Christmas Eve Buffet and Decs -What's Easy-Peasy?

[YaMaYaMa]

We've never had people round before but we've asked a few family members round on Christmas Eve and I would love some ideas. We said about half 3 til half 5-6 as I think most people are pretty busy on that day with wrapping, shopping etc. So it should be low key and no fuss. Is that ok do you think?

Also, I was thinking of just simple food like sandwiches, curry, sausage rolls, vol-au-vonts type things. My mind is completely blank about anything else though, what other buffet type food should I do? I am not Nigella so has to be really easy!

And (finally!) we're pretty skint so I was going to make the house look festive by just putting up basically every light and decoration that we have but if anyone has any lovely ideas for the table or the hall or front of the house or anything I would love to hear them

Nice table decoration, glass bowl (think old fashioned large fishbowl) with some cheap, bright baubles, looks effective - any largeish glass vase would do too. Or don't worry about the decoration on the table & just use a dessert or cheese board as decoration.

Food you've listed sounds lovely. If you're making stuff, try to get it done in advance & freeze it - sausage rolls, mince pies, mini or large quiche. The last thing you'll want to do is make stuff on the day. What about chilli, made the day before as it always tastes better the next day. If you can make the curry the day before as well, if you don't heat it all you can freeze it. Pizza (either just pre-bought or buy the bases & you do the topping. Christmassy cupcakes (you can freeze in advance & make some butter icing in advance & leave in fridge - think it'll keep a few days) & just decorate on the day. Nigellas Rocky Road.

Depends if everyones expecting to be fed a meal or just a few nibbles & then going home for their main meal. If it's the latter, I'd just stick a few nibbly bits out.

Enjoy

I had a Christmas Eve buffet thread a while back here so there might be some ideas that would suit you.

How about natural decs - ivy is easily come by to trail around, and if you have time and inclination, is great sprayed with metallic spray paint. You also need a friend with a holly tree you can get some sprigs from. Add some red/white/silver/gold candles.

Oh, and post on freecycle - I'm sure you could get some more decs that way.

The easiest thing would be to do a big cheeseboard, a couple of loaves of nice bread, a basket of crackers, grapes, celery and maybe a green salad and a bowl of homemade coleslaw. Much nicer than lots of conflicting flavours in the usual 'buffet table.' You could bake a couple of Camemberts and warm up some of the bread, if you wanted something warm.

Oh and warm mince pies and cream for pud plus a tin of Quality Street!

Sorry for no response, my laptop keeps breaking. Thanks for all your lovely ideas. I love the trailing ivy idea, BlueChampagne and will check out your thread WhatWould, thanks for the link.

I've done Nigella's Rocky Road and everyone liked it so that's a good idea 4forks! And the bowls of baubles is a good idea too. I've got some nice clear glass ones that would look good.

I think I'll do a naice cheeseboard, like you say Remus with lots of lovely things but also do some other buffet food as it'll count as dinner for people I think. Defo warm mince puds and cream for pudding

I prefer a buffet where things go together, not random stuff. Sausage roll and curry? No. My most successful buffets are warmed chicken legs, crusty bread, simple salad. I add to this a couple of tarts eg tomato and camembert/leek and gruyere/salmon for non meat eaters. Alongside I have my cake stand with small cakes, macaroons and cheese cake squares. For Christmas I'd replace that with mince pies, stollen and salted caramels.

Yes - any buffet can be enhanced by a couple of tarts! I usually do leek and gruyere or caramelised onion but I fancy trying a feta and olive one at some point.

Norah - recipe for salted caramels needed please! :)

Good grief no recipes here, just an m&s staff discount card