For those who do buffets for Christmas/Boxing day/NYE

[cheesypastaplease]

What do you make/put out?

I was thinking of this for Christmas Eve/NYE, but all I can think of is sausage rolls? Anyone got any great suggestions?

How many is it for? We're having a buffet tea for Christmas Eve, but it's just the three of us, so it's mostly M&S party food. I have done a Boxing Day buffet for the rest of the family previously and went to a lot more effort and prepared a lot of stuff in advance. We had red cabbage, bubble & squeak rostis', and various other things I can't remember now. I have a list somewhere though that I can look out.

I also go for mainly M&S party food. I can cook up a storm on a buffet at other times of the year but at Xmas there's just so much going on that I'd rather have the extra time and relaxation.

It's not as expensive as you would think once you factor in the usual Xmas deal and the fact that you don't have to buy odd bits and pieces that you don't generally use.

(One exception is a 1950s 'porcupine' with cocktail sticks with cheese, pineapple, sausage bits etc. That now comes out every year at popular request from the youngsters - who, surprisingly, completely adore it and even like to help make it.)

Sorry - maybe that should be 1960s/70s.

Tthanks for the replies! I think it will be for about 10 people plus 2 dc. There isn't a M&S near us, and the tesco party food selection is not good or particularly nice.

I'm doing a brunch buffet on Christmas Eve for around 40, I went a bit mad on invitations, but dh does have a massive family. So I've planned....
Smoked Salmon on blinis
Fake Caviar on blinis
Greek salad
Bulgar and quinoa salad
Green salad
Cheese plate
Cold meats
Oysters
Feta and Spinach falafels
Dips
Garlic Bread
Ready made nibbles to go in the oven
Ready made sandwiches that come in a hollowed out loaf of bread
Devils on horseback
Trifle
Carrot cake.
Most of these can be bought/ prepared/frozen in advance so if my plan works all I have to do in the morning are the salads, blinis and turn the oven on. Hopefully.

Does M&S deliver in your area? How about Sainsburys, Tescos or Waitrose? Or alternatively a wholesalers like costco or JJWholesalers, their large catering packs of party food work out better value.

www.jjfoodservice.com/

www.costco.co.uk

I don't like buffets consisting of hundreds of things, none of which go together v well and which all turn into a big splodge on the plate.

So I tend to just do a big cheese board with celery, crackers, bread, grapes and pickles, a green salad, homemade coleslaw, hot sausage rolls. I'd rather have lots of a few good things than a bit of hundreds of things.

Again, m and s party food. Already got some for the freezer including savoury muffins, mini pies, mini Indian snacks, mini toad in the hole etc. £4 each and 3 for 2.
Also morrisons do some good frozen party packs including a chicken one and a pastry one (sausage rolls, cheese straws etc) If you add a salad bowl, new potatoes, crusty bread and the usual coleslaw, potato salad etc that's plenty.
For Christmas eve we are having baked Camembert, morrisons do one with cranberry sauce and one with inion chutney served with crusty bread and bread sticks

Recently I've started making it much more simple and it seems to go down well.

A really good varied cheeseboard, pate, good bread, celery, fruit and mincepies and/or Christmas cake. If there are going to be children I might make a Gingerbread house or gingerbreadmen

Pudding = trifle (homemade), mince pies (bought), meringues (bought) with berries and cream, something chocolatey (bought).

We do one on Boxing Day, which means we can use some leftovers from Xmas Day. We always have:
Cold turkey (leftover)
Cold ham (cooked on Xmas Eve)
Chutney
Stuffing (leftover from Xmas Day)
Sausages wrapped in bacon (if there was any leftover)
Sausage rolls
Bread rolls
I sometimes do a cheap small pizza for the kids
Salad, usually with some dips/dressings to choose from
Tortilla chips (again to use with the dips and because the kids like them)
Usually some sort of thing like spring rolls, chicken bites, etc. (basically party food from a supermarket that you shove in the oven)
Some sort of cheesecake type thing
Xmas cake
Mince pies for Dh he's the only one that likes them

We always do Boxing Day for about 10 of us and found that simpler the better - when I've tried to get all fancy and/or cook from scratch it's been more expensive, more stressful and people don't seem to really be that much more impressed!

I think it depends if buffet is meant to be a main meal or part snacks - mines the latter. So this year I'll be doing:

Cooked ham (done ourselves with just honey glaze)
Selection of nice bread - the kind that you get part baked so still fresh
Garlic bread baguettes
Pate - 1 big pack of chicken and 1 pack mushroom
Cheese - big wedge of good cheddar, a little bit of a blue cheese, a chilli cheese and one with chives
Grapes
Indian selection pack thing from sainsburys (60 pieces) x 2 as always goes v fast!
Dips - sainsburys basics 4 pack
Bread sticks
Big bowls of posh crisps - whatever best offer is
Lots of peanuts & cashew nuts (just basics range)
Tub of celebrations / heroes
Cheesecake - I normally make one or just discovered frozen Belgian chocolate one for £3 which is lovely so may cheat

If we were doing Christmas Day would have leftover turkey & cranberry sauce, but as not might do some chicken drumsticks.

Also lots and lots of prosecco/cava and sparkling elderflower cordial.

xxx

We do a baked ham with some nice rolls for sandwiches
Cheese platter
Fruit platter
crackers with various dips and spreads
Mixed nuts
Hot cheese dip with corn chips
Sweet and sour meatballs
Cheese cake