18 Unique Retirement Party Food Ideas

A retirement party is a chance to say goodbye to one of your closest coworkers with more than just your presence. You should also whip up dishes equally memorable. If you’re drawing a blank on where to begin, let Peerspace give you a hand with a few of our favorite unique retirement party food ideas! 

1. Serve hearty spanakopita squares or triangles

Flaky and filling, spanakopita is a savory Greek pie recipe where spinach and feta cheese take center stage. It’s an incredible retirement party food idea because it’s so hearty that a little goes a long way. The fresh herbs and salty cheese ensure your spanakopita will do well as a side or a main dish. 

2. Taste international cuisine with lamb biryani

If you and your guests love Indian food, then a colorful lamb biryani will be a popular menu option. The spices, lamb, and onions come together amazingly, with layered flavors and aromas that are unforgettable.

Before you get started on this dish, you should have a venue in mind as you plan the retirement party. Did you know Peerspace has hundreds of retirement party venues near you worth a look? Many include amenities like seating for hundreds of guests and catering options you can book through the venue hosts!

3. Make homemade fried chicken

Fried chicken is one of those dishes that make you instantly think of home. This is where you’ll be spending far more of your time now that you’re retired! Serve some comfort food at the retirement party that everyone is sure to enjoy. Homemade fried chicken recipes can be customized with ease using seasonings like paprika or garlic powder. But start with a great basic recipe like this one from Allrecipes to get you started!

4. Mix a sweet Watergate salad

Watergate salad has a storied history stretching back to the 1970s. While it’s called a “salad” it’s absolutely a dessert as the recipe doesn’t call for a single vegetable. Fluffy, green, and filling, a Watergate salad is the thing to include on a retirement party menu where unique dishes are the goal!

Get more menu inspiration from these happy hour food ideas that are sure to make your guests’ mouths water.

5. Up your appetizer game with pizza crackers

Appetizers and finger foods are just as important as any main dish when planning a retirement party. So how about something a little more unique than the usual shrimp cocktails? Pizza crackers are guaranteed to disappear from the party tray! Each one is a mini-pizza experience, with tomato sauce and cheese. Plus, they take just a few minutes to make.

6. Make an artistic chip board

Chips and dip don’t have to look basic, especially not at a classy retirement party. You can make an artistic arrangement with a food board! Offer multiple kinds of chips and dip on the board, with chip ingredients and dip flavors that include contrasting colors and shapes. After all, a chips and dip board is as much about the beauty of the selection as it is a dish to enjoy.

7. Set up a burger station

There are as many ways to build a good burger as there are people on Earth. So let everyone make the burger of their dreams with a cheeseburger station! Ingredients are the secret to success here, so include relish, chipotle mayo, blue cheese, brioche buns, caramelized onions…Everything anyone could possibly want for the ultimate hamburger or cheeseburger.

8. Have food trucks cater the event

How about a retirement party food idea that takes most or all of the meal prep and dishes out of the equation? You can hire food trucks to set up outside of your party venue! Local food trucks have a lot to offer, including tacos, beer flights, chicken wings, and international cuisine.

Be sure that your venue has enough space for multiple food trucks. Many of the party venues on Peerspace, like this brownstone mansion in Brooklyn, NY, specify that they have locations set aside for food truck caterers.

9. Celebrate the retiree with a million dollar cake

A million dollar cake is one of those recipes you’ll find in classic cookbooks but isn’t as common as it used to be. Bring back this nostalgic cake for an upcoming retirement party! It’s easy to make, with vanilla, orange, and cream cheese notes that are sure to be a hit with guests. Plus it looks incredible!

10. Bring a bowl of dad’s creamy cucumber salad

Is there anything better for a summer retirement party outside than a bowl of creamy cucumber salad? This is a dish that inspires a lot of nostalgia in partygoers. Fortunately, you can surprise your retiring dad, rather than asking for the recipe, by referencing the version at Allrecipes! Add crumbled feta or fresh red onions for extra flavor. Tangy, cool, and rich, this is a salad that’s sure to disappear fast from the dinner table.

11. Add North African flavors with spicy beef satay

Spiced and minced meat is a sure recipe for success but there are so many variations on this theme…If you’re looking for somewhere to begin, how about spicy beef satay skewers? With just 35 minutes of total prep time, this is a delicious appetizer or main that can be ready in a flash for an upcoming retirement party.

12. Set up a chocolate fondue station

Retirement party food ideas should include a few experience-based meals as well. One of our favorite ways to impress our guests is by setting up a chocolate fondue pot or fountain. You’ll be able to serve bites of cheese, fruit, crackers, bread, pretzels, and other snacks that go well with chocolate. A pot of cheese fondue can even sit beside it for variety.

13. Shake and make homemade chicken fingers

Are some of your retirement party guests notoriously picky eaters? Satisfy them by choosing something familiar like chicken fingers! You don’t have to rely on bland store-bought fingers, however. Not when you can start with a recipe like this one, which allows you to air fry, bake, or oil fry, depending on your needs. Customize it further with the herb seasonings you know your guests enjoy for the ultimate homemade chicken finger experience.

14. Serve a classic boarding house meatloaf

Southern comfort foods are just the thing for an upcoming retirement party! And we all know how fast a good meatloaf will disappear from the dinner table. This recipe from Southern Living takes just 10 minutes of hands-on prep time, followed by an hour of cooking time. If you don’t have much time to make a dish before the party but need a hearty main, this meatloaf is the way to go! 

Keep the fun going by enjoying these creative retirement party games at your gathering.

15. Fill pork lettuce wraps with fresh flavor

Not every retirement party food idea needs to be baked, fried, or sweet. If you want a small appetizer option that’s colorful and has fresh vegetable and meat flavors, how about some spicy pork lettuce wraps? You’ll need to budget a few hours to make enough for the party. But given how easy they are to put together, your guests will genuinely appreciate the effort.

16. Fill them up with a tuna casserole

Tuna casserole is another hearty Southern dish that deserves a spot at a retirement party. We’ve all had so-so tuna casseroles before, so how about a recipe that upgrades this dish by including leeks, potato chips, and green beans? It’s the tuna casserole you always knew was possible but never had a chance to try! 

17. Make tiny ham and cheese sliders by the dozen

Gooey and rich, even the pickiest of eaters can’t deny ham and cheese sliders. They are portion-controlled by virtue of their small buns, but we won’t judge if you end up eating more than one! You can make these ham and cheese sliders even better with toppings like Dijon mustard or using Hawaiian sweet rolls instead of regular rolls.

18. Let guests build their own ice cream sundaes

Is there any dessert as celebratory as an ice cream sundae? The heaps of ice cream and toppings make each one a custom-built wonder. So let everyone make their own dream ice cream sundae by setting up a sundae station! Besides a few of everyone’s favorite ice cream flavors, you’ll need toppings like whipped cream, nuts, and maraschino cherries. 

Retirement party food ideas: conclusion

Retirement party food ideas should be as unique as the person you’re honoring. So check out a few of our ideas; awesome event planning is what Peerspace does best! We’d also like to help you out with a few of our retirement party venues near you, each of which is affordable and amenity-filled! Take a look and see if we can’t be of more help to your party planning needs.

Find unique event venues for your retirement party on Peerspace