Perfect Christmas party buffet

[TitaniaQueenOfTheFairies]

I'm just starting a list of food for our Christmas party. I plan to do a mix of homemade and bought dishes. So far I have

Mini pies (chicken /beef)
Vegetarian sausage rolls
Smoked salmon and cream cheese pinwheels
Olives, nuts, roast tomatoes and mozzarella, stuffed peppers
Rocket and fig salad
Cheese, fruit and crackers

What else would you add? Do you prefer finger food or fork food? I'm also thinking a baked Camembert but not sure how easy to eat without sitting at a table. I find dips aren't usually eaten as people take a plateful and sit elsewhere.

I don't think anyone has mentioned M&S pork pie, with the lattice top. every buffet needs one!

Thanks, Buffalo, yes please do see if Costco really have them. I might be able to borrow a card. Yes, they are expensive on the site to which you kindly linked, maybe Titania's square ones are the way to go if Costco fails us.

@TrickyD I shall report back. I’m sure cutting a puff sheet with a small cookie cutter wouldn’t produce something vastly different to a proper case either.

Instead of baked camembert cut it into pieces (I use brie) wrap in filo pastry with a teaspoon of mango chutney.

I love cheese straws, but I can't find my Bero cookbook, which has the only recipe that works

One Piece of ready rolled puff pastry.

Do you have a slow cooker or some other way of keeping something warm? If so something like a kedgeree or mini baked potatoes or roasted root veg.
Dijon mustard
grated parmesan

Put the pastry on a baking sheet and score into straws
lightly 'butter' with the mustard
sprinkle the parmesan generously over the pastry

bake for 15 mins, allow to cool and snap into straws.

I am hoping that Lidl will be selling those kits with which you make a tower of profiteroles. They have had them for the last three years and are fun to construct, delicious and not expensive, about £7 as far as I can remember

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
Pop apples into an 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.

recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/recipes/starters/polenta-bites-with-stilton-and-red-onion-chutney

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1601/marinated-figs-with-prosciutto-mozzarella-and-basil

Festive veggie option www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/vegetarian/pear-and-blue-cheese-tart-with-walnut-pastry/

I want to come... my mouth is watering. Sausage rolls are always a good idea I make small ones with tomato chutney in them!

@sashh Oo that’s not how I do cheese straws at all! They’re flour, butter, egg yolk like a dough, not puff pastry.

All the cheese straws sound great! I make them differently again!
Ready rolled puff pastry sheets x 2 cut into strips around an inch thick, brush one strip with Dijon mustard and sprinkle on some strong mature cheddar. Place another strip on top and lightly twist. Brush with egg and a sparing sprinkle of cheese and bake until golden. They taste like the cheese twists from the co-op! 🤤
Although reading that back I think I make cheese twists rather than cheese straws! They are tasty though!

I agree, cheese straws are not puff pastry. And I can't find the bero recipe on line.

I have 2 Bero books- I’ve attached the cheese straw recipes in them in case one of them is the one !

if you cant make them out OP let me know I will write it up for you

You star @ArabellaDoreenFig

In the world foods/Asian freezer section of the big supermarkets like Asda, Tesco you'll find big packs of samosas & Indian starters. They're made by Asian manufacturers so less sugary than supermarket own brand versions. More authentic tasting too, check your local Asian food shop as well.

No probs

We are waiting to find out DH’s rota and then we will decide on a date the week before Christmas to invite his family over. There will be 15 of us, and I’m planning on doing -

• Gammon joint - will do 2 in the slow cooker the day before and the day of the gathering
• Chicken thighs (or maybe drumsticks) - not very ponsetastic but DH’s family enjoy them- some plain and some with bbq sauce probably
• Mini potatoes-cut in half and marinated in herbs and spices
• Coleslaw - homemade
• Potato salad - shop bought
• Mini sausages - roasted in honey
• Pork pie
• Scotch egg - giant ones with egg in cut in half
• Salad - dimple salad with tomato, cucumber, red onion, bistro salad
• Mini bread rolls - part baked
• Pate - Lidl reduced fat (it’s cheap, tastes nice and I can have it on my weight watchers plan)
• Melba toast
• Sausage rolls - homemade
• Potato skins - homemade with Cheese and bacon
• Crisps - tyrulls
• Nuts
• Christmas tree Nutella - puff pastry/Nutella
• Trifle - chocolate orange - homemade with terrys chocolate orange segments
• cake pops - homemade to look like Christmas puddings
• J20’s & schloer - we have beer, gin, vodka already
• Meringue and fruit
• Mince pies - ready roll pastry

I think that’s it and should be enough, I’ve budgeted £70 for the lot... fingers crossed that will be enough too (I’ll buy the majority of the food from Lidl). I’ll buy some nice paper plates and napkins, and have some silver plastic cutlery from another gathering we have had.