Poncetastic prepare ahead buffet food suggestions/menu

[Belsize77]

This is actually for a November christening not Christmas but as I never spend Christmas at my own house this is as near as I will get to Winter poncing with my own sloe gin and homemade chutney.

I have 3 children under 5 including a 12 week old but love cooking so am keen to do something nice for about 20 people. It's a lunch, with dinner in the evening for about 12.

I was thinking a ham and a sea food platter, but that's quite dull ( though popular). For the dinner I was going to do chili, pulled pork and corn bread...any favourite recipes that hold well or can be frozen in advance would be appreciated.

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Sounds delightful, can I come ?

Nigella's ham boiled in coca cola is always a winner for me at buffets.

Home made chicken liver pate is lovely and can be made in advance.

It might be worth dipping into Nigellas Christmas book as she has lots of ideas around per Christmas supper entertaining.

I quite fancy her Chestnut Chocolate pots which she says freeze a week before use and thaw overnight in the fridge. In individual pots folks can help themselves.

Like the chili idea - she has a choc chip chili in her Christmas book too? Also boston baked beans which can be frozen in advance and reheated.

I like the idea of a stuffed pumpkin on the table, full of rice for people to help themselves, and some warm winter salads - like spinach and bacon, or fresh figs, pancetta and Mozerella with lemon pepper and olive oil drizzled over the top. super easy.

If you are getting poncetastic with the chutney, how about some nice chilli jam for the table too?

Camper - that was the ham recipe I was thinking of coincidentally! The chicken liver pâté is also a great idea not least as I love it myself.

Wally, that pumpkin idea is genius as the children will love it. Maybe I can do a rice salad or jewelled rice or pilaf to go in it. The warm salads are also great - will google roasted pumpkin salads now...Nigella's Christmas book is the only one I don't have. I have millions of cookbooks but annoyingly loads of them don't mention freezing even for the party type recipes. I may have to acquire it now for research purposes. The chestnut chocolate pots might be good at Christmas. I have managed to establish that meringue roulades freeze since yesterday which is good if a bit unlikely.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Nigella's Domestic Goddess book has a recipe for cheese biscuits. If you cut them into gingerbread men shapes or something similar (can't think of any Christening themed ones unless you have a dove shaped cutter), they get wolfed down by adults and children alike. Sorry, this is not really poncetastic enough perhaps as they only take a few minutes to make. But people always seem to be dispro

tionally impressed by shaped biscuits.

A ham and a seafood salad sounds lovely. Not dull at all, and IMHO it's better not to ponce food up too much. Lots of people would be put off.
What you can ponce up is the presentation... the seafood platter can be served on chipped ice with lemon wedges.

Sauces in glass dishes
Big bowls of salad and maybe the "extra" bits - olives, pepperdew pepppers, capers, on the side in small dishes.
You don't want aload of leftovers.

What about tiny baked potatoes?

Can you bake your own bread?

Baked cheesecake can be frozen.
Brownies can be made ahead (Nigella uses white chocolate chunks in hers)

And for any vegetarians...?

Quiches (if they aren't vegan) I make a spinach + garlic/herb Philly one that's gorgeous.
Rice salad with roasted veg

I have to say, I am not a huge Nigella fan as I tend to use cookbooks for classic food prep instructions(i'm an old a level home ec die hard ) and she is forever doing her own versions.

I was gifted the book and this year we are doing a lot more casual entertaining which she does excel at I think. So her book is a good investment for these ideas.

Another thought - profiteroles freeze well - you can add the cream and choc sauce the evening or morning before? And choux is impressively easy to knock up.

If you make a rice salad in a pumpkin shell, include pomegranate seeds. They look like lovely sparkling jewels.

Your menu sounds lovely.
If I'm cooking for a crowd I usually do a big tray of roasted baby spuds (par boiled 5 mins first) and peppers, red onion, courgette, etc.
I put the whole lot in with lots of olive oil & then either red or green pesto stired through before roasting.
Also recently made this using the Tesco patatas bravas sauce mixed through instead of pesto. Wee bit spicey but very tasty

Thanks everyone for the responses, they were very helpful. Plan now is still the coke ham and seafood platter with rice salad (in pumpkin with pomegranate etc...), little potatoes, chutneys and pickles and nice breads. I think I am going to go for more canapé type stuff as well - hot mini sausages, spinach and feta cigars, Palma ham palmiers, mini filo cups with tuna cerviche and hot smoked trout pâté and mini tarts with Brie and onion marmalade. Pretty much all can be done ahead or frozen and this might stop everyone standing in the kitchen near the food like at normal family gatherings getting in the way of the oven and hob! I have already started on some of it so feel less worried now.

Puddings will be cheese, passion fruit and lemon meringue roulade, coffee Renoir ( thanks for the choux freezing tip) and fresh rasberry bakewell.

I did Jamie Oliver's chili already - if anyone makes it the dried chipotle in the recipe blow your head off! I am keen to see my father in laws response.

Wish me luck. I bet I wish I had gone to Iceland by the end.