 29 Mini Shrimp Rolls Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer These mini sandwiches are the ideal party snack for a graduation celebration. Shrimp-salad sliders made with shrimp, celery, and pickled jalapenos, will be a crowd favorite. If you bring this appetizer to a party, transport the shrimp mixture separately, along with toasted rolls and fresh toppings. 07 of 29 Pimiento Cheese Sausage Balls Sausage balls are already a classic for parties in the South, but we made them even more Southern with a pimiento cheese twist. With the addition of an all-purpose baking mix, this simple recipe uses only four ingredients. The recipe makes enough to serve a crowd, or you can save some for later by freezing half in an airtight bag or container. 08 of 29 Fresh Fruit Salad Jen Causey Among rows of hearty appetizers and casseroles, it's nice to throw a little fresh fruit in there with this easy salad your guests will appreciate. Using orange juice adds a tangy flavoring to the fruit, while the honey adds just a touch of sweetness. 09 of 29 Slow-Cooker Beef Sliders with Pickled Peppers Photo: Hector Sanchez Take the work out of prep work and let the slow cooker handle it with this crowd-pleasing recipe. Serve on rolls with pickled peppers, or let your guests build their own sandwiches. 10 of 29 Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad Jennifer Davick This tangy side dish combines everything you love about pasta salad and broccoli salad. Fresh broccoli and chopped pecans add a crunch to this colorful recipe, which is a welcoming spin to the traditional salad lineup. The addition of grapes adds just a touch of sweetness. 11 of 29 Texas Caviar Southern Living This favorite tailgate dip is happy to please at any party, and it's low-key good for you, too! The black-eyed pea mixture and dressing must chill for two hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips for a pepper and spice-filled dip that will be the most colorful snack on the appetizer table. 12 of 29 Deviled Egg Salad and Asparagus Tartines Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox Instead of a self-serve bowl of egg salad, make it easy on guests with these springy toasts. Egg salad gets a herbaceous note by combining fresh dill, chives, and scallions in the mixture. If the hot sauce doesn't add enough spice for you, a dash of cayenne pepper will be the ideal "deviled" topping. 13 of 29 Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke With the help of your slow cooker, this recipe will free up more of your time for other finishing touches. Arrange tangy red cabbage and pickles for toppings so guests can build their own sandwiches. 14 of 29 Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan Lighten up the spread with this colorful salad that's ideal for the start of summer. Cubed watermelon, fresh herbs, and crumbled feta cheese complement the crunchy cucumbers in this dish. Add the salad dressing just before serving. 15 of 29 Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Micah A. Leal Your grad has probably requested a cookie cake for countless events, so surprise them with a homemade version that's even better. This dessert is the ideal combination of salty and sweet, topped with just the right amount of icing. Use milk powder in this dessert's dough to help create a milky texture in every bite. 16 of 29 Key Lime Pound Cake Jen Causey Brighten the party with a dessert that tastes like a slice of paradise. Classic pound cake gets a citrusy twist thanks to the addition of Key lime zest and Key lime juice. A homemade Key lime glaze tops the cake like icing to make this pound cake even more delicious. 17 of 29 Death by Chocolate Micah A. Leal This classic potluck dessert will feed a crowd and make them happy. Create this scoopable dessert by mixing layers of moist chocolate cake, milky chocolate pudding, slightly salty chocolate crumbles, and freshly whipped cream. 18 of 29 Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Jen Causey This layer cake is perfect for a sunny spring gathering, like a graduation party. Tender lemony cake paired with fresh strawberry frosting creates a beautifully pink-hued dessert that looks as beautiful as it tastes. To save time, prepare the cake two days in advance and store it at room temperature. 19 of 29 Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge Southern Living It's not a Southern gathering without at least one plate of fudge on the dessert table. This sweet treat is also known as Million Dollar Fudge because it is ultra-rich, creamy, and simple to make. Store-bought marshmallow creme and chocolate morsels help this dessert come together quickly. 20 of 29 Peach Cobbler Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Has anyone ever turned down a scoop of classic peach cobbler? Nope, especially when paired with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. This traditional dessert comes together in 10 minutes with only six ingredients. 21 of 29 Banana Pudding Poke Cake Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox If your grad is a banana pudding fanatic, they'll swoon over this decadent cake made to feed a crowd. Using oil instead of butter helps keep this cake soft and moist. Fresh flavors like cinnamon and vanilla bean make this poke cake seem sophisticated enough for a special occasion. 22 of 29 Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox We made our legendary hummingbird cake recipe into a big-batch cupcake recipe that's perfect for parties and just as delicious. The keys to a successful hummingbird cupcake are to use vegetable oil instead of butter, crushed canned pineapple still in its juice, and take time to toast the pecans. 23 of 29 Oreo Cheesecake Micah A. Leal Milk's favorite cookie is now cheesecake's favorite, too. Kids and adults will love this nostalgic dessert. Using Oreos in all parts of the cheesecake infuses the milk and cookie goodness into every bite. 24 of 29 Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes Iain Bagwell Cheers to the grad with a classic bourbon and cola—in cake form! The sweet bourbon and cola glaze enhances the chocolate flavoring in the mini Bundt cakes, topped with even more chocolate shavings. 25 of 29 Peach-and-Blackberry Crisp Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Katelyn Hardwick Welcome the beginning of summer with this fresh and easy dessert. Peaches and blackberries are an ideal summer dessert combination, but any berries or stone fruits work as substitutes. Make the crumble topping in advance and store the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. 26 of 29 Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Hector Sanchez This cake version of the Arnold Palmer drink is the perfect dessert to kick off your grad's summer. Make this an adults-only dessert by substituting up to two tablespoons of vodka or bourbon for the lemon juice in the frosting to create a tipsy cake. 27 of 29 Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer This easy, three-layer bar recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd. Before slicing into this triple-decker chocolate and peanut butter fudge bar, allow enough time for the top layer of melted chocolate to firm. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. 28 of 29 Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies Southern Living These stuffed-to-the-brim cookies are easy for guests to grab and keep mingling. The key to these delicious cookies is the mix-ins: oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips. This cookie recipe will win over any crowd with all these sweet flavors. 29 of 29 Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing Iain Bagwell Despite this cake's size, there won't be any left at the end of the party. The icing needs to be heated and poured on the warm, just-out-of-the-oven cake to create the decadent, chocolatey iconic treat. Sprinkle with toasted pecans for the perfect finish. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit