Simple buffet for us plus one family

[GreatGooglyMoogly]

We're having friends over tomorrow(!) and have found that a simple buffet-style lunch works best for the 4 adults and 4 children (aged 1-7). I am making 2 puddings, one of which needs doing at the last minute so I don't want to make this too difficult for myself but neither do I want it to be too shop-bought as our friends always make most of their food themselves. So far, I'm thinking:

Sausages
Bread from the mill bakery
Home-made potato salad
Green salad with avocado and feta
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumber and carrot sticks
Maybe olives

Then my ideas start to get into shop stuff like garlic doughballs, coleslaw, pizza, sausage rolls, which is where I start to worry it is not home-made enough! DH doesn't like quiche, so that is out. Help!

[gorionine]

You can still have quiche non? other people might enjoy it and by the sound of what you are describing, he will have enough other things to eat? I thought the point of a buffet is that if you do not like one thing you can eat another not that everyone should like everything on offer?

[gorionine]

Oh and it's quite simple to make you own pizza/coleslaw to make it more home made although I am not sure it will make a difference to people other than yourself.

[ExitPursuedByATroll]

Nice Ham

[welliesundermeballgoon]

You could make coleslaw- could be done in advance and is much tastier homemade.

What about making bruschetta with a pizza like topping (sundried tomatoes/pesto/mozzarella) Or even just with cubed tomatoes and red onion is nice.

what about some sort of home made bread/cheese twists and homemade dips or houmous?

you could make little tart like things with ready rolled pastry and maybe roasted vegetables?

Nice bowl of prawns always goes down well around here!

[welliesundermeballgoon]

YY to naice ham, with pickles or chutneys yum

[thereistheball]

I'd roast two chickens today, and serve them cold with everything you'd need to make an amazing club sandwich, ie bowls of sliced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, salad (or maybe baby spinach), thinly sliced red onion, slivers of execellent cheddar, proper mayo (not Hellmans - either make it or get the French stuff that doesn't have sugar in), hot smoked bacon (do this in the oven when they arrive - having one hot thing makes it feel like more of a meal and this is hassle-free) and of course good bread. Then everyone can pick and choose and you should have leftover chicken for the following day.

[GreatGooglyMoogly]

Many thanks for all of the suggestions :). I've bought some cold meats and a selection of cheeses and think I'll probably do a pasta salad as well. Hopefully that will be enough!