Probably over-thinking this, but is it enough?

[Autumn Rose]

My aunt always made a chilled "veggie pizza" that EVERYONE loved.    It can be prepped ahead of time and served as an hors d'oeurves


The recipe below for Portobello Mushroom "burgers" sounds YUMMY for vegetarians....prepared on the grill:


8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
 2 cloves garlic, minced
 1 teaspoon olive oil
 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
 2 large portobello mushroom caps, stems removed
 2 tablespoons shredded horseradish Cheddar cheese, or to taste (optional)
 2 kaiser rolls, split




 Directions
1. Mix roma tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper in a bowl and refrigerate to blend flavors, 1 to 2 hours.
2. Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
3. Grill portobello mushrooms with gill sides up on an upper rack of the grill until juicy and hot, about 15 minutes. Spoon tomato mixture into mushroom caps to cover entire cap. Continue grilling until topping is heated through, another 15 to 20 minutes. Top with horseradish Cheddar cheese if desired; grill until cheese has melted, 1 to 2 more minutes. Serve on kaiser rolls.


Have a great time at the party!   

[jpcher]

I tend to agree with those that suggest a vegetarian main dish.

I really like the veggie burger idea . . . others will be eating burgers done on a grill so this won't single the veggie's out to be "special" just a same/different food thrown on the grill.

I tend to do this with my veggie friends. Something similar to what I'm serving for the carnivores, only veggie style. (Like when I make chili . . . I make a vegetarian version.)

[audrey1962]

Veggie kabobs with baby portabellas are fun.

[Milash]

Yes, something to put in a bun would be nice. Cheyne, I'm a vegetarian, and while all vegetarians are different , I share the same view. I became a vegetarian for moral reasons so do not want to eat anything tasting like meat.

[O'Dell]

One caution though...If you go with a completely separate main dish for the vegetarians, then make sure that vegetarians get them or get enough. In my experience, what often happens is the vegetarian main dish gets snapped up by the dieters or portobello mushroom lovers etc and the host ends up right back where she started with not enough to feed the vegetarians.

[jmarvellous]

The reason I suggested veggie burgers or veggie sausages wasn't because I love them so so much or because I eat them all the time -- they're basically vegetarian 'junk' food when compared with less processed proteins. I suggested them because the grill will already be hot and they're easy to add to the mix and can be served with the condiments and extras the OP would already have for hamburgers. Of course not everyone likes them, but not everyone likes beef either. They're extremely common vegetarian food and easy to find and prep even if you've never eaten a vegetarian meal in your life.

I love grilled mushrooms, but the protein in them is low (2g/cup vs. 11 g for a Morningstar Black Bean burger) and prep might be somewhat unfamiliar or add complication to the already full slate. If the OP is up for that, or any of the other interesting suggestions here (though kebabs plus a platter of roasted veg might be somewhat redundant; one or the other seems great) like making veggie patties from scratch, more power to them!

If the OP doesn't want to scrub down the grill, veggie faux meats can be microwaved or baked, or they can be placed on foil on the grill.
(Then again, many vegetarians aren't so picky about contact with a grill that has had meat touch it -- it's just so hard to avoid in most public scenarios. For me it's a preference rather than an absolute.)

Re: Cheyne's question: I don't eat meat. That doesn't mean I don't eat things shaped like meat or that taste reasonably like it (I do avoid things that are reputed to taste just like beef -- most veggie "burgers" aren't -- because I hated beef when I did eat it). I do eat faux meat in limited quantities because I feel better when I don't eat it in excess! I prefer to flavor my own bean, soy, egg and nut proteins most of the time.

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

As a devout carnivore, I'd be all over a mushroom burger or spanakopita, myself! 

[POF]

me too .... I bought a try of spanokopita to have for an appetizer at a XMAS party ... BUT I ate the whole pan myself !

[audrey1962]

(though kebabs plus a platter of roasted veg might be somewhat redundant; one or the other seems great)

I suggested the kabobs, but I forgot all about the roasted veggies, so I must agree with you: they are redundant.

I usually do two types of kabobs: one just veggies, one just meat. That way, people can mix and match. I was thinking of that when I made my suggestion, but with the flank steak, hamburgers and roasted veggies, kabobs are not necessary.

[UpdatedName]

Hey, all!  We're going to have a BBQ in two weeks that's pretty much evenly divided between vegetarians and serious carnivores.  Our veggie friends are very laid-back, "No, no!  There's plenty here to eat!" sorts, but I want to make sure we're not short-changing them.  They're all fine with eggs and milk products, just no actual meat/meat derivatives.  So far, the menu looks like this:

BBQ'd marinated flank steak
Hamburgers (we know a couple that will only touch beef if it's ground up.    )
Potato salad
Green salad--we'll have bacon on the side for anyone that wants to add it to their salads and a couple different dressing options.
Mixed grilled vegies--potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, fennel bulbs, asparagas, etc. with aioli on the side for dunking.  (Veggies will either be done on another grill or under the broiler so I don't get them in contact with the meat.)
Fresh fruit salad.
A couple pies with ice cream available for desert.
Chips and crudites, fresh salsa and a choice of other dips to start.

Between the salads, grilled veggies and dessert, is that enough?  Should I do spanokopita, too?  Too much?  Arrgh!  I hate the thought of anyone leaving and telling their SO, "Let's stop and get something to eat on the way home.  I'm starving!"

You've gotten a lot of great replies, and you're a wonderful host to put so much thought into all your guests! I was just going to add that my general advice in situations like these is "Would I feel it was sufficient if everyone was eating just the vegetarian options?" For example, would a "normal" person feel like they had had a full meal if they just ate roasted veggies, a side salad, and dessert? The answer is probably no. But, for example, throw a burger/"burger" or some mac and cheese into the mix, and everyone would probably leave very satisfied.

[cicero]

i agree that i would add something for the vegetarians - if it were me, i would add some kind of "hamburger/sausage" option as well as a heartier side/main dish (like beans, cheese etc). this way, you really cover everything - those vegetarians who like the fake meat and those who don't. and the beans or cheese dishes can cover vegetaraians as well as carnivores.

I also second the suggestion to make sure you have enough of the vegetarian options to cover all - i have also found that many carnivores will opt for a vegetarian option instead of or in addition to meat.

[NyaChan]

Hey, all!  We're going to have a BBQ in two weeks that's pretty much evenly divided between vegetarians and serious carnivores.  Our veggie friends are very laid-back, "No, no!  There's plenty here to eat!" sorts, but I want to make sure we're not short-changing them.  They're all fine with eggs and milk products, just no actual meat/meat derivatives.  So far, the menu looks like this:

BBQ'd marinated flank steak
Hamburgers (we know a couple that will only touch beef if it's ground up.    )
Potato salad
Green salad--we'll have bacon on the side for anyone that wants to add it to their salads and a couple different dressing options.
Mixed grilled vegies--potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, fennel bulbs, asparagas, etc. with aioli on the side for dunking.  (Veggies will either be done on another grill or under the broiler so I don't get them in contact with the meat.)
Fresh fruit salad.
A couple pies with ice cream available for desert.
Chips and crudites, fresh salsa and a choice of other dips to start.

Between the salads, grilled veggies and dessert, is that enough?  Should I do spanokopita, too?  Too much?  Arrgh!  I hate the thought of anyone leaving and telling their SO, "Let's stop and get something to eat on the way home.  I'm starving!"

You've gotten a lot of great replies, and you're a wonderful host to put so much thought into all your guests! I was just going to add that my general advice in situations like these is "Would I feel it was sufficient if everyone was eating just the vegetarian options?" For example, would a "normal" person feel like they had had a full meal if they just ate roasted veggies, a side salad, and dessert? The answer is probably no. But, for example, throw a burger/"burger" or some mac and cheese into the mix, and everyone would probably leave very satisfied.

I think that is a great way to approach planning a menu with vegetarian guests!