Canapes for 50

Amanda65

Hi all

OH is 50 in March (:eek:) and we are having a party at home to celebrate. There will be between 40 and 60 guests and I am planning to start it around 8pm so that (hopefully) most people will have eaten before they arrive. However I feel we should have some canape type food to hand round, if only to soak up the alcohol :rotfl::rotfl:.

So - ideas for food and quantities please.

So far I have come up with mini sausages in honey and mustard, salmon and caper mayonnaise toasts and mini chicken bites on cocktail sticks in various marinades but would like some inspiration please as well and an idea on quantities if possible as I am a notorious over- caterer Also need some veggie ideas please

Thanks

katebl

I always make puff pastry bites with either stilton and tomato or brie and cranberry - personally I can devour a plate myself as they are moreish but they're very easy to make in bulk! Sausages are a good idea too - I use Nigella's recipe, honey, soy sauce and toasted sesame seed oil.

As for over-catering - yes it's not MSE but leftover party food always goes down a treat the next day!!

Amanda65

katebl wrote: »

I always make puff pastry bites with either stilton and tomato or brie and cranberry - personally I can devour a plate myself as they are moreish but they're very easy to make in bulk!

Have you got a link to recipe or one you can post please. Think I probably know roughly what to do but just in case I am way off teh mark ........

katebl

Well I am a domestic disaster so use ready-made pastry (Tesco sell a country store double pack for just over £1 in the frozen section, this easily makes 30 bites), cut circles, brush with milk and add a small amount of cheese (say the size of a 10p piece, never looks enough but does melt and spread!) then topping, I cut them so I can fit 12 - 15 on a standard baking tray. if doing stilton & tomato I use half a cherry tomato per puff, brie and cranberry I use 4-5 cranberries each but cranberry sauce is more MSE.

Bake at around 190-200 for at least 12 minutes if you like underdone (some of my guests do!) but up to about 16. Easy to judge by the eye and the whole thing takes half hour including cooking! Hope this helps :-)

Amanda65

Thank you

Think I may give these a go with caramalised red onion and goats cheese

katebl

Now they sound good... Think I'll have a go too, thanks!

Amanda65

And isn't that the beauty of MSE - you start off by answering a question and before you know it someone has suggested something you didn't even know you didn't know :j

wik

hi... how posh do you want the canapes to be?

I have a fab book - Canapes and Frivolities by Anton Edelman & Jane Suthering.

One of my fave recipes is ... Wild Rice Pancakes...

2oz/ 50g plain flour sifted
1 egg
4 Tbsp milk
7oz/200g cooked wild rice
2 Tbsp chopped chives
Ground Black pepper to taste
unsalted butter or vegetable oil for frying...

mix the flour, egg and milk together until smooth, then stir in the rice and chivesm and season...
~~ at this point the recipe says to heat the butter/oil in a large frying pan and to drop teaspoons of the mix into the pan, and to cook until golden brown on each side..

But I have found that if you pour enough of the batter into the pan to cover the base, and then cook as you would - until golden on both sides.. when cooked you can then use a biscuit cutter to get a uniform sized mini pancakes.

you can then top them with various things - such as sour cream and smoked salmon, parma ham and melon, or anything you fancy....

wik x

Amanda65

They sound great - a bit like a blinis which is another of my ideas.

The canapes don't have to be too posh but anything I can cook / assemble in advance would be good

caroline78

I know you can get some lovely canapes which are really posh looking, but I love the old favourites...

sausage rolls
cocktail sausages
lets's not forget the cheese, pineapple and onion sticks
mushroom/chicken vol a vents (sp)
chicken nuggets/drumsticks
mini pizzas

Not much help I know, but I love little mini party foods...lol

Oh, what about trying to recreate a birthday party from when you OH was young...with traditional party food from the time...

Okay I admit, I'm useless....lol

Amanda65

Thanks Caroline (not useless )

I would rather stay away from everything being too pastryladen / breaded (not least because at least 4 guests are coeliac) and whilst not wanting OTT posh would like a little sophistication :rotfl:

The 'theme' of the party is "come dressed as something / someone beginning with C" as that is the initial of OH's first name (we are going to be Caesar and Cleopatra) so dn't really want to go down the route of childrens tea party food on this occassion.