Allergen-free food for a party

[laurac5]

We're planning a party, and most of our guests are dairy-free, and one family also avoids gluten, corn, soy, and tree nuts.  One couple is going grain-free for the month.  

We are also trying to plan foods that aren't so messy... we're not doing a sit-down meal, so I'm thinking we'll do mostly finger foods.

So far I'm going to do some chicken skewers with a homemade marinade or rub.  But beyond that I'm at a loss... any ideas?

[puffingirl]

Not exactly non-messy but not too bad either:

Hummus and veggie sticks

Guacamole with chips you can make from jicama and some corn tortilla chips, if the corn-free person isn't so allergic that it can't be around

Fruit kabobs or fruit salad

Gluten-free crackers (the grain free people can skip them) with smoked salmon and cucumber slices

Hope that helps a little!

[cristeen]

Keep it simple.  We have some odd allergies here - citrus, walnut, honey, plus the ubiquitous peanut, and then vegans, paleo, all sorts of other random dietary restrictions.  The easiest thing for me was to keep things as simple as possible.

Veggie tray with a big bowl of homemade hummus (that way you know exactly what's in it, and can make alterations if necessary). 

Fruit plate.

I did a "make your own sandwich" spread, with everything kept separate - baskets of rolls, platter of meats (salami, ham, turkey), platter of sliced cheeses (jack, cheddar, swiss), and a bowl of mustard.  You can add a plate of leaf lettuce and sliced tomato if you like, but I didn't bother. 

Deviled eggs are often a good choice, just read your mayo label (soy oil is common). 

Vietnamese "spring/salad/summer" rolls can also be a good choice.  They're a bit intensive to assemble, but if you prep everything the night before, assemble in the morning, they can sit in the fridge until the party starts.  Assuming you can find the rice paper wrappers.  You can do meat or veggie, bean thread noodles, veg and herbs. 

Basically, rather than making sure that everyone can eat everything, make sure that everyone can eat something. 

[Dealea86]

Vegan foods are dairy- and egg-free, so I'd go looking for vegan party foods and see if any of them would work. Guacamole should be fine for everyone. A fruit tray should be fine as well (just remember that even some fruits can be allergens, like apple skins and strawberries ;) ). And I would ask the family that has the most allergies what kinds of finger foods they can have. And who knows, they might volunteer to bring something.

[laurac5]

Thanks for all the ideas!  At this point I'm leaning towards chicken skewers, vegetable crudites, and crackers with bean dip and/or hummus.  I have some GF crackers, and then I'll put out some regular crackers on another plate for everyone else. My friend whose family has the most allergies is bringing an allergen-free dessert.  (Yum!)