Is this enough food - and if not what else?

[Mayrain]

DH significant birthday this weekend and we're having 20 adults and 10 kids - in the garden from 1 (weather permitting):

2 x savoury tarts (large)
bread
potato salad
3 x large salads
olives
crackers
Grapes
cheese board
Houmous
crisps type things
Brownies
birthday cake
pizza for kids

Doesn't look much now I've written it down!

Any other ideas would be great.

What @PinkFootstool said

It’s Greek Week at Lidl: get 2 of those big spinach and cheese swirls to bake. Easy peasy, very nice!

And maybe roast a tray of sausages if you are not veggie. At least one per guest.

So also v easy and nice with baguettes and the salad you are planning.

No not enough. The adults will go for the pizza too. I would bulk it out with jacket potatoes and maybe some cold meats.

@EggInANest - thank you, that's a top tip. DH loves that spinach thing.

Okay lots more needed - chilli is good idea.

OK, if no meat, get bags of frozen felafel and roast / crisp up in the oven.

And the Greek spinach swirls from Lidl.

Yep; that was my thinking too. I was scanning the list to see what the main was. 2 tarts between 20 adults, even if they’re absolutely massive, won’t be enough.

It's frustrating tha that people are suggesting meat when it's clear the OP does not want to serve meat.

I would also make a couple of large Spanish tortillas. They are really nice and can be served cold.

I would either add big veggie chili and jacket potatoes & grated cheese
Or
Several quiches
Or
Platters of Moroccan spiced roasted veg and chickpea
Or
Platters of veggie buffet food

Veggie sausages?
Vegetarian sausage rolls?

Ice creams in freezer for kids.

I normally do a big tray of pulled pork to put in rolls or a big lasagna or something? You definitely need another main dish or two

Veggie chili is easy, cheap and can be scaled up to fill your biggest pot! Bulk it up with brown lentils

My list for our gathering of a similar split of adults and children

Quiches
Sandwiches

• finger rolls
• cheese
• ham
• salmon

Cherry tomatoes Crisps Chicken wings etc Sausage rolls Wraps Veggie stuff Cocktail sausages Cakes Pizzas Baked potatoes Cheese - grated Coleslaw Potato salad Biscuits Drinks Salad Just bread

No I don’t think it is nearly enough the baked potato and chilli idea is good although perhaps a bit mess at to eat if standing up A large vegetarian lasagne would be nice. Can you also provide for the meat eaters ? A platter of cold chicken ham chorizo etc and plenty of good chutney etc. Also make potato wedges sprinkled with paprika and salt and serve with Mayo etc

What salads are you doing op? I think you need to make them really substantial. Maybe a cous cous, with harissa roasted chick peas and veg, plenty of herbs and some pomegranate seeds. A classic tomato, mozzarella and basil with olive oil, balsamic, rock salt and black pepper. Maybe a Mexican bean salad with mixed beans, sweetcorn, red onion, lime, coriander and chilli.
I agree that pizza will be popular but it's only really nice served hot and you are likely to be limited on oven space if you do more for everyone.
I agree falafel are a good shout.

Definitely not enough sorry. I would add a large baked ham, a baked whole salmon, some potatoes maybe cooked in foil in the bbq or new potatoes baked whole in oil and salt. I would make sure there are several desserts too as well as fresh fruit and ice cream and the cheese board would be a very large one. Oh I'd probably do a pasta salad of some sort too.

Oh I've just seen that your DH is veggie. Does that mean you can't serve any meat or fish at all?

I agree with pp it's not enough but is there any reason why you are doing all the food ?
With 20 other adults coming even if only 3 or 4 bring a main / large platter of sandwiches ( I believe M&S do some very nice ones) it would increase the
food with out it all been on your back .

No. Definitely not enough.

Can you get the BBQ on? Haloumi burgers or skewers, corn on the cob, asparagus is just in season, vegetable kebabs, veggie sausages and burgers.

Are they likely to stay into the evening and need to be re-fed? I'd holdback the pizzas for the evening,

I agree. If the quiches genuinely are big, and there's also pizza or another main, there probably is enough food, because you could have a big slice of quiche, with bread, potato salad, other salads, then cheese and grapes, and some crackers and houmous if you're still a bit peckish, then you can have some cake or brownies, maybe go back for a slice of pizza later.

Would people really still be hungry after all that?

Having said that, I'd suggest another 'main' option, but one that's different to the quiche, so not egg or pastry, which excludes the otherwise good suggestions of tortilla and the lidl pastry swirls.

Maybe do the lidl pastry swirls and some Spanish tortilla (maybe baked in big roasting trays with potato, pepper, cheese, mushrooms in, which is similar to a crustless quiche) and not bother with the planned savoury tarts?

A big orzo salad - maybe with feta and tomato or asparagus, mint and lemon - would be tasty and bulk things out. Or okra and halloumi? When calculating, I find it easier to calculate for 4-6 and then multiply than try to work out for a large number, it also means everyone can get some of each dish rather than a massive array of small dishes.

Food sounds lovely but if the tarts are the only main, you need to reckon on most people having two slices (and some will have more) so either more tarts or some additional protein like a large spanish tortilla, pizzas for the grown ups as well as the kids etc. Also don't assume that the kids will stick to the pizza. As a child I would have preferred the grown up offering (so would my DD).

Sounds great to me - I would just make the pizza for everyone though as the adults will want it. Some people don't eat eggs, I do but I don't really like quiche.

I think if the quantity is sufficient it will be enough.
Pizza/quiche, salads, bread, cheese and hummus sounds fine. But there has to be enough for everyone to have at least one portion so that is quite a lot with your numbers and cheese is expensive.

I agree that quiche isn't always popular so the pizza is likely to get a few adults eating it.

So I would make sure there is enough pizza for adults as well.

I don't actually think that jacket potatoes are that practical for eating at a buffet but potato wedges might work.

Sorry, but I agree with others that there isn’t enough food. It’s a list of sides. I would add veggie lasagne to that list at a minimum. It goes well with salads. It you are making it yourself you can do the bulk of it ahead and then just bake it on the day. If you can’t face making lasagna for 20, then Cook do a delicious veggie one - but it is pricey. I have used them for guests a couple of times when I was time poor (and cash rich!) and everyone loves them.

Veggie chilli is lovely, but you then need to make potatoes or rice and provide the additional sides/dips. In isolation it doesn’t work as well with the other items on your buffet.

Good luck OP!

Pizza for everyone!
A massive pile of onion bhajis and samosas too