buffet food for 18th birthday.

[screamingsiblings]

DH are both adamant we are right. Please solve.

Village Hall type party for a few family members, plus 18th birthday DC's friends. Disco/Karaoke type thing. probably around 40-50 people in total.

One of us wants to serve food like a chilli, salads, rice, quiches,
One of us wants to serve hot dogs, salads, pizzas.

We will be cooking/serving the food ourselves.

Which would you serve up?

Thank you.

What does your son want? His answer is the answer.

Alcohol soaking carbs, quick and easy. My dc would want pizza, hot dogs etc. The nice salads, chillis, quiches are more appropriate for a 40th than an 18th. The best party food I ever had was catered by a local Indian restaurant, and we had big bowls of different dishes, but again it was for an older age group.

Provide lots of water... if this is an end of a levels party at least a couple of people will overdo it on the booze

Ah. Yes. Water. Good call.

Off-topic but why are so many people thinking the birthday person is a son?!

If you can get to a cash and carry type place(or Costco) buy crisps in individual packets. Much less mess and waste as any unopened bags can be kept. More hygienic too if you care about that sort of thing.

Whatever you do, DO NOT have popcorn. Teenage boys (I have 2) find it impossible to resist eating it by the handful where most of it ends on the floor and not in their mouths. The mess is incredible.

If you’ve a Costco nearby (I’m guessing probably not after your rural update). They do cooked pizzas as well as cold and sandwich platters.

Finger food. Sandwiches, chicken goujons, wedges, cocktail sausages, onion rings.

I'd do curry, Rice, chapattis,salad etc. depending on where you live you might be able to get an Indian sweet shop type place to deliver Indian snacks or even full buffet reasonably.

I would cook rice (I have a large rice cooker) then borrow 2-3 slow cookers for one meat curry and 2 veggie one. I've done it for 50 recently, all contented customers (church event)

Chilli and rice whilst yum just sounds a pain having to transport. Doesn't have the universal appeal of pizza either.

If it were me I would keep it simple
Cheapest Pizzas I could find. Some sausage rolls, hot dogs.

Use your money to get a nice cake mainly for the photos.
Certainly avoid hot food (chilli), I cooked my excellent Thai red curry for my son's 18th- hardly touched!

Curry?! At a disco??

😳

@screamingsiblings

no

no one wants a hot, stodgy, messy meal like that a party in summer

We've ordered some platters from Morrisons and Costco for the party we are having in a couple of weeks. Sandwiches, savoury bites, etc.

anyone had vegan hotdogs? Are they ok?

Yeah, they're okay.

I have had vegan hotdogs they were fine .

Pizzas

I would ask the person whose birthday it is and whose guests will mostly be their's and ask them!

Because a DD would be all over it!

No marshmallows or haribo type sweets (thought a sweetie stall would be good!) - the stickiness on the floor was horrific!

What size are the ovens at the venue? You are going to need a lot of pizza for 18 year olds, particularly if there's a lot of lads. (I've catered for rugby teams where the formula was however much you think and triple it!)
If you are doing the pizzas yourself you are going to need a lot of oven space and even if you bring the pizzas out in waves you risk spending all night in the kitchen.