What would you do for Christmas Eve buffet?

[Brazo]

Hosting a Christmas Eve buffet for dinner. First time ever.

Just curious what you would do.

So far I have:

• Baked Camembert with cheese garlic dough balls (shaped in a wreath)
• Charcuterie tree
• Sausage rolls
• Prawn cocktail cups
• selection of meats and cheese
• salad

• cheesecake
• yule log
• mince pies

• mulled wine
• champagne

Everything will be homemade

is this enough?

I don’t want to roast anything. I want it to be more of a spread that people pick at.

I don’t want to over extend myself. Only close family and friends will be in attendance

Sounds lovely.

Perhaps just a bit more vegetation and some fruit? That’s a lot of meat and cheese. Mind you my DH would be happy!

It sounds lovely as it is. It’s pretty much the same as what I did for my Xmas Eve buffet last year.
I added a tray of miniature pot pies, pre rolled puff pastry filled with a peppery beef stew filling I’d made for dinner in the slow cooker the day before.. Everybody loved them.

Thank you :)

Agree with this - perhaps add some celery, grapes, dried and/or fresh fruit to go with the meats and cheese? And some fresh crusty bread/part-baked baguette? I'd also do a vegetarian platter with antipasti like olives, sun-dried tomatoes and marinated mushrooms and artichokes.

Iceland do brilliant party food, and its budget friendly. Maybe some of their Chinese/Indian range?

Cheese and cranberry filo cups
Cheese straws
Chicken satay
Pate
Olives

An Interesting salad like Danish winter salad which has pomegranate and red cabbage included as red cabbage often eaten on Christmas Eve!

Maybe celery and carrot sticks with a range of dips

What are prawn cocktail cups ? Individual prawn cocktails ,?

Just prawn cocktail in little lettuce cups. Really nice and fresh. Prefer it to bread personally

I'd add warm rolls and pate

Oh I would be very happy to see that laid out! You may have included it mentally but I might put out pickles and chutneys, and I second the suggestion of more fresh items (tomatoes, cucumber, grapes, apples maybe satsumas, coleslaw if you like it or braised red cabbage. But honestly it sounds lovely and very generous.

Olives and other antipasti (sun blush tomatoes, artichokes, peppers etc) make me most happy along with a really good cheeseboard, grapes too.

Christmas Eve I always do seafood:

potted crab
Smoked salmon
Hot smoked salmon

sourdough

rocket/walnut salad
picked red cabbage

Yep, definitely would want vegetables and some satsumas to wash down all that fat. Sounds delish! What’s a charcuterie tree though? I’m having visions of slices of prosciutto and salami draped over lower branches of your Christmas tree…

I wouldn’t

I always make a Waldorf salad which goes well with a meat heavy buffet.

We bought the charcuterie tree from M and S last year. It was very straightforward. Very easy to do your own which is what I’ll do this year. That way I can pick more of what I like (I prefer chorizo slices to salami)

We bought the foam shape that the charcuterie will be impaled on from Amazon

Depends what everyone’s plans are for the next day? Would everyone want that if they’re getting it again on Christmas Day?

We always have a gammon (I cook it the day before) with salads, winter slaw etc.

I’m not repeating anything really. Other than sausage rolls and mince pies.

Cheese will be repeated but I don’t think anyone will complain l!

If someone did that, all homemade, I'd be more than happy 👌👍. I'd do pretty much the same, except my fish thing would be mini salmon quiche rather than the prawn thing.

Do you make your own sausagemeat for the sausage rolls, or just use the insides of favourite sausages? I ask bc I do it both ways depending on mood. I love a really decent sos roll!

I also love a chicken and mushroom vol au vent, and brandy snaps with marscapone filling. This thread has got me so hungry for fancy party food!! 😋

Thanks :)

I just buy sausage meat from whichever supermarket and add garlic and parsley :)

Have tried adding onion chutneys etc but just never love the flavour despite it featuring on A LOT of recipes

What time do you want me? It sounds just up my street. I’d add in some crisps but then I love crisps.