Buffet ideas

[champagneplanet]

I'm having friends and their DCs around tomorrow from later afternoon for a little get-together, makes life easier than planning a 'proper' night out and arranging babysitters etc.

Anyway, I'm doing a buffet but stuck for ideas, can get to the shops but looking for some festive inspiration, I do these all the time but usually in the summer months so pasta, salads, bbq etc is fine but fancied doing something different, only I have a mental block!! Does anyone have any ideas?

Cheese/pâté/cured meat
Chutney
Grapes, apples, celery
Crackers
Fresh bread (bake at home baguettes?)

Stuffing and cranberry rolls (puff pastry, stuffing, cranberry sauce)

Crisps

Mince pies
Chocolate log

Onion and goats cheese tart
Quiches
Lasagne
Veg Chilli
Various garlic and cheese breads
Pork pies
Spanish rice
Curried rice
Normal rice
Pasta salad
Tomato pasta
Green salad
Bruschetta
Cheese and potato bread
Cornish pastie pie
Roasted veg and cous cous salad
Baked potatoes with cheese/coleslaw/or to have with any of the above
Veg sausage rolls
Meat sausage rolls
Cheese board with different crackers
Veg crudités with various dips
Crisps
Christmas cake
Lemon meringue pie
Strawberry cheesecake
Mince pies

That's some of my buffet for today.

Duck and pancakes
Tagine
Jewelled couscous
Quiche
Potato and lime salad
Greek salad
Bread
Cheese
Leaf salad
Smoked salmon.

This, roughly, is the buffet we would have had today, if my friend (who was meant to be coming round with her extended family) had not given birth on Christmas Eve. (Would rather have a baby than a buffet, of course).

I know this sounds really boring, but I find the one thing that always goes at a winter buffet is home made sausage rolls (meat & veggie versions) straight out of the oven. I faff about with all sorts of fancy stuff, then knock up sausage rolls with bought puff pastry + sausagemeat from the butcher / sosmix for the veggies in about 5 mins and everyone fights over them . . .

brie and cranberry parcels from Tesco (Finest range) are AMAZING