How to Prep Caribbean Party Food for a Pirates of the Caribbean Bash?

[chefmelody]

I'm doing a HUGE "Pirates of the Caribbean" party for my friends this Saturday, and plan to do as many of the PC recipes as I can. It won't be a PC show, just a get-together, but we're watching the first two Pirates movies, snacking that whole time, then having a Caribbean/Islands dinner before going to see the third movie that night.

Here's what I'm planning on making:
Snacks:
Caribbean Meat-Filled Pastries
Spicy Shrimp Ceviche Cups
Tropical Wontons with Mango Sauce
Pan-Asian Meatballs

Dinner:
Jerk Chicken Salad (HUGE batch)
Island Breeze Rum Cake

Other Possibilities:
Salmon Cakes with Papaya Sauce
Grilled Steak with Jicama-Corn Slaw

So, here's the thing... I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen all day while everyone else is watching movies! And I also don't want to have to get up at 5am to start cooking all this when people are arriving at 11am. So, everyone, which of these can be made ahead, which ones keep in the fridge well, and which can be mostly prepared ahead and just tossed together at the last minute?

 

[ChltNCRenee]

I am pretty sure the Jerk Chicken Salad can be made ahead... just put it on the lettuce when it is party time.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I made the jerk chicken in the trifle bowl and layered the pasta, black beans, pineapple, red peppers, chicken in the bowl and refridgerated... it was yummy!

 

[pcheftammy]

You can toast the cups for the shrimp ceviche and make the shrimp mix. Just put them together when you are ready to serve. I have made the tropical wontons. I don't think I would mix or make the filling ahead of time. The pineapple will keep juicing and make your filling thin. You could make the sauce though. And the cake is delicious! You could probably make that the day before.

 

[pampered1224]

Another little tip about theJerk Chicken Salad. Buy a bunch of your grocery rotisserie chickens the day before. Tear them a part and season with the Jerk Spice. Let them sit over night. This way you don't even have to cook the meat for that one!
Any Shrimp dish to can be made the day before. I cheat with all my shrimp recipes. To make them go further, I buy frozen, cleaned 40/50 or even the 90/100s shrimp bags. These are half or quarter the size of the 30/33s recommended but they stretch further and they are already cooked. To prep these, I simply le tthem sit int he fridge to thaw. Or I toss them around in a big collendar under slightly cool water. DON'T USE HOT water on these! All you want to do is thaw them. This can all be done the day before!
The Pan-Asian Meatballs, the Rum Cake if kept tightly covered, the Jicama-Corn Salad can all be made ahead. Event he Meat filled pastries can be done a head. Par bake them today if you want then simply freeze them. To reheat, place them on a Bar Pan covered with foil fro about 1/2 hour at 350. Then uncover them until they brown up the way you want them to. If you do them Friday, bake them almost completely. Don't freeze them but rather place them in an airtight container. Then reaheat them again at 350 until they brown up, about 1/2 hour. You can cover them with foil in the over too to reheat but not brown.

 

[chefmelody]

I think I was the most worried about the Rum Cake getting soggy... but it's okay to make a day ahead? I'll definitely do that, since it seems to be one of the more time-consuming. The meatballs I'll do tonight and bake tomorrow, and the shrimp cups I'll make the filling and just add the shrimp tomorrow so the lime juice doesn't make them tough. Thanks everyone!

 

[chefann]

The rum cake will get soggy if you make it a full day ahead. A couple of hours is OK, but day ahead is asking for trouble. The pudding will soak into the bottom layer and make it soggy.

 

[chefmelody]

The rum cake will get soggy if you make it a full day ahead. A couple of hours is OK, but day ahead is asking for trouble. The pudding will soak into the bottom layer and make it soggy.

Is the pudding mixture that runny? I've made a torte before with pudding (using the pie filling directions for the pudding) and the bottom layer didn't get soggy at all. I kept it in the fridge, though.

 

[chefann]

It's not runny, but given enough time, it will soak in. I think I had one made for 24 hours before I served it, and the bottom layer was quite over-moist.

 

[pampered1224]

Ann's right!I didn't ask the person who made the cake when she made it. She said she did it about 6 hours before. Not the night before. Sorry for the incorrect info!

 

[strtngnw]

I totally love the Pirates of the Caribbean theme show. I was thinking of doing something like that when I went to this link. I think the Spicey Shrimp Cerviche cups sounds like a Johnny Depp type food and the Island Breeze Rum cake. Did I mention I really LOVE this idea? I think my June shows will have that theme, instead of "Taste of the Tropics" We'll do a "Pirates" theme. I think my hostesses will get a total kick out of it & we can have a lot of fun. Maybe have a "treasure chest" with booking dates? What kind of drinks? I have all the beads & stuff that we can use from Mardi Gras. I think I'll run out & get a t-shirt to wear for my shows & see what else I can come up with.