Help - need quick, easy, impressive looking food for Dh's 40th gathering

[mrspink27]

Thats it in a nutshell really - Have organised a surprise gathering of friends for DH's 40th birthday - dd's will be away for the night
Just realised that it is on Saturday, a mere 4 days away - and I havent even thought about food. Wasnt planning on a full meal, but was thinking of something more than nibbles...

Help? Any ideas for easy and impressive looking food would be most gratefully received....

Thanks

[batey]

What about getting lots of nice cheese/ham/salamis etc and plentyof bread and let people help themselves? May be a bit rustic but easy to prepare!
Or different wraps sliced up/individual quiches/dips etc
Failing that cheese and pineapple on sticks!!!

[lilolilmanchester]

I agree with Batey's idea.Perhaps some different sorts of pate too?
Add some grapes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks etc and you're sorted. If you were thinking more of a fork buffet, have lots of ideas. But if you like Batey's idea, I'd go with that. Much easier for you, espcially if you are keeping it secret. We went to a do recently where that is exactly what was served, and everyone really enjoyed it. Made me wonder why I'd always made life so difficult at my own dos!

[admylin]

We did a party like that last summer and the cheese platter went down best of all but we also made a big bowl of coleslaw, a pasta and tuna sald and a noodle salad the night before. We ordered a big chocolate birthday cake and made fruit kebebs for the kids. Most important was to have plenty of cold beer and wine available!

[CountessDracula]

Make canapes?
If you do a search there are loads of threads on them
I can make enough for 70 in a morning!

[CountessDracula]

(BIG canapes that is)

[CountessDracula]

so for eg you could do

Loads of cooked sausages (nice ones, full sized) with various mustards to dip in

Order a whole crispy duck from your local takeaway or buy one from supermarket, they come with lots of pancakes and hoisin sauce. Chop lots of spring onions and cucubmer and make crispy duck pancakes, chop in half

Large crackers with pate, cheese & something, parma ham & peppers or something like that on them

[hana]

I'd have it catered personally - much less work and stress for you. I did this for dh's 40th and then ordered a whack of pizzas for later on in the night

[CountessDracula]

Also don't know where you live but if you have a good pie shop they always go down well, a giant chicken and ham or pork pie

[heifer]

these went down really well at my DD christening (I cheated and bought the yorkshire puds but next time would make (as I know now how easy they are to make)...

also had

Cold Salmon
Cold Ham Joint
Mini Chicken pies (homemade - too much effort tbh)
sausages

Cous Cous
Greek Salad
Summery potato salad (peas, runner beans etc)
Roasted Toms
Baguettes
Samosas

and crips etc

Wasn't too much trouble as good for a lot beforehand

Can't remember what I did for pudding (Didn't write that down)... but think

triffle
fruit salad
nice icecream

Hope this helps

[Meridian]

I have a quick lemon and mascarpone cheesecake recipe for a pudding.. its quick to make, and can be made the previous night. cheesecake

its quick and delicious, and you can always pretend you slaved away for hours making it