Christmas Buffet ideas

EC12345 · 29 November 2009 at 8:48PM

Hello lovely people.

Please feel free to move this to another board if it is in the wrong place. We are having a Christmas buffet next Saturday for four people in total. Really want to keep costs down to a minimum (I have nearly completed my challenge - see signature so every penny helps!!). We already have drink in the house so just need to get food. Really want to spead no more than £20. Am thinking of mixing some good quality items with a few value/basics items. Any ideas.

Also is £20 for four people expensive?

How much would other people spend? Was thinking of doing jacket pots, baguettes, ham, pate, cheese and then a few bits likes prawns, frozen party foods (i.e. sausage rolls, sausages etc), crisps, dips and pate (the latter items is where I really want to cut down).

Thank you everyone ....

suzybloo · 29 November 2009 at 9:15PM

I would look at doing small individual quiche, made with homemeade pastry and use whatever you have in fridge for filling eg mushrooms, tomato, cheese, onion etc. - cost approx £1.25 for a dozen made in bun tins. 4 Scotch eggs cost approx £1.oo, cut them in quarters and set these on a bed of salad on platters approx £1.00, small new potatoes made into potato salad approx 50p or boiled and tossed in a nice dressing,or potato wedges 3 potatoes would be enough for 4 people, toss in oil and herbs, bake while oven is on.make your own dips and make the veg crudeties yourself, along with cheese straws. If you have puff pastry cut it into squares put various fillings in and fold over like small pasties - use the remaining puff pastry for making your own sausage rolls with skinless sausages/sausagemeat. Hope these ideas help.

motherhen2234 · 29 November 2009 at 9:37PM

I was thinking utalising puff pastry. Quiches, sausage rolles, tarts etc

Maybe double using your french sticks. Some to have with cold cuts etc and perhaps make bruchette (sic) with some?

mousec · 30 November 2009 at 12:14AM

I'm doing a buffet for 8 next week and would appreciate ideas too! I'm thinking of doing homemade soup to fill people up a bit so that they don't need as much party food! People have offered to bring things too so I think I'll ask them to bring drinks - it's an afternoon thing so there won't be much drinking going on anyway. Aldi, Iceland and Tescos all seem to be doing some good bargains on party food but I'm struggling a bit with puddings... Any ideas?

Jem8472 · 30 November 2009 at 1:00AM

Tuna pate, I do have the recipe round here somewhere but cant find it but I am 99% sure it is this.

Depends on amount wanted to be made.

1x large tin of tuna (I mean the really big cans!)
1x lump of edam
1x medium onion
a little sherry
2 table spoons of double cream

Drain the tuna put into a bowl (best to use the bowl that you are going to leave it in.)

grate the edam, chop the onion and mix in with the tuna. season with pepper if needed.
add the sherry, a glug or two.
mix the double cream in and smooth the top down with a fork so it looks nice. You can pour a little melted butter on the top.
Put in the fridge, it is best eaten at least the following day but it tends to taste better as the days go on.
Best with brown bread toasted! yummie

Also this site is always good for ideas:
http://www.jusrol.co.uk/

PasturesNew · 30 November 2009 at 1:16AM

I'd look into making these myself:
- potato salads, one with onion/one without
- pasta salads, assorted
- rice salad: a plain rice with walnuts and satsumas; a curry rice with peas/pineapple
- vol au vents, filled with egg/mayo, coronation chicken, some of that tuna in post 5
- pizzas: cheese/tomato and assorted
- home made savoury breads: cheese, cheese/onion, something festive sounding
- cheese straws
- dips
- couple of bags of value tortilla chips
- potato wedges: plain and flavoured
- stuffing balls on sticks (sounds weird, but stuffing tastes lovely), possibly a chestnut-flavoured stuffing (bit festive sounding)

tinkerbellsmum_2 · 30 November 2009 at 9:28AM

i'd go homemade all the way hun tastes loads better and a great talking point.
french sticks r a great idea
how about home made quiche,scotch eggs,sausage rolls, mince pies,mini pizzas,mini triffles

chicken legs(asda value r nice) and ofcourse don't forget the crisp but don't just put them in a bowl think of a different way to display them

i think if u do tradtional food displayed in a different way sop it looks expensive it will go great

just be wary of certain foods if u buy vaule range sausage rolls etc r horriable but fine for tinned hot dogs etc

have fun hun

jcr16 · 30 November 2009 at 11:01AM

i like doing a chilli buffet. ( for anyone who knows me, chilli is my thing. i love it. and it is the meal everyone always asks for when they come to my house,lol)

By a chilli buffet i mean, cook a huge pot of chilli, i do 1kg mince, 4 tins toms, 4 tins kidney beans, 2 large onions. you can then use which ever mix of spices you like or if unsure by a sachet. lil bit sugar. then i do a pot of pasta, rice, small jackets, tortilla chips and a bowl of grated cheese.( if serving tortilla wraps, i'll also add a bowl of shredded lettuce)

your proberly find your have loads of chilli left for freezer as i do this amount when we have about 11 people over.

zippychick · 30 November 2009 at 12:39PM

Pasturesnew - how do you make your curry rice? I need to learn more things with rice!

OP, you can either go and buy the deals and nibbles from iceland etc, or you can look to making them yourself. I would go for home made myself.

I would also say soup for a starter - the cheapest, most filling way to start a meal out in my opinion. Nice soup and chunks of baguette.

As it is a christmas buffet, have you thought about serving turkey? Maybe turkey curry or Jamies chicken/turkey and leek pie is gorgeous, and can be made up ready to oven cook in advance . I made one for my birthday dinner this year - and everyone commented on how tasty (and filling) it was. I would serve it with roast potatoes and minted peas or any other
veg really. You are also left with a really good base for the gravy to accompany it. :j

For desert you could have cheese and crackers or you could make meringues with cream and berries? Or a victoria sponge? Something that can be made up in advance is great. Token mince pies ?

A couple of bowls of crisps is fine, but I wouldn't go overboard . Especially if you serve that pie!

Anyway, that's what I would do! Good luck!

nuttybabe · 30 November 2009 at 12:56PM

Hi

I did some home made stuff last year when I went to my sisters for xmas. I made mini pizzas in shape of xmas trees, mini quiche (a few different flavours), mini toad in the holes (like they sell in asda), sausage rolls,potato skins, cheese straws, cakes, biscuits, uurrmmm, sure there was more. and she put out a cheese board & biscuits, cold meats and bread.

mummy2jack · 9 December 2009 at 11:37AM

Im on a very strict budget this year so have decided to try and make most of my xmas meals from scratch.

Christmas eve and christmas day are sorted

Boxing day I normally have family round and like to put on a buffet and I so desperatly need some ideas that are cheap to make,

So far I have come up with :

Mini Quices...
Sausage rolls
Dip (If anyone has any recipes, that would be great)
Mini pizzas

Cannot think of anything else that will taste fab and save money
So if anyone could help me out with ideas, Recipes etc it will be very appreciated.

Many thanks

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Christmas Buffet ideas

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