Can I have some help putting together a gluten free buffet please

[WillowtreeHouse]

For around 20 folk and would rather not have any hot dishes if possible please. Def a finger buffet. Ideas for little puddings would be great too please and everything must be gluten free. Thanks!

Nicking every idea on this thread 😊

If the person is having active chemotherapy then soft cheeses, lightly cooked eggs and sushi are all things she might be avoiding because of her weakened immune system.

I think it's really helpful that people with coeliac are listing foods that are sometimes NOT gluten free (had no idea about sushi flavourings for eg). Yes we can assume common sense but common sense is not infallible and the OP wants to get this right.

I would ask the person having chemo what they are able to eat and really listen to the answers.

Crisps, nuts, hard cheese, freshly cooked chicken and very clean salad (I think people are sometimes warned off even washed salads in bags) will be good mainstays of a savoury buffet. Add fruit, GF cake and maybe a jelly and you have a nice safe non threatening buffet. I would guess most people who restrict gluten will be pleased to have a choice of more than one cake. (Remember baking powder needs to be GF as well as the flour)

I've not had chemo but I had hyperemesis and I found it easier when things weren't mixed together (once at a buffet where the only thing I could face was a bowl of sliced cucumber, undressed. I still think about that cucumber nearly 20 years on). But do ask your friend because some people can't stomach bland food during chemo and many can't tolerate highly flavoured. My friend had an aversion to anything chalky during chemo.

You are a very good friend to make the entire buffet gluten free instead of just designating a few dishes, which usually end up with the wrong serving spoon in or crumbs in.
Cheesecakes work great gluten free, as do fat free sponges (the kind that relies on heavily whisked eggs to rise) but normal sponges with butter dry up fast so I'd avoid any cakes like that unless particularly moist ones (brownies usually work well though). Could do an ice cream bar instead for puddings, to make it easier, buy some GF cones and GF sprinkles and sauces.

Ready made GF puff pastry is good, would be easy to make some nice pastry options which are always nice to see as usually you don't get something like that at a buffet as a coeliac. You can also make a really easy GF pastry with quark, butter and GF flour, don't need to faff around with rubbing cold butter in but does need chilling for at least a few hours, preferably overnight, before rolling. I usually make pizza pocket pastries with it.

I’m not being unkind but I was really shocked at some of the responses here. There is just so much if you just take a moment to look. I only cook GF. It’s so easy. I’d make the whole buffet GF if I were you to prevent cross contamination- and I’m not Coeliac myself. I started cooking GF when I realised the rubbish my poor coeliac grandson was having to eat. Absolutely no excuse for the poor quality gluten free products available. Unfortunately all most supermarkets are interested in is long sell by dates. Start by buying the Betty Excell ‘Make anything gluten free’ book. Then go to your favourite supermarkets online sites and search ‘gluten free’ and be selective. The Betty Excell books have so many great recipes and use products easily available here in the UK. Good luck with your buffet and enjoy. I’m just putting one together for around the same number of guests so things like Hairy Bikers sausage casserole will be the basis. Just buy GF sausage - most sausage is GF but check. All meat is GF so get the chicken thighs in the oven covered in your favourite flavours. Veg are GF. Crisps mainly GF, Cheese, fruit etc. Betty Excell chocolate cake and desserts. It’s only the same effort you would make anyway 😊

As a coeliac I have to say that this is the stuff of dreams. How lovely you are!

Thank you!

Also (top tip #2!), Heinz Vegan Mayo is not only vegan but also gluten-free, and on offer at Asda. It tastes really good and is useful for making potato salads, rice salads, g-f pasta salads, dips, etc.

Silly question but where are you assembling the buffet, where will you be serving the buffet, what pans/dishes will you be using to prepare the buffet, how do you wash the pans/cutlery/dishes and what plates will you be eating off?

Cross contamination is a very real thing for some GF people. I've learnt the hard way to ask all these questions. My youngest is gluten free and has been glutened more than once by people who think it's fine to slice his sandwich on the same bread board they've just brushed the crumbs off, give a knife a quick rinse in water, wipe it with a skanky sponge and re-use it, use butter that's clearly got breadcrumbs in or re-use a baking tray.

Unfortunately buffets are one of the easiest ways to cross contaminate someone and I would be very wary of someone putting on a buffet and telling me its all GF unless I can see the food being prepared beforehand. Besides, some things like GF bread, pastry, cakes, pasta e.t.c are a bit of an acquired taste. The BBC brownie recipe makes amazing GF brownies though and is one of the few recipes where I have been able to do a straight swap for GF flour.

If you are serving anything out of packets, save the packets so people can check.

The buffet was back in June

Good old 1970s things on sticks - cheddar and pineapple, feta and cherry tomatoes, Stilton and pears. Figs with brie and walnut halves. Stuffed eggs. Onion bhajis (come to think of it, they're better hot). Asparagus wrapped in parma ham. Smoked salmon on gluten-free brown bread - I'd make porridge bread with gluten-free oats but check with your guests.

If you have a collection of ramekins, lemon posset is dead easy to make in advance and delicious. Meringues obviously, as people have said.

The thing that will make it a treat is to have a range of choices and to not have to worry about any of them - such a luxury.

I've just seen that it's a zombie thread. Bet it was a lovely day.

For bread buns we’ve found Morrisons white or M&S tiger buns about the best if you need them. Slice a gammon joint and not a bad combo with some of the Colmans mentioned.