buffet ideas for 100+ on a budget?

bigmuffins

Don't know what your budget is but we have had mini blinis with a variety of toppings - cream cheese and smoked salmon etc

cardiogirl

Thank you all - there are some great ideas there for me to practice on before the big day.

morganlefay

Most large supermarkets have a special Xmas catalogue full of ideas for nibbles (sorry - canapes) at about this time of year. The posh Mr W supermarket has a specially good one which I have used in past years to get ideas from (they want you to buy them, but of course we don't do that - just seek inspiration) and there are some really good things in there.

stacey809

I had to cater for a large amount last year we made pastry bites. We sandwiched together thinly rolled out puff pastry with different fillings. Cheese and tomato puree, cheese and ham and haggis and mature chedder. We also had little chunks of chicken marinated in a couple of different things, cooked and on cocktail sticks ready to dip.

Onion Bhajis are easy and cheap to make and can be made small. I use this recipe http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/335606/red-onion-and-chilli-bhajis-with-mint-and-garlic-r

Another easy and cheap idea is pinwheel wraps. Make up chicken tikka massala using a jar. Take the chicken out and cut up very fine and add back to sauce. Heat wraps in t microwave and spread the chicken mix on top. Starting at one side roll the wrap into a sausage shape and wrapy tightly in clingfilm. Put in fridge to set and after a few hours take out and cut into discs. It also would work with prawn cocktail, you could chop it finely with tomatoes and lettice.

stacey809

I almost forgot. Another easy canape is pate. You can toast brown bread and let it go cold. Cut it ito small squares, put a little chicken pate and top with cranberry jelly.

radiohelen

Mini yorkies with a slice of bought roast beef and a little horseradish cream in them?
Prawns wrapped in filo and baked?
Fried haloumi and roasted peppers on sticks?

misscousinitt

Smoked Salmon Twirls - wraps (aldi is cheapest), value cream cheese and smoked salmon trimmings.

Mix cheese and salmon together, spread onto wraps (don't need to be too generous) - roll and wrap in cling film and chill to set on the fridge - can be prepared the night before.

To finish, unwrap each wrap. Trim the ends and cut into rounds.

You could experiment with other fillings - cream cheese and ham, cream cheese and chopped up sun dried tomato.

Good Luck.

A

x

Twentiesgirl

Baby sausages aka the teeny ones cooked in a honey and mustard dressing yummy and so easy to prepare serve with toothpicks!

Mini fish and chips - if you prepare the paper at the start shape is into a mini cone (ice cream style) and then add chips and fish gougons (these always went down well when I waitresses and shouldn't take long as it's just a case of putting a handful of chips and a fish gougon into the cones)

alternatively mini burgers - if you put your thumb and forefinger together you create a circle that's the size I'm talking about!!

my mum used to buy Phili cheese coat it in sweet chili sauce and serve with crispbreads so yummy cheap and adaptible I'm sure!!

Paulie'sGirl

A good base for canapes is french bread. Get a few, leave them to go stale over night. Slice them into rounds, drizzle with olive oil and bake in a low oven until crispy and dried out. These are very forgiving!

The French do this with their leftovers and you can buy them in huge bags in their supermarkets for pennies (well, cents!). Could you ask your local supermarket to hang on to their unsold stale baguettes for you, explain its for charity and they might give you them for free or very little.

You then have a nice stable base for all kinds of toppings. Pate, cheese, tomatoes and basil, smoked salmon. The world is your lobster!

Cheese freezes well, so be on the hunt now for reduced brie, blue cheese etc. Tinned salmon can be made to go further as a sort of mousse with cream cheese.

PGxx

Toonie

Depending on your budget, Jus-Rol do vol-au-vent pastry cases which you could bake and then fill with different things.