What are your best buffet offerings?

[ToTheRegimentIWishIWasThere]

Technically it's a child's birthday party but it's basically 7/8 (plus birthday boy) adults at midday.

Don't want to overdo it but do want to be delicious and have impressive features

I'm thinking of doing a soup (probably carrot and coriander) fresh crusty bread, bit of a cheese board, coleslaw and a glazed ham. Maybe a prawn, salmon cocktail arrangement.

Or, I could go wildcard and do a big mince slow cooker burrito, with wraps, guacamole, sour cream etc.

What would you do on your buffet? I'm not worried about over catering, DH and Bil will happily hoover up leftovers.

(If I could do the bulk the night before and stick in a slow cooker then that would be a bonus. )

Chilli, rice, tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, easy to prep in advance and can eaten standing up with just a fork if necessary!

Sorry having re-read your post, realised I have just suggested pretty much what you had already!

I love your wildcard idea!

Soup is not a standing up food (if that's the kind of party it is). And C&C is a bugger to spill down your nice top and stain...

I'd def go wildcard. I'll be round just after noon.

it's basically just immediate family who will probably be so enamoured with the birthday boy (first child in 27 years and therefore Golden boy who radiates delight and wonder as far as my grandma and aunties are concerned) that they're not bothered about the food (and eat like sparrows anyway!)

The more the merrier Buzz

I don't think I can help because all I can think about now is the spread my mum used to put on at family events like this of freshly baked bread, jacket potatoes, all the fillings, sides.... And it was so good....

How old is the Birthday boy?
I think I'd just ask him.

He will be three, he just wants "cheese and a spiderman cake" so not necessarily a rounded meal

I would do a cake of cheese next to the Spider-Man cake.

Crackers, chutney, fruit and celery
Sandwich platter
Big bowls of crisps

warm sausage rolls....little teeny ones

mix sausage meat with a grated apple and some finely grated parmesan

you want the finished sausage rolls to be about an inch long and not much fatter! Top tip is to roll the pastry out as LONG as possible, lay your sausage meat out in long thin strips, seal and then egg wash them before you cut them...much easier than trying to do each one individually after you have cut them

So I'd go with your cheeseboard and ham option plus approximately a bajillion baby sausage rolls.

I'd definitely avoid soup for a buffet, it's too easily spilled. Anything that can be dipped tends to go down well here.

I love Yorkshire puddings filled with a little slice of beef and gravy, and salmon with horseradish mayo.

Mmmmmm