You're arranging a easy buffet for 20 people. What are you serving?

[LordOfTheThings]

You don't have time to put loads of things in and out the oven and would like to make as much as possible early in the day.

Did I mention that you are a shit cook so it needs to be simple?

Crisps and crackers with dips. Cheese board and nice bread. Cold meats. Salads but less leafy so the don't wilt. Fruit. Could do dit sandwich platter too. New pots in a salad or just cold with a basic dressing.

If you can do a tray or two or have an air fryer minu cheese and onion rolls or sausage rolls.

I think I'd get the Waitrose Entertaining catalogue, and/or stuff from Cook

Then all you need to do is: check defrosting a day in advance, then put whatever needs cooking or heating up in and out of the oven at the right time, and set everything out on the table.

www.waitrose.com/ecom/shop/browse/entertaining

www.cookfood.net

Finger food or forks/cutlery?

I have a similar occasion soon and was thinking about this.

Cook a gammon the day before or buy sliced ham and turkey.

Coleslaw

Baby potatoes (I would reheat) fresh parsley and butter

Quiche (I would try and make my own but might buy from local deli)

Dh might cook a few steaks or I would oven cook some salmon

Cook chicken goujons and pizza (we have good few kids coming)

Sausage rolls
Bread and butter
Bowls of salad
Bowls of coleslaw and potato salad
Ham or other preferred selection of cold meats
Cheese board
Fruit platter
Bowls of crisps / snacks
Quiche

i'd think tapas - frittata cut into pieces, salami, olives, baguettes cut up,

if I had a big budget, I'd get lots of ready-made nibbles from M&S or Waitrose.

If there are kids, get a regular margarita pizza, put extra cheese on top, heat & cut into 3inch squares to serve.

Big salad, coleslaw, potato salad.
Hummus and bread
Charcuterie platter
Picky things like olives, mozzarella balls etc
Satay sticks
Fruit salad
If you wanted a few hot options you could do chicken strips, pizza etc relatively quickly before serving.
Or a dish in a slow cooker that's ready for all together.

Quiche cut into pieces, mini scotch eggs / sausages / pork pies. Coleslaw, potato salad, various interesting breads, some pate and some salmon pate, a huge cheese board with grapes and celery, some lovely different hams /smoked salmon / salami / chicken pieces. And some jacket potatoes done in the oven put into a basket lined with tinfoil and a napkin to keep them warm. Selection of nice chutneys and olives.

People can then make their own combinations of whatever they fancy but it all still "goes together". This is basically our Boxing Day menu, with the addition of cold turkey!

Big loaf of crusty bread and posh butter
Green salad with vinaigrette (one part olive oil, two parts posh vinegar, bit of garlic)
Cucumber slices in yoghurt
Cheese board
Naice Ham
Frittata (ready made is fine)
Things in jars: pickles, relishes whatever
Crisps and dips

If there are kids, get a regular margarita pizza, put extra cheese on top, heat & cut into 3inch squares to serve

YY to this. My kids call them "pizza bites"

I should have said - no kids!

Is it going to be a lunch or a dinner? Adults or children? Adventurous eaters or prefer bland/beige food, or a mix? Any dietary requirements, allergies, vegans/veggies or fussy eaters to cater for? Budget roughly? And also (related to budget) are you averse to buying in ready made, and do you want there to be hot items as well as cold? A 'finger' buffet or will there be seating so people can eat with forks?

For a classic, very safe, likely to appeal to most English lunch buffet I would do:

-Big cheeseboard with grapes, chutneys and crackers
-Plates of cold meats (ham, salami etc)
-Smoked salmon (possibly served on ready-bought blinis or melba toasts with cream cheese and chives, if being fancy, or just on platters with lemon wedges if not)
-A big green dressed salad
-A big tomato based/greek salad
-A big pasta salad (assuming possible to eat with knives and forks)
-Lots of fresh crusty bread/rolls (so people can make up sandwiches if they wish or just eat on the side)
-Quiches, tarts, sausage rolls or pies bought ready made (can be warmed in oven or just served cool)
-Bowls of crisps and nuts
-Vegetable crudites and dips, breadsticks
-Some trays of ready bought 'party' type oven food usually from M&S - mini sausage rolls, cheesy bites, breaded prawns, that kind of thing (adjust fanciness according to your desire).
-For pudding, a large pavlova or Eton Mess (ready made meringues unless you particularly want to make your own) with lots of whipped cream and fresh berries or tropical fruits - and/or scones with fresh cream and jam and/or ask other guests to bring along a dessert

But I have also successfully done 'hot' buffets before (which I would think of more for an evening do) or more Mediterranean 'mezze' style spreads which are particularly good if you have veggies or vegans coming but may be less suitable for fussy eaters, so can post ideas for these too?

Can you throw money at the problem and buy one of the entertaining packages from a supermarket?

Or contact a catering company? I had an amazing buffet for my 50th and it was £8 per head.

If finances not an issue - agree with m&s or waitrose entertaining. Large dressed salmon served cold? Or coronation chicken? Posh tarts/quiches? With various salad accompaniments, French bread or jacket potatoes.

Unless it has to be finger food in which case I think m & S trays of sandwiches are reasonably priced when you compare to buying all the fillings etc

All of the above! I love the idea of a salmon (a whole one or just a side) as that would look really flash and isn’t too much work to prep and cook. Otherwise a whole ham that people can carve from would be pretty cheap but look impressive and banquet-y!

Make sure there’s some good veggie options and that any vegetarians get first dibs on those as the meat eaters will all have them too and then there’s nothing left for the veggies to eat!

We’ve unfortunately had to cater a few funerals over the past year, and we just order salads, wraps, sandwiches and crisps from Waitrose/M&S. I do not want to think about shopping or cooking on the morning of a funeral.

If I was cooking for friends, a burrito/taco station works well. Meat chilli, veggie chilli or refried beans, guacamole, grated cheese, sour cream, salsa, spicy sauce, and salad and crudités. Big bowl of rice. Burritos or tacos. People can put together whatever they want. Picky people get salad and rice. Vegans get beans, rice, salad, burrito, etc. Low-carb eaters can skip the rice/burrito. Lots of flexibility.

Morrisons food to order

Meat platter
Cheese board
Houmous and falafels
2-3 salads (buy prepep)
Crisps, nuts, olives etc
Crusty bread, crackers.

Assorted crackers
Variety of cheese
Caramelised onion relish jar
Bread sticks
French bread and butter and spread (vegan eg vitalité?)
Three or four pots of hummous
Vegetable crudités
Cherry tomatoes
Strawberries
Green grapes
Red grapes
(The fruit and veg look pretty and are vegan/veggie)
Cocktail sausages
Two or three sorts of crisp type snacks
Black and green olives(good value at Asda)

Check allergies and avoid things that can cross contaminate easily. (Eg avoid coleslaw/dips etc if egg allergies as that gets everywhere)

French bread, butter.
Cheese, ham, pickles, salad, pork pies, if you can keep cold.
Coleslaw and potatoes salad. Make your own.
Some apples, tangerines maybe bananas.
Let them cut the bread and cheese themselves.

I'd do a grazing table, Aldi or Lidl is good for value.
We also did a couple of homemade focaccia but you could always buy some breads.
Was very well received. Photo of one my Dd did for a recent gathering.

This might be useful
https://www.you.co.uk/grazing-platter-tutorial/

Cheese, cold meats, green salad, potato salad (from a tub or homemade), coleslaw, naice bread, olives, hummus.
Maybe also a bought quiche as well.
If there's a deli counter at your local supermarket you could probably pre order the coleslaw/potato/quiche/hummus/olives/meat/cheese - or do Sainsburys/Waitrose/Ocado food to order

Apologies
Forgot about the decorative willies on it, these are entirely optional

justaweeone wow can I go to your next do!