To ask what you would make for a middle class lunch buffet ?

[Lotsofsausage]

I get the impression sausage rolls and cheese twists ain’t gonna cut it.
Has to be cold so don’t have to reheat it, and travel in a car. Also not break the bank!
I was going to make a feta tart type thing with filo pastry, possibly a frittata with lots of herbs. Any other suggestions ?

[HebeMumsnet]

OP you can have my middle class canape recipe if you like? It's piss-easy.
Tin of artichoke hearts, drain, chop a bit, mix with a bit of mayo. Add a bit of lemon juice or zest if you like. Lob blobs of the artichoke mix into little pastry cases or shove uncooked pasty discs in a mini quiches or jam tart type baking tray. Cook until just browned and pastry cooked through.
Have done this several times to rapturous middle class applause (and not mentioned that the artichokes were tinned to sound more posh).

[Spanglybangles]

I’d head straight to Costco for platters of wraps, salads, fruit to make a platter, blinis and smoked salmon or maybe actually their smoked salmon patè with some crackers, some sausage rolls, cruditès and houmous. If sweet stuff required, Costco do some gorgeous two bite brownies, mini cinnamon whirls, baklava, that sort of thing.

[PunishmentSnart]

Prawn ring from Iceland.

I would be so upset if a buffet didn't have sausage rolls.....

Jokes aside, a caprese salad is simple but delicious.

[7yo7yo]

I’m sorry I can’t help op, I only know what the upper class buffet cart serves.

[Tortycat]

love the description and know exactly what you mean!
breadsticks, crudites and dips
home made salads
puff pastry tarts/ quiche
cheese board and nice bread
cakes, home made brownies, fruit platter
kettle chips,

go veggie if you want to keep costs down

[SleepWarrior]

Sheet of ready rolled puff pastry. Smear with pesto and sprinkle with cheese (and ham too if you want). Roll into a Swiss roll type thing and freeze for 30mins. Cut 1cm discs from the roll and cook on a baking tray. Lovely.

[Mildmanneredmum]

Hebe, I am full of admiration! But did the applause-worthy tarts not have the unfortunate side-effect that the filling is known for? Or did you just not hang around for long enough to find out? I suppose middle class people don't fart........

[hipposarerad]

I think a middle class buffet is one where a bounteous beige banquet from Iceland would be met with much pearl clutching and gasps of Boden-clad outrage.

[VenusOfWillendorf]

You definitely need Pom Bears.

[formerbabe]

Brilliant!

hummus for sure. Anti pasti platter. Olives. Feta things.

[HebeMumsnet]

@mildmanneredmum Is that true? I'd no idea artichokes had that effect. Next time I will hang around longer and listen carefully. I'll report back.

[PurpleDaisies]

The key thing is to put things on plates and in bowls. No working class plastic packaging or crisps still in bags. The horror...

[DonCorleoneTheThird]

It never occurred to me that there was any other buffet scale than a child one vs a grown-up one.

I am now wondering how friends at home and clients at work judged the buffets I've ever organised

I have learnt recently to label "reserved for vegetarians" the dishes that are made for them, as normal people eat both meat and non-meat dishes so have no issue in eating salads or other. I have read a lot of outrage on MN about that!

[AuntieOxident]

Mild it's Jerusalem artichokes (tubers) that give you the farts. Supposedly.
Hebe was using globe artichoke hearts. (which don't - as far as I know.)

[Mookatron]

I went to a middle class buffet lunch recently and the menu was a house prices quiche and secondary school catchment areas fricasee.

Not really. It was a carrot salad, a puy lentil salad, and 2 different home made quiches. Maybe some bread, can't remember. But it was delicious and we all made a big fuss of the host.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Pitta Chips or Kettle Chips...not doritos

[HebeMumsnet]

@AuntieOxident Thank God for that! I was just starting to worry about the trail of middle class buffet devastation I may have left in my canape wake.

[DustyMaiden]

I’ve heard they serve Macci dees at the White House. You can’t get it that wrong.

[PurpleDaisies]

I’ve heard they serve Macci dees at the White House.

That was Trump though. He’s not s good middle class role model.

[OopsInamechangedagain]

Auntie is right about Jerusalem artichokes vs globe artichoke hearts.

OP this is a nice recipe -

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/cheats-asparagus-ham-and-cheese-tart/

[hellsbellsmelons]

if there's no sausage rolls.... is it even a buffet??
Nope!
Nothing wrong with sausage rolls.
If they are good enough for royalty then they are good enough for middle-class folk!

You could also try honey and mustard glazed cocktail sausages.
Yummy!

[BarbaraofSevillle]

Wouldn't it be better to provide plenty of food that is suitable for vegetarians and everyone else rather than banning omnivores from the cheese sandwiches and onion bhajis?

Too many buffets including sausage rolls, ham sandwiches, pork pies and mini sausages which are all effectively the same food, so why not replace some of these rather than serving processed pork in as many different ways that you can think of?

[Birdsgottafly]

The baklava is on sale in Lidl at the min, to clear the Christmas stock.

Everything mentioned is sold in Lidl and Aldi.

It's great that the poor can now experience these foods. Bless 'em.

My only wish is that Vol-au-Vents come back into fashion.

I get a Nigerian friend to make Joffee Rice and get pre-order M&S chicken legs, usually as my contribution. Sometimes a coconut rice. It always goes down well. It's finding the Nigerian that can be tricky (runs).

[Mookatron]

DH and I had jerusalem artichoke soup for our anniversary dinner once. All I can say is, it's a good job both of us had it and we'd been together years [gas-mask emoji].

[MotorcycleMayhem]

We do picnic lunches at home a lot. From Lidl. Essentially they are buffets.

They look something like this if I'm feeding the five thousand:
Tiger loaves from the fresh bake section - slice thickly
Peppered ham slices
Other cold meats as necessary
Prawn cocktail - add a squirt of ketchup and drops of Worcestershire sauce to it though as it needs more flavour
Pate of some sort
Whole chorizo - chop up at home, chuck in frying pan with skug of red wine and spoon of honey but no oil - it doesn't need it. Serve hot.
Quiche - serve hot
Pork pies - serve cold and cut up
Salad
Tomatoes and cucumber on the side
Coleslaw
Coronation chicken
Home made egg mayonnaise
Salted butter
Crackers
Chutneys
Various cheeses - cheddar, stilton, brie, something else and crackers

Inolves fuck all work on my part.