23 Easy, Crowd-Pleasing Graduation Party Recipes

Ham and cheese sliders, vanilla sheet cake and more make-ahead dishes to celebrate the new grad in your life.

Graduation season falls smack in the middle of the busiest time of year, which means that finding the time to plan, shop and cook for a party can be a challenge. But these fun and festive recipes — which you can scale up or down using our handy-dandy tool — were designed to be as little work as possible, so you can focus on celebrating your not-so-little-anymore scholar.

1. Tahini Krispie Chocolate Bars

For the newest adult in your life, these buttery, nutty bars from Yossy Arefi are an elevated version of a childhood favorite. They get a hit of nuttiness from tahini and toastiness from graham cracker crumbs.

Recipe: Tahini Krispie Chocolate Bars

2. Charcuterie Board

The only necessary ingredients for a charcuterie board are cured meat and cheese, but Kay Chun provides a good template if you want to create a more spectacular display: Whipped ricotta, smoked whitefish, fig jam and Medjool dates are just some things you can include to take it to the next level.

Recipe: Charcuterie Board

3. Turkey Reuben Sliders

Sliders are the party treat with the highest payoff-to-labor ratio, and Lidey Heuck’s version with deli turkey, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese is impossible to mess up. No need to assemble individual sandwiches; slice the whole package of rolls in half horizontally, layer on the toppings, bake and serve.

Recipe: Turkey Reuben Sliders

4. Buffalo Chicken Dip

You cannot go wrong with this dip from Ali Slagle, an impossibly delicious combination of shredded chicken, hot sauce, blue cheese, Cheddar and cream cheese. It is mercifully easy to make: Just combine the ingredients in an ovenproof skillet, then bake for 10 minutes till bubbly on top. Serve with extra-thick corn chips or pita chips.

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Dip

5. Sheet Pan Party Cake

For the breeziest cake experience that still feels celebratory, go with Lidey Heuck’s velvety vanilla cake, designed for a crowd and served in the same half-sheet pan in which it’s baked. The cream cheese frosting on top is the perfect canvas for sprinkles, toppings or whatever special message you want to pipe on.

Recipe: Sheet Pan Party Cake

6. Tortellini Pasta Salad

For a sog-free pasta salad that will keep at room temperature, try Ali Slagle’s hearty version, which is tossed with baby arugula, salami and pillowy cheese tortellini. Inspired by the flavors of an Italian sub, it’s also loaded with roasted red peppers and balsamic vinegar for a tangy kick.

Recipe: Tortellini Pasta Salad

7. Slow-Cooker Jalapeño Pulled Pork

This recipe is proof that you can feed (and please) a crowd with just four ingredients and a slow cooker. Ali Slagle’s genius recipe is tangy from a jar of pickled jalapeños and sweet from brown sugar, and comes out tender and ready to be piled on buns or heaped onto plates. Make a big bowl of coleslaw to serve alongside.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Jalapeño Pulled Pork

8. Cowboy Caviar

Whether you call it cowboy caviar, Texas caviar or chunky bean salsa, this recipe from Margaux Laskey is a party must. Black beans and black-eyed peas join chopped bell pepper, diced red onion, corn and jalapeño for an evenly textured, crunchy appetizer that’s begging to be scooped up with corn chips.

Recipe: Cowboy Caviar

9. Shish Kebab

If you’re firing up the grill for your party, Naz Deravian’s shish kebabs are a perfect choice. Both lamb and beef work beautifully, so you can choose the meat and the cut according to your preferences and budget. Serve with a pile of fresh flatbread, tahini sauce and green sauce.

Recipe: Shish Kebab

10. Gado-Gado

For a choose-your-own-adventure salad that everyone will love, look no further than gado-gado, a festive Indonesian dish. This version from Hetty Lui McKinnon is inspired by a home-cooked gado-gado eaten in Bali. Extra-firm tofu, green beans, napa cabbage, bean sprouts and fried shallots make for a crunchy, refreshing bite, topped off with an addictive savory-sweet peanut sauce. Double or triple the ingredients, arrange on the biggest platter you have, then let people make their own.

Recipe: Gado-Gado

11. Éclair Cake

It’s hard to choose the best part of this dessert from Naz Deravian. There are so many: 1) You don’t have to turn your oven on. 2) It can be made ahead of time and brought out when guests arrive. 3) It tastes amazing. As one commenter wrote, “Those I served it to were ecstatic, one saying, ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life!”

Recipe: Éclair Cake

12. Chicken Adobo

This version of the beloved Filipino dish from Naz Deravian is both celebratory and comforting, making it perfect for any occasion. If you’re cooking for a crowd, make it ahead and reheat when it’s time to serve — the salty, vinegary sauce keeps well in the fridge and becomes glossy again once reheated. Set out a big bowl of garlic rice, and make sure your guests spoon on plenty of the sauce.

Recipe: Chicken Adobo

13. Ham and Cheese Sliders

For a more classic slider option, Lidey Heuck’s ham and cheese are a reader favorite. They’re brushed with a buttery honey glaze before going in the oven, which makes each one both sweet and savory. And, like the Reuben sliders, they can be assembled in advance, then brushed with the glaze and baked right before serving.

Recipe: Ham and Cheese Sliders

14. Magnolia Bakery’s Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a fun way to make your guests feel special, along with your grad. This recipe from the famous bakery in the West Village of Manhattan captures the platonic ideal of a cupcake — soft, fluffy and, best of all, made with few ingredients. Pipe on buttercream icing in your grad’s school colors.

Recipe: Magnolia Bakery’s Cupcakes

15. Seven Layer Salad

Every lovely layer of this retro salad from Lidey Heuck tastes good in harmony with the rest. This version calls for vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, shredded cheese and a creamy four-ingredient dressing, but the beauty of this recipe is that you can use whatever you like. Serve right away or cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving.

Recipe: Seven Layer Salad

16. Carne Asada

Carne asada, smoky and sweet, wrapped in a corn tortilla is one of the season’s best bites. Esteban Castillo’s recipe combines the techniques of a dry rub and wet marinade, and has you marinate the beef for at least two hours before grilling. You can easily assemble the tacos as you make them, or set out a pile of warm tortillas, salsas and other toppings for a make-your-own taco bar.

Recipe: Carne Asada

17. Green Feta Dip

Andy Baraghani’s tangy, herbaceous feta-and-yogurt dip is a welcome green addition to any barbecue plate, cutting through the richness on your plate. Use whatever soft herbs you have, but make sure to sprinkle some chopped pistachios on top for texture.

Recipe: Green Feta Dip

18. Fresas con Crema (Strawberries and Cream)

This classic Mexican dessert from Kristina Felix is irresistible in the summertime — who doesn’t love strawberries and cream? (Here, it’s a silky combination of Mexican crema or sour cream, condensed milk and evaporated milk.) It’s easy to make and portion into individual cups or glasses.

Recipe: Fresas con Crema (Strawberries and Cream)

19. Texas Sheet Cake

Genevieve Ko’s recipe for Texas sheet cake might trump your grandma’s — don’t say we didn’t warn you. It comes out delightfully fluffy and ready to be served right from the sheet pan onto plates and into hungry mouths. Sour cream and a cup of hot coffee in the batter keep it tender and emphasize the chocolate flavor, while a shower of chopped pecans on top adds a pleasing crunch.

Recipe: Texas Sheet Cake

20. Glazed Chile-Garlic Meatballs

These tender, glazed meatballs are as good in a huge batch as they are for a weeknight family dinner. The meatballs — you can use beef, chicken or turkey — are baked on a sheet pan (so it’s easy to make several batches), then tossed in a sticky-sweet sauce of soy sauce, maple syrup, chile-garlic sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Make a big bowl of cucumber salad to serve alongside.

Recipe: Glazed Chile-Garlic Meatballs

21. Pizza Calzone

Pizza is standard, but this pizza-calzone hybrid from Melissa Clark stands out from the crowd. It starts with a ball of pizza dough (store-bought is fine) wrapped around ricotta and Parmesan (or whatever ingredients you like). Layer whatever tomato sauce you have on top and then bake, resulting in something like your favorite stuffed-crust pizza, but better. Bonus: It takes only 30 minutes to make.

Recipe: Pizza Calzone

22. Broccoli Salad

Mayonnaise-y salad sitting out in the sun not your thing? Hetty Lui McKinnon’s (vegan!) recipe features a vinegar-based dressing that isn’t heavy on the palate. Sliced, toasted almonds and halved grapes are added at the end for a bright, crunchy finish.

Recipe: Broccoli Salad

23. Lemon Possets

If you’re looking for a supremely scalable recipe that looks fancy with very little work on your part, let these British-ish lemon possets from Toni Chapman turn any setting into a sophisticated garden party. Make them up to two days in advance, so you’re not panic-scooping lemons on the day of.

Recipe: Lemon Possets