What is your favourite party buffet food?

PasturesNew

Shuffling along a buffet table, I am looking for: veggie flan/quiche; hard boiled eggs with the yolk removed/mixed with mayo and curry powder and piped back; cheese-based sandwiches; cheese straws; sausage rolls; vol au vents (chicken, or egg/mayo); pizza slices; spud salad; sausages on sticks; pineapple/cheese on sticks.

Would love to find onion bhajis; any indian/spicy finger food; rice salad; bowl of mixed salad where it's possible to easily pick bits/bobs from.

lushlifesaver

Carrot sticks, pepper slices
dips - hummous, sour cream and chive
sausage rolls
cooked chicken strips
Pasta salads
Fresh salad - shock horror we like leaves, well some of us haha
pizza slices
rice with peas and sweetcorn mixed through
pringles

ahh so many ideas for my paerents belated anniversary/mums upcoming birthday! Off to re-read that other thread too!

AprilShowers

VfM4meplse wrote: »

And also you're going to have a lot of picky leftovers from that lot.

It might save some hassle in preparation if you aim for a hot buffet of one meat and one veggie choice, with a side salad and bread, and desserts as described. If you can make the dishes in advance and freeze it will just be a case of sticking them in the oven, there will be little arranging to do on the day. Will also work out a lot cheaper and healthier, but you do need someone trustworthy in the kitchen.

Thanks for your suggestion! I will bear it in mind, as I have ages to go yet! What would you suggest, other than chilli/curry? I did flirt with the idea of a Spanish Style Chicken Chorizo Stew with Bread...

TBH, I would prefer not to prefer not to offer any hot option at all, veggie or otherwise. but I feel I should. I don't mind (will probably enjoy) doing lots of prep before the party - but once it starts, I don;t want to have to do anything myself, or get anyone else doing it. I work in a restaurant and it is too easy to slip into service mode when we entertain, my husband has made me promise not to run around after everyone! (and he works two jobs, so I wouldn't let him do it either!)

Thanks
April xx

Lilyplonk

I'm :drool: at all the above suggestions ...........

AprilShowers

notanewuser wrote: »

OP, for my 30th I had a sausage and mash party - veggie and meat sausages, veggie onion gravy, lots of mash and peas and carrots. Easy help yourself type affair.

Then a massive dish of profiteroles (frozen from Makro) and a big pan of homemade chocolate sauce.

Plus homemade birthday cake and lots of booze.

(Had about 45 people round and only flew back from the States the day before!!)

That sounds AMAZING!!! oooh, the possibilities! You may well have changed my mind.

April xx

On second thoughts, will save this idea for Hubster's birthday as his fav meal is Sausage and Mash!

notanewuser

AprilShowers wrote: »

That sounds AMAZING!!! oooh, the possibilities! You may well have changed my mind.

April xx

I worked in the hotel industry for nearly 20 years.

I had a great time. Baking a cake and mashing kilos of spuds wasn't that great with jetlag, I admit, but it was flipping easy to manage the food. Sausages all got cooked in the oven, then transferred to oven dishes. Mash was made on job, then put in lidded dishes in the oven to keep warm. Veg steamed then zapped for a few mins in the micro to warm through, and gravy made from scratch in the afternoon and kept hot in a pan on the hob. Same with the chocolate sauce.

I borrowed some tea light warmers from work and just put the hot food on those. Once gone, another dish could be grabbed from the oven or zapped in the microwave.

jpscloud

I like a nice cold rice salad dish at buffets - with peanuts, chopped celery, and whatever chopped crunchy vegetables take your fancy. I mix mine with mayo, but it needs to be made just before the party or the rice kind of goes hard.

Sliced new potatoes and beetroot always go down well too!

AprilShowers

jpscloud wrote: »

I like a nice cold rice salad dish at buffets - with peanuts, chopped celery, and whatever chopped crunchy vegetables take your fancy. I mix mine with mayo, but it needs to be made just before the party or the rice kind of goes hard.

Sliced new potatoes and beetroot always go down well too!

Ooh yes, beetroot! Forgot pickled onions too!

sharnad

AprilShowers wrote: »

Thanks for your feedback, guys!

Only two veggies in attendance. Both will eat cheese, quiche, bread, humous and veggies, crisps, so I'm not too concerned about them going short.

April xx

They might not go hungry but the menu for them is pretty rubbish. You could add a veggie cold rice for cheap and Quorn little packs of sausage rolls and savoury eggs are nice and also eaten by meat eaters

mrcow

sharnad wrote: »

They might not go hungry but the menu for them is pretty rubbish. You could add a veggie cold rice for cheap and Quorn little packs of sausage rolls and savoury eggs are nice and also eaten by meat eaters

I'm sure most veggies are used to rubbish buffets though. I certainly don't go anywhere where "joe public" has catered expecting anything interesting (or often, anything at all) to eat.

OP - just have the buffet you've suggested. You seem quite happy with it yourself.