The holy beige buffet

[TheChosenTwo]

This was the decided outcome of our girls Christmas night in this year! I’m hosting, so far I’ve added sausage rolls, tempura prawns, mozzarella sticks, some pizzas, gyoza, bao buns.
There are only 4 of us, plus my 2 dc will be here somewhere and also need feeding - what would you like at a standard shit buffet? I’m working all day so will only really get home an hour or 2 before everyone arrives so nothing that needs any preparation- it’s all got to be shoved in an oven.

Morrison's do nice mozzarella sticks, completely unhealthy and beige but also delicious!

I’d definitely go with M&S party food bits if that’s doable. Or jazz up some mayonnaise with whatever takes your fancy, ketchup, chilli dipping sauce, chopped chilli, olives etc.

You need Iceland to do this properly - and you'll get more for your money!

It’s okay, I’ll stick with ocado, they do everything I need! I have a regular slot with them anyway so it’s easy enough.
Plenty of oven space so that’s not a bother.
The bao buns are filled with duck and hoisin sauce; they’ll go down a storm but I am now invested in vol au vents - can you buy them ready filled? I remember my mum used to cook the cases and make separate fillings.

Oooh if you're doing an Ocado shop do not miss the mini croque monsieurs, they are always a mega hit whenever we've had them for nibbles before!!

I read that you can now buy gravymayo, sounds disgusting but it would fit the remit

M&S have savoury choux buns filled with molten cheese. Food of the Gods.

Sweet chilli dip is a must have, glad to see you have it covered op 😋

Those part baked rolls you put in the oven. Very beige and an excellent vessel for other beige foods/meat/cheese

Egg sandwiches on white bread, you can’t have a buffet without egg sandwiches!

Break up the beige with mangos and watermelon sticks/grapes. Cucumber/carrot and humous.

Colourful paper plates and napkins, no washing up. Greek salad, wee toms, olives and feta optionally threaded on a cocktail stick would add colour.

Pickled cornichons/gherkins

Though they may count as a vegetable so you might want to disregard!

Garlic bread and a tub of coleslaw

Ahhh, when the most complicated part of the "cooking" is the timing so all the Indian snacks come out at the same time as the mini pizzas , jalapeno bites, sausage rolls and tiny lumps of bad pastry quiches!

Bung some celery in a pint glass and you're good to go!

Lots of the supermarkets have 342 and other offers on Xmas buffet stuff. Waitrose did pork belly onastick, so fatty and luscious.

I have a tradition with friends where on the 22nd December we eat a selection of whichever has the best Christmas party food - Waitrose or M&S. Favourites have been the chicken Katsu Kievs and anything involving stuffing or melted cheese.

Melty cheese is always a winner isn’t it?
ocado sell the Picard range, I’ve added a selection of pastry nibbles and the mini cheeseburgers (my ds will definitely eat these even if no one else does!), looking at some other stuff now.
and I’ll get some profiteroles and something else for after.

As you're doing Ocado, look out for tempura vegetables, cauliflower popcorn, Indian snack selection, squares of quiche, cubes of pork belly.
You don't want anything too fancy that will trap you in the kitchen.

I have plenty of part bake bread coming anyway so that could be useful. And yes, cornichons and onions are a staple in this house anyway!!
and we keep chickens so plenty of eggs, I usually make a weekly egg mayo to keep in the fridge ready for lunches etc so could do that later in the week so it’s there just in case.

@AdaColeman we’ll no doubt spend the whole night together in the kitchen, it’s a big kitchen with an island in the middle, no separate dining room! So quite happy to just be shoving bits in the oven as and when, it will be incredibly informal 😂😂
closer to the booze fridge too!

Its not a buffet without cheese & pineapple on sticks!
You also need wotsits and animal biscuits.

Your beige buffet sounds lovely! I would do a pulled ham, baked Camembert, goujons, new potatoes, gherkins, coleslaw, a tonne of baguette, butter and pate, and fancy Ocado Indian nibbles. And a trifle. I want to come!

That sounds grand @TheChosenTwo !

Gotta have a prawn ring from Iceland, it's the law.