What food at a barn dance?

[IHeartKingThistle]

I'm having a barn dance for a big birthday this year (exciting!!!).

Going to have cider and hay bales and all the rest of it - but what about food? I'd love to have a hog roast but have a fair few veggies coming.

Any suggestions?

How many coming? My default is to make a number of different curries...easy to keep hot and easy to do nice veggie versions, plus beautiful nann bread and salads.

OR....a lot of roasted meats, nice breads and salads plus a veggie curry for the veggies.

About 80 probably.

We did curry for DH's 40th and it went down really well but don't really want to do it again - I feel like it should be rustic!

Pie & peas?
(vegi pie option)

Why can't you have a hog roast? Is it because you're worried the veggies would be upset at the sight of the hog? If so, can you have lots of chicken fillets in baps with eg salsa for the meat eaters and veggie patties for the others?

Shagged's idea is a good one - get a job lot of Pieminister pies and provide mushy peas too! Fab.

Traditionally, it ought to be a bit of a ploughman's lunch at a barn dance - or, in truth, originally a bit of a 'bring and share supper'

It depends really on how much work you want.
When I've organised Barn Dances for fund raisers, I've ordered in fish and chips - though of course veggies wouldn't eat fish and I'm not sure there's a real alternative from a chippy.

Curries would be easy to offer a veggie curry, but might be a bit too much of a 'full meal' to then be dancing again just afterwards?

I'd be inclined to go for a buffet, then people can have a lighter meal and veggies can be easily atered for.

Jacket potatoes and different toppings - beans, cheese, chilli, veg chilli etc

Just checking - are you getting it catered, whatever you have, or are you thinking of prepping the food yourselves ?

Barbecue type food I'd say with lots of different grilled meats, sausages inc veggie ones, buns, french bread, fried onions, mustard etc available, jacket potatoes with grated cheese and a veggie chilli to help themselves to, corn on the cob and coleslaw!

Hungry now...

Yeah I'm so hungry now!

Think we'll have it catered tbh - I do a LOT of cooking and hosting the rest of the year, DH reckons I should have a break from it for my birthday!

The menu will depend on what the venue is like,will people be able to sit down and eat or will it be more picking at food in between the dancing and mingling?

Mini sliders and mini hotdogs homemade chips or wedges,coleslaw,bbq beans and corn on the cob and you can do veggie versions for the vegeterians is one way to go.

Or if you really liked the idea of the hog roast but your worried about the vegeterians you could have platter/trays of hot sliced roasted meats,different types of bread rolls,salads and hot buttered potatoes and have the same sides for the vegeterians but something else laid out that they can put into the rolls.

Sausages and beans. Crusty bread.

"Barbecue type food I'd say with lots of different grilled meats, sausages inc veggie ones, buns, french bread, fried onions, mustard etc available, jacket potatoes with grated cheese and a veggie chilli to help themselves to, corn on the cob and coleslaw!"

This is the way I'd go - 30 years veggie here.

There's loads of veggie burgers, sausages, fillets, grills, patties etc now.

Corn on the cob, veggie kebabs (peppers, onion, tomato, mushrooms, aubergine, courgette...)

Potato salad, coleslaw, beetroot salad... Will be scoffed by all.

Decent veggie sausages with mash.

I’m going to have to get up and make some toast now. I can’t sleep and all this talk of food has left me starving. 🙄😂

I agree on the barbecue/hog roast with plenty of meat and veggie options, plus lots of salads and sides. Fits the vibe of a barn dance and generally pleases everyone.

Why not a barbecue? That's what we'd serve in the States for a barn party chips, dips, baked beans, dirty rice, cole ska

Oops Cole slaw or potato salad, bread & some kind of dessert

Ice lollies and big chunks of watermelon, guests will become hot with all the dancing.

I also vote for bbq or for some reason a barn dance reminds me of buffalo bills Wild West show in Disneyland Paris, the food there consists of corn bread, chicken legs, chilli, sausages, corn on the cob etc.

Pie and peas surely?

Pig Roast with an amazing cheese & baguette selection for the vegetarians.

Pie and peas.

Veggie chilli?

Oh my god it all sounds amazing, can you lot come and cater it?!

There will be seating and tables but it won't be a 'sit down' meal IYSWIM,

I love loads of these ideas. I'm a cheese fiend so was already thinking of a shitload of nice cheese too. Can't cook outside at the hall I've booked so BBQ our. Still leaning towards hog roast (that's ok inside, right?!) but the pie and peas suggestion is intriguing. Could have loads of different types of pies, mmm...