Suggestions for family buffet lunch

Blackcats

I've "volunteered" to host a family buffet lunch next month. Approx 15 adults (older generation, very traditional taste in food). I don't have enough space for a sit down lunch so I'd like to do a buffet - ideally using paper plates and fingers rather than proper cutlery and crockery.
I confess that in the past I've bought the entire lunch from Marks and Spensive but I'm trying to be more thrifty and more self reliant when entertaining. I previously spent £30 just on a cake :eek:
What better place to get some ideas than on this great board?
I'd love to hear your ideas and recipes.
So far sausage rolls have been requested by the guests!
Thank you all for your help.

s_glover

Traditional items might include: pork pie, quiche, cheese and pineapple, mini sausages, coleslaw, potato salad, salad, jacket potatoes, crisps, scotch eggs

Maybe the less traditional ideas would include: pasta, cous cous, tabouleh, garlic bread / foccacia, homous/other dips, crudites, pizza slices

How about a sandwich selection, filling might include: egg mayonaisse, cheese and pickle, ham, turkey, beef, tuna and cucumber,

There are lots of options for sweet treats too, obviously there are all the shop bought cakes and treats you can get. Things like flapjack, brownie, victoria sponge, fruit cake / tea loaf. Mayba trifle or eton mess or even a fruit salad and cream / ice cream.

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

When I was hosting a party for the whole family. I put a pork shoulder joint in the slow cooker for pulled pork. Have a plate full of soft rolls on the side. Don't put any bbq sauce on the pork but have it on the side for people who like it. I found the people with more traditional tastes liked the pork meat in a roll with apple sauce. You can then do some more picky bits on the side but most people fill up on the pork rolls and it's really quick and easy to make and the slow cooker will keep it warm so you've got something warm to serve without having to constately watch the oven.

Blackcats

Thank you s-Glover - great ideas. I'd forgotten about cheese and pineapple - will definitely add that to the menu plan. I would love your non traditional suggestions but a couple of the guests are so unadventurous and HATE garlic -they are so funny, you'd think it was a poison and one whiff sends them over the edge. I think fruit salad and cream is a nice idea too, particularly with the lovely selection of fruit we have at the moment. I have a fab greengrocers near to me with a great selection and the bonus of being able to pick the quantity and quality I want.
Mummy that sounds delicious. What a good idea. I bet your guests really enjoyed that.
Thank you both.

[Deleted User]

Tray bakes make decent amounts of food and you can get a couple in the oven at the same time. A baking tray quiche will feed lots of people and a gingerbread too and everyone likes flapjack. At Christmas when I had 12 to lunch I made a mincemeat and apple crumble in a large baking tray on a pastry base and they loved it. My other go to that is tasty and economical is to make a couple of very large puff pastry sausage plaits which cut up and feed lots of people. I mix chopped apple, chopped onion, chopped bacon and some brown sauce or chutney in with the sausage meat and find it easier to wait for the rolls to cool down before I try to cut them up. A good roasting tin cut and come again fruit cake that could be iced would also go down well with older guests, even the under 5s we have in the family would like that.

maman

For family parties I like to do hot food and would probably do cottage pie and plenty of pickles. I can see that wouldn't work well for you though with paper plates and nowhere to sit.

Quiche is an obvious one but my family like a corned beef plate pie or pasties. Trifle can be popular too.

kazwookie

Sandwiches, sausages on sticks, coleslaw, small salad, crisps, quiche.

Don't over feed the older generation, as they will all fall to sleep after lunch.!!

Blackcats

Thank you all. Mrs LW - the sausage plait sounds lovely- I might practice that this weekend. Maman - I've never made quiche but I can see it would be a good choice. I'd probably have to describe it as egg and bacon flan as some guests have a fear of "exotic" food.
Kazwookie- that sounds like a good strategy!

maman

Blackcats wrote: »

Thank you all. Mrs LW - the sausage plait sounds lovely- I might practice that this weekend. Maman - I've never made quiche but I can see it would be a good choice. I'd probably have to describe it as egg and bacon flan as some guests have a fear of "exotic" food.
Kazwookie- that sounds like a good strategy!

You can buy ready made pastry for the quiche/bacon & egg flan if you want to save yourself a job and then it's as simple as putting fried bacon and onion in the case and topping up with whisked eggs, a little milk and grated cheese and seasoning . I put sliced tomatoes and a bit more cheese on top. There are many online recipes. A filling, hot /warm version is to line the dish with mashed potato instead of pastry. The plate pie needs a pastry bottom, fill with a mixture of mash, diced corned beef and softened diced onion (sometimes add a little thyme) and then a pastry lid. You could try all the dishes in advance.

bouicca21

More traditional than quiche, egg and bacon pie. Line dish with shortcrust pastry, add cooked bacon bits, slice up some tomato, whisk eggs together, pour over, top with more pastry. Dead easy, make in advance.



PS Just when did 'flan' get superseded by 'quiche'?

Owain_Moneysaver

bouicca21 wrote: »

PS Just when did 'flan' get superseded by 'quiche'?

It was still "a cream and bacon tart" in French Provincial Cooking, Elizabeth David, 1960.