Need help catering for a party

Cat501

heavenleigh wrote: »

Very simple but very tasty, normally i hate shop bought potato salad but can eat this by the bucketful.

boiled new potatoes (i'm sure vaule tinned ones for 20p would do the job)
3-4 eggs boiled depending on how much you are making.
A few chopped spring onions (3-4 bulbs and greens)
5-6 finely chopped pickled gherkins (may sound yuk but makes all the difference)
a scientific dollop of mayo (i prefer value to the well known brand)
and a little scientific squirt of Frenches american mustard!

Doesn't look much but believe me it's yummy x

thanks heavenleigh, my immediate reaction on seeing gherkins in there was "ugh" but thinking about it, finely chopped they could be perfectly okay - got a few eggs to use up too so I'll give it a go this week, something to do while it's tipping it down!!

heavenleigh

Cat501 wrote: »

thanks heavenleigh, my immediate reaction on seeing gherkins in there was "ugh" but thinking about it, finely chopped they could be perfectly okay - got a few eggs to use up too so I'll give it a go this week, something to do while it's tipping it down!!

To be fair they just give a slightly pickled taste (not over whelming) and a lovely crunch, i will admit not everyone will like it but from a non potato salad lover, i really do enjoy this xx

Phoolgrrrl

pasta salad - any cooked pasta shapes, choped red and yellow pepper, chopped toms, basil leaves (op). for dressing mix olive oil, clove of crushed garlic, salt pepper and dried oregano/italian seasoning and toss together. Can be made ahead and put in fridge.

tuna pasta salad - cooked pasta, tine of tuna drained, tin of sweetcorn, big dollop of mayo, grated cheese (op), salt and pepper.

bean salad - tin of kidney beans (t value abt 20p), tin of butter beans (home bargins 3 for £1), tin of sweetcorn, olive oil crushed garlic sald and pepper and fresh corriander. Fresh corriander brings this up to being a really tasty dish imo. Keeps in fridge for a few days.

Ainsley harriot cous cous is on offer in tesco at the mo 2 fdor £1 I think, just add water as they are already flavoured.

Iceland is the best value for party food imo, sausage rolls, cocktail sausages and other chinese/indian kits.

Finefoot

I grate potato into my chilli, pasta salad is easy and can be done the day before. other than that, I say you have plenty of ideas here, so I won't repeat them, last but not least, Enjoy Yourself!!

gibson123

mildred1978 wrote: »

The veggies get a bit of a bum deal there - not much protein for them!!

I suppose eggs, cheese, quiche, dips, but if lots of veggies I would probably include some houmous, some vegetable samos, onion bhajis, and some bean salad..

Nicki

mildred1978 wrote: »

The veggies get a bit of a bum deal there - not much protein for them!!

OP has already said she has only one veggie friend coming, and even she is currently eating meat (which makes her a very strange veggie! )

However, the several coeliacs who have been invited don't fare very well with that proposal.

Some ideas for the coeliacs:

rice salad
chicken satay or chicken tikka
potato salad
filled potato skins

Don't forget the coeliacs can't eat sausages, anything with pastry covering, couscous and pasta salads or any of the sandwiches, so lots of the normal easy buffet foods will be off limits for them, as will the birthday cake . You also need to be careful of random ingredients in foods which will cause problems like soy sauce, some stock cubes etc. I don't mind cooking for veggie friends at all, and they are easy in buffet terms, but coeliac friends are a nightmare, as they will feel really ill if you get it wrong.