20 Easy Funeral Food Ideas

Many funerals include time for gathered guests to honor the departed with a meal together. Have you thought about some funeral food ideas for an upcoming event? Peerspace has event venue rentals, plans, and menu options for any sized special event. So check out a few of our easy funeral food ideas to feed family and friends.

1. Serve a dish of hearty funeral potatoes

Casseroles like funeral potatoes are a staple at any funeral reception, particularly in the Midwest. They are hearty, filling, and have the richness we all crave from good comfort food. Try these easy funeral potatoes from Allrecipes, which take just under an hour to make! 

2. Bring German potato salad to an outdoor reception

Potato salad is a classic dish for any event. If you want a version that hits a little differently, try this German potato salad from Allrecipes. It uses vinegar instead of the mayonnaise and mustard that most American potato salad recipes call for.

Potato salad is an iconic choice for outdoor events. If you want your funeral reception to be held outside then check out a few of the venues Peerspace has to offer. For example, this event venue in Los Angeles, CA, includes both indoor and outdoor space where you can let guests get some sunshine as they wish! 

3. Make lots of ham and cheese sliders

We aren’t counting calories when looking for funeral food ideas; dishes that are tasty and crowd-pleasing like ham and cheese sliders are the way to go! The sweet Hawaiian rolls used for buns add a different dimension to the classic ham and cheese combo. These are a dish you’ll want to serve right away. So if you’re hosting a funeral reception at home, ham and cheese sliders are an excellent idea.

4. Bake some creamy, comforting chicken florentine

A hearty main dish is just the thing for a funeral reception where you want to focus on plated food instead of finger food. Creamy chicken florentine is a restaurant-quality dish that is surprisingly easy to make! With only 30 minutes of prep time using ingredients you mostly already have, this is a fantastic dish to bring to a potluck funeral reception. 

5. Warm things up with a pot of chili

Chili is a dish that deserves a place on the table at any event, including funeral receptions. We want a recipe that has some kick without being too spicy. And uses familiar ingredients so no one will be unwilling to have a taste. Check out this tomato and beef chili from Allrecipes that serves 12 people per batch. It’s easy to scale up for any sized event. 

6. Bring some nostalgia over with a chicken pot pie

Funeral food ideas should include comfort dishes that remind us of the good times. A homemade chicken pot pie, stuffed with onions, carrots, corn, and cream, is a filling and savory addition to the dinner table! It’s also a dish that everyone except for non-meat eaters is sure to enjoy.

How long does it take to plan a funeral or memorial service? We share everything you need to know here.

7. Please the plant eaters with a vegetable lasagna

It’s good to have a few plant-based mains for a funeral reception. We think a hearty vegetable lasagna is the way to go. While lasagna does take more time to layer and bake than many of our other recipes it’s not a difficult dish to pull off. You can save a little time using no-boil noodles as well!

8. Serve cream of garlic soup as a savory side dish

Rich and slightly spicy, cream of garlic soup is a nice alternative to the usual French onion soup that many event planners opt for. You can easily customize the recipe further with potato chunks, chicken, or Parmesan cheese topping. Cream of garlic soup is an excellent main or side. Plus you can easily pair it with breadsticks, salad, bruschetta, and other light funeral food ideas.

9. Bring a hearty dish of baked ziti

Layers of cheese, pasta, and savory sauce make baked ziti a must-have at any event. It’s an easier alternative to lasagna that you can also customize with any ingredients you like. This Italian-American dish is especially good if you need to bake multiple batches at once for a larger guest list. 

10. Handle dessert with some sweet and tangy lemon bars

Dessert is just as important as the mains when planning out your funeral food ideas. Lemon bars are a bakery-quality dish that are way easier to make than people think. If you do much baking at home you may even have everything you need already in your kitchen! 

11. Bring some fall harvest flavors with a sweet potato casserole

Sweet potato casserole is more than a Thanksgiving dish. It is also a hearty comfort food opinion that does well as a funeral food idea. Most of us are very familiar with it as well so even picky eaters are sure to be pleased!

A funeral reception needs a venue to go with good food and company, something Peerspace has plenty of. If you need an open-concept venue, this event hall in Queens, NY, is hard to beat! You’ll have space for 90-200 guests, depending on seating and event flow. Plus it’s conveniently located near multiple local transit options.

12. Toss together some fresh flavors in a quinoa salad

Salads are an essential funeral food idea to balance out the heavy comfort foods. Quinoa salad is a unique offering that’s still going to be a crowd-pleaser! Like any mixed salad, there are dozens of ways to make a quinoa salad using edamame, feta cheese, olives, cucumbers, and other ingredients. So head to Taste of Home and pick out the tastiest quinoa salad recipe for your upcoming event.

13. Make some quick and easy strawberry shortcake cups

Funeral food ideas should be delicious and uncomplicated, like these strawberry shortcake cups. This recipe requires just five ingredients and has a total prep time of just 20 minutes if you aren’t chilling them before serving!  

14. Add cheese, bacon, and jalapenos to a rich cornbread casserole

Bacon, jalapenos, cheese, and corn come together in a hearty cornbread casserole you have to try! Despite the entire thing being made from scratch, the total prep time is under an hour as well. This is a dish you can readily have for an upcoming same-day funeral reception.

To help with other aspects of your planning, check out these non-traditional funeral ideas for a memorable day.

15. Make some gooey homemade chocolate brownies

Is there any dessert as nostalgic as chocolate brownies? Skip the store-bought boxes and make some homemade brownies instead using this recipe from Love & Lemons! Each pan takes just 45 minutes to bake and you can quickly make multiples for a funeral reception of any size. 

16. Fill everyone up with tuna noodle casserole

Tuna noodle casserole is one of the most cost-effective dishes for feeding a large group. Canned tuna, pasta, and cream of mushroom soup are the stars of this recipe. You’ll be topping it with bread crumbs, adding peas, and using other ingredients that you might already have in large quantities. A tuna noodle casserole is a classic comfort food menu item as well, something funeral guests are sure to appreciate.

17. Whip up some homemade guacamole for the chips

Fresh and flavorful, homemade guacamole is a dip that no one is going to turn down! It’s also endlessly customizable, too, with tomatillos, paprika, and other additions. Start with this classic guacamole recipe from Simmer & Sage before adding whatever you like to make it truly your own.

18. Marinate and chill a bowl of three-bean salad

Just because our funeral food ideas are easy doesn’t mean they are boring. This three-bean salad recipe is a great example of a classic, colorful, crowd-pleasing dish that’s affordable, to boot! You’ll need a little extra time for chilling before serving but using canned beans over fresh saves lots of time. 

19. Set out some pepperoni pizza breadsticks

Looking for an appetizer that fills you up like a main dish? Try baking some pepperoni pizza breadsticks! Each one is stuffed with salty pepperoni and cheese. You can even set out multiple dipping sauces, like marinara, Italian dressing, and classic tomato sauce for guests to try.

20. Bake some soft and chewy pumpkin cookies from scratch

Recipes that you make from scratch show just how much you care. So how about some homemade pumpkin cookies? Each one is a thick pillow of sweet goodness that you can enjoy any time of year. Add some white chocolate chips for extra flavor and color if you like!

Funeral food ideas: conclusion

Funerals can be potluck events where everyone gets to contribute, catered gatherings, or even held at a local restaurant. No matter the plan, these easy funeral food ideas are sure to offer comfort during a difficult time. If you’ve found Peerspace to be a helpful site for event planning, think about browsing some of our funeral venues near you as well. From churches to general event spaces, our funeral venues include everything you need to honor the departed.  

Find unique funeral service venues near you on Peerspace