Are you looking to have your next event catered, and would like to have a custom menu created in Santa Ana, CA? The experienced chefs with Chefs A La Carte Catering offer delicious catered meals especially for you!
Below are some of our featured menus from recent events:
Summer Fun Salad –– Grilled corn, heirloom cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, grilled avocado, smoked mozzarella shavings served over mache and arugula lettuces tossed in green Goddess dressing
“Beer Can” Grill/Roast Chicken — Whole chicken is brined in honey beer, set on an open can of beer and cooked on grill or in the oven until perfectly done — moist and smokey
Grilled swordfish kebab –served with serrano-lime chimmichurri
Spanish marinated skirt steak — grilled rare and served with Gaucho Sauce
Mojo Shrimp Skewer –– served with mango salsa
Jumbo Stuffed Mushrooms –smoked provoline, pancetta, grilled onion, fresh herbs and spices
Grilled veggies — sweet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, sweet corn cobettes, and grilled asparagus
Grilled Fruit Sundae Bar –– Bananas, Peaches and Pineapple, oh my! Neapolitan Ice Cream and home made hot fudge and salted caramel sauce
From the Grill:
Barbecued Chicken seasoned with our signature rub, coated with Kona BBQ sauce and grilled to perfection.
Slider size all beef hamburger patties in sesame bun with lettuce, grilled onion, tomatoes, cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles, and Chef Marguerite’s “Secret Sauce”.
All beef hot dogs, with soft buns and condos to include mustard, chopped sweet onions, sweet pickle relish.
Southern California Craft sausages: sweet spicy chicken and Spanish pork.
Veggie Patties and Veggie Hot Dogs.
Salads and Side Choices:
Traditional potato salad.
Oven roast potato salad tossed in a light herbal creamy dressing.
Traditional coleslaw with creamy dressing.
Summer fun salad made with roast corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and grilled avocado, all tossed in our green goddess dressing.
Hefenwisen — Mushrooms stuffed with braised beef short rib tossed in our Jalapeno BBQ sauce and topped with marinated red onions
Red Ale — Brats cooked in beer served in pretzel bun topped with house made sauerkraut
Amber Ale — Pizza Margarita with sweet roast garlic oil, fresh heirloom tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella cheese on our home made pizza crust
Brown Ale — Meatloaf rumaki: Asian spiced meatloaf is wrapped in bacon and pierced with a small bamboo pick, cooked to perfection and presented with our special mahogany glaze
IPA1 — Bang bang chicken nachos: diced organic chicken breast is tossed in spicy peanut sauce, placed on a wonton chip garnished with sesame seeds, scallions and more sauce
IPA2 — Cool sushi: sushi rice rolled around fried Jalapeno strips, grilled asparagus and avocado, topped with fresh yellowtail and drizzled with a Jalapeno ponzu
Dark Stout — Toffee/espresso pot de creme; and…… Beer float: scoop of beer ice cream tossed into Dark Stout beer, served in mini solo cup
2015 Estate Chardonnay
Lobster Macaroni and cheese made with taleggio cheese
Lemongrass and yuzu grilled chicken skewer with roast garlic and chervil aioli
2016 Rosa Estate Chardonnay
Brioche crusted and deep fried avocado with a charred corn salsa and seared scallop
Fennel and roast onion relish with grilled prawn
2016 Estate Pinot Noir
Braised, then crisped on site pork belly with our signature chai spiced mole
Pulled short rib stuffed baby portobella mushrooms with “spiced” caramelized onions
2016 Unum Pino Noir
California coastal duck burger with wine-soaked onion bacon jam
Field mushroom pizza with (or without) pancetta lardons on grilled flatbread
2016 Sebastiano Syrah
Eggplant and chick pea tagine with Mediterranean spices
Grilled rib-eye skewer with a blueberry salsa and blue cheese powder
Tasty Appetizers:
Swedish meatballs with Lingonberry Sauce
Short-rib Reuben on marble rye with gruyere and red cabbage kraut
Sweet potato latkes with winter apple chutney and cider cream
Pumpkin caponata crostini
Baby grilled Virginia ham and caramelized apple sandwich
Smoked Shrimp Cocktail
Sides and Light Bites:
Sweet Potato Waffle with Beer Battered Chicken Tenders
Sugar Pumpkin filled with Butternut Squash Risotto
Cider scalloped potatoes
Butternut squash soup with apple and smoked cheddar
Leek and gruyere spoonbread
Sweet potato, smoked gouda and hazelnut gratin
Scalloped Turnips, Gruyere and Yukon gold potatoes
Wild rice, roast grapes and chestnuts
Salads:
Butter lettuce, roast pear, fried brie with nut crust, pear vinaigrette
Roast pumpkin and wild mushroom salad with Cipollini bulbs
Entrees:
Orange Bourbon Turkey with bourbon gravy
Roast beef tenderloin with Caesar crust
Brown Sugar, Maple and mustard glazed spiral cut ham
Molasses-brined turkey with gingersnap gravy
Apple cider and rum cured pork loin with Apple Jack pan jus
Sage and goat cheese stuffed organic chicken breast with citrus brown butter sauce
Beef tenderloin with port-cranberry sauce
Spiced turkey with fresh pear chutney
Pan fried Chicken with pancetta, figs, walnuts and verjuice
Balsamic pot roast with mushrooms and onions
Desserts:
Chocolate coca-cola cake
Rice crispy treat marshmallow ice cream sandwich with red and green sprinkles
Individual Carrot cake bombe with orange caramel glaze
Walnut and plum crostata with Mascarpone ice cream
Apple cake with caramel sauce and bourbon whipped cream
Sugarplum, orange, apricot Earl Grey tart
Butterfinger truffles
Spirits:
Absinthe-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder champagne punch
Apple spice Martini
Bad Santa Punch
Mrs. Santa’s Hot Cocoa and Coffee Bar:
Themed Condiments: Mini marshmallows, lightly sweetened whipped cream, orange peel, cinnamon sticks, chocolate shavings, mini candy canes –
Warming Spirits: Irish whiskey, Tia Maria, Grande Marnier, Peppermint Schnapps, Brandy and flavored syrups
Tray-Passed Appetizers:
Brie, caramelized apple and pear mini quesadillas with a hint of mozzarella, garnished with a light citrus crème fraiche
Tequila lime ahi on wonton crisp with a smoked tomato and chipotle sauce topped off with a mango-jicama slaw
Short rib taco with kim chee and sambal aioli
Interactive Buffet:
Nachos, cheeses, etc.
Chef Marguerite’s Hawaiian nachos –Wonton chips covered with pulled Hawaiian style pork drizzled with a kona coffee BBQ sauce, and a fresh pineapple salsa
“American still life” Centerpiece of edible colors, shapes and forms artfully created from a wonderful collage of flavors. Seasonal farmer’s market vegetable crudite with choice of two dips: charmoula dip, tofu zucchini almond dip, red pepper feta dip, or balsamic dip. Continental cheeses to include American brie, peppered goat cheese, Port wine derby, Sage cheddar, Maytag blue cheese, sharp cheddar and jack cheese these are framed with fresh herbs and seasonal whole fruits and are surrounded by baskets spilling over with sliced French Baguettes and crisp Crackers
Sliders and Salads:
Bollywood Burger Slider ground Chicken with Curried Onion strings and a Lime, Cilantro and Serrano Aioli, garnished with a pickled Cucumber Slice
All American — Ranch Hands seasoned grilled beef patties, secret sauce, pickled red onions, on a white bun
Salads: served in cups with mini forks or on small plates
Chef Marguerite’s heirloom tomato salad with burrata cheese drizzled with both an herbed Italian olive oil and a balsamic reduction and garnished with micro herb mix
Baby spinach and arugula is tossed together with fresh mango roast Japanese apple-pear, dried apple and candied pecans, tossed in a a spicy mango vinaigrette
Unique bites: (Assembled before your guests)
Marguerite’s famous tamale cake topped with short ribs stewed in house made red chile sauce, topped with a mango avocado salsa and drizzled with a poblano crema
Chicken and waffles curried buttermilk waffles, topped with fried chicken morsel and napped in a black pepper maple syrup
Fresh spring rolls made with jicama, green and ripe mango, chayote squash, rolled together with marinated rice noodles, presented on a mound of sweet chile meekrob served in Chinese to-go boxes
The Dessert Social: (Perfect for weddings — alongside or in lieu of the traditional wedding cake)
Pies Like Mom makes — but only one bite: Lemon Meringue, Boston Creme Pie, Rhubarb-Cherry, Apple Crumb, Key Lime, Banana Cream, and our own specialty — Jack Daniels Pecan Pie — Also — one bite mini cupcakes: Passion Fruit, Strawberry, Double Dutch Chocolate, Espresso-malt crunch, Tiramisu, Red Velvet, Chocolate peanut butter, Tahitian vanilla
(3, 4 or 5, tastes are better than 1 — only one bite, so have as many as you like)
Gourmet tea and coffee station with honey, lemon, milk, chantilly cream, cinnamon sticks and flavored syrup served with dessert
Signature cocktail choices:
Rosemary vodka slushy – citrus vodka, rosemary-lemon granite, garnished with a rosemary swizzle stick
Inspiration Happening Daily
Chefs A La Carte Catering