Christmas Buffet Ideas

[MmeLindt]

I am hosting a Ladies Night In next week and it is custom to have a buffet style meal prepared.

Since most of the guests are American, I would like to make something evocative of a typical British Christmas.

I will make Mince Pies, and have a fab Xmas Cake for dessert, but am a bit stuck on savoury treats.

It is not a sit down meal so needs to be snack sized bites.

Any ideas?

I guess I could do oatcakes with cheddar.

And Scottish salmon.

Def salmon, yummy!

Some Stilton, def nice, esp at this time of year.

Could do a whole poached salmon, served with creme fraiche and salad leaves.

A gammon.
Salmon.
pasta salad.
Good cheeseboard.

I'd just do a huge cheese board, with some British cheeses, a lovely range of bread, grapes, celery, walnuts etc.

And then mince pies and trifle for pud.

Gammon would mean knives and forks though, wouldn't it?

I need something that can be eaten with fingers.

Whole salmon would cost an arm and a leg here, unless I go over to France perhaps. Hmm.

What about prawns? How could I serve them? I could do a nostalgic Mary Rose sauce :o

Cheese board is too everyday here. And I won't manage to get a good selection of British cheese.

Sorry, should have mentioned, I am abroad.

Can anoyne think of a way to do turkey? I wondered about some kind of bite sized turkey/cranberry sauce thing.

M&S stuffing/pigs in blankets type things?

Cheese whirls / cheese straws?

crostini??

Pigs in blanket/chipolatas - yes, that sounds good.

Will do some cheese straws, have puff pastry.

How about some tiny Yorkshire puddings with erm...something...inside them?

Vol-au-vents!! Make 'em soggy for the true British experience.

Mini yorkshire puddings & then fill them with some sliced beef & horseradish.

Grilled bruschetta with pesto, red pepper & mozarella topping.

Homemade cranbberry sauce with turkey twizzlers goujons.

Mini Yorkshire puds with a little slice if turkey in it and a teaspoon of stuffing [compile and in oven for 10 min before serving]
Mini scones with prawns maire rose or some smkd salmon
Roasted chesnuts
scooped out cherry tons filled with cream cheese
Hot whiskey

Cherry tons cherry tomatos

well, at the MN Xmas do on saturday ( name drop , name drop ) they had a couple of canapes that I REALLY liked.
They had sausages, smallish one, like chipolatas, but high quality ones, which had been partly split, and filled with mash. God they were divine. Whats more english that sauages and mash ?!!

They also has a croutini, thingy, disc of fench stick, with avocado, quite spicy, and two tiny prawns. Soooo tasty.

Any good ?

Black/white pudding slices wrapped in bacon

Some great ideas.

Canyou
I suspect that I will not be able to find black pudding out here.

What about mini pies with turkey and cranberry filling and yorkshires with beef? Maybe some with horse radish and some with mustard.

Like the sausage and mash idea.

Mini shepards pie ala M&S
Pastry base mine pie filling and mash topping I have them made and in freezer in disposable trays for xmas eve along with tandoori chicken skewers, pudding and bacon, mini quiche and spicy Moroccan lamb balls.

Mini Shephards Pies sound delish.

And can all be prepared in advance, fab.

MmeLindt never do food for a party on the day except fish and desserts if cream I need the time to check the alcohol.
I use small foil trays and really nice disposable forks
Would you make a trifle? And shortbread and nice coffee

Can't believe no one has said sausage rolls. Is it a Greggs thing?! Sausage rolls are a big part of a trad British Christmas. Buy all butter puff and good sausagemeat, add some chopped fresh sage and make them fresh yourself.

Pigs in blankets a must. You could go mad and do devils on horseback too.

Crostini isn't very British, and cherry toms are out of season.

Tiny grilled pieces of sourdough with stilton, walnuts and drizzled in honey would be good.

Trifle is a great idea, always goes down well.

Yes, I am a fan of planning ahead. Have huge freezer (three in fact) so not a problem for space.

OK.

Turkey and Cranberry Pies

Yorkshire Puds with Beef

Mini-Shephards Pies

Chipolatas

Scones with salmon and cream cheese

Christmas cake

Cheese

Trifle

Sounds fab. Thanks all.

Off the Point completely but if you are doing alcohol

Wassail Punch

4 small whole apples each stuck with 2 cloves
1 pt Sherry
1 cinnamon Stick
8 oz Brown Sugar
4 pts Brown Ale
Thin Pared rind of 2 Oranges
Set oven to 350F
Pot apples into oven proof dish with the sherry sugar and cinnamon and bake 20 min until apples begin to soften and brown
Transfer into a sauce pan add the rest of the ing and heat until it begins to simmer and serve.

Sourdough with stilton sounds yummy.

Not sure about sausage rolls, might be too much pastry with the other stuff.