State fair/carnival themed party food

[wawa]

The title says it all. It's our annual friendsgivingmas party, in January this year. It's potluck and the theme is "fair food." Ideally I want to bring something that I don't have to reheat or cook on site, but if I have to I can. Dessert, apps, whatever...it's wiDE open.

Suggestions?

[tacosforlife]

If you want to bake, cream puffs are THE THING from the WI State Fair. (Full disclosure: I'm meh on them. They are filled with whipped cream instead of pastry cream.)

[karinothing]

Navajo tacos mmmm.

[josieposy]

Anything you can put on a stick.

Maybe that's just here.

Here's what was new at ours this year. Now I want fair food.

www.mnstatefair.org/fun/new_food/

[panicked]

What about a big batch of lemonade? You know, the good stuff with fresh lemons.

[laurenpetro]

Funnel cakes?

[wawa]

Dec 29, 2015 9:14:13 GMT -5 josieposy said:

Anything you can put on a stick.

Maybe that's just here.

Here's what was new at ours this year. Now I want fair food.

www.mnstatefair.org/fun/new_food/

food on a stick was my first thought as well.  I'm just having a hard time identifying stick food that would be good without being freshly fried or grilled.

What I want is a corn dog (fancy corndog perhaps?  some sort of artisan sausage and jazzed up corn batter?) and some funnel cake, but I don't want to have to set up the fryer in their backyard. 

I could.  This is not a weird thing to do at our parties.  We bought a fryer entirely for the purpose of bringing to parties several years ago and it travels from house to house.  I just don't want to.

[Bad Dingo]

I second anything on a stick:

BLTs on a stick


Candied apple slices on a stick


Or maybe just some yummy caramel corn (in individual bags or bowls so you don't have to deal with grubby kid hands touching everything).

[wawa]

Dec 29, 2015 9:16:01 GMT -5 panicked said:

What about a big batch of lemonade? You know, the good stuff with fresh lemons.

And vodka on the side?   

We do have one of those beverage jar thingies.  That's a good idea.

[wawa]

Oh,I should clarify - this is kid free. We get a little dressed up and then we get a little messy. The first year we had this party everybody slept over. We're a little too old for that now, and every year *somebody* is pregnant so we have DD's. Actually, this might be the first time in 6 years that nobody is KTFU.

Huh.

MH and I need to figure out who is driving I guess.   I originally was going to offer to host so neither of us had to drive, but somebody else beat me too it. 

[wawa]

Dec 29, 2015 9:21:02 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

I second anything on a stick:

BLTs on a stick


Candied apple slices on a stick


Or maybe just some yummy caramel corn (in individual bags or bowls so you don't have to deal with grubby kid hands touching everything).

ohhh, these are all fantastic ideas. We still have some fancy homemade bacon too.

I was just looking at the minnesota state fair link above and now I'm also thinking maybe hand pies!  I LOVE handpies.  Of all sorts.  Savory, fruit, etc. 

Yay ideas! 

[tacosforlife]

Corn dogs are CLASSIC Texas state fair!

[wawa]

I just thought to check the spreadsheet to see what else is already being brought. (yes, of course there's a spreadsheet)

So far we've got funnel cakes, corndogs, meat on a stick (non specified, not chicken though. Probably beef), and chocolate and coconut covered bananas on a stick.

So given that list I'm definitely leaning hand pie. And maybe cream puffs.

I'm going to suggest smoked turkey legs to MH, but the host is allergic to chicken and I think maybe other poultry as well. I'll have to ask if he can eat turkey.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Dec 29, 2015 9:14:13 GMT -5 josieposy said:

Anything you can put on a stick.

Maybe that's just here.

Here's what was new at ours this year. Now I want fair food.

www.mnstatefair.org/fun/new_food/

Yes. This.

The big things at the fair lately are the chicken in a waffle (spicy chicken strips in a waffle cone covered in a sausage gravy) but my favorite is the prime rib taco.

[thejen626]

There's a Ferris wheel cupcake holder on Amazon...just in case you want a themed dessert to go with your food. I bought one for a circus party and people loved it.