Hit me with your canapes!

[Todayiscool]

This Christmas, DH has suggested that rather than having sit-down meals, we just lay on plates and plates of snacks, canapes and cocktails (and for the benefit of common-sense) mocktails, all day long.

I think this is an EXCELLENT idea, I'm much more of a grazer than a sit-down-and-eater (and believe me, I LOVE to eat).

It'll be, DH, DD (7), DM and DF and me on the day. DM and DF are pescatarians, both no other restrictions.

It'd be great to have a combo of things we can make-ahead, and things we can make on the day!

Devils and angels on horseback
blinis with sour cream and smoked salmon
shell on prawns and mayo
c heese board with fresh figs grapes membranillo chutnies

We did this last year for various reasons. It was a massive pain in the arse and I wouldn't recommend it. Spent more time in the kitchen as it just went on all day, different timings for stuff in the oven, didn't really eat anything properly.

More importantly I missed my Boxing Day bubble and squeak.

M and s. Other than that it sounds very hard work.

I am a little concerned about the faff-element - but I am happiest just pottering around, rather than sitting down and soaking it in.

And we've just moved into a house with a much bigger kitchen, so we can all potter around together in there.

Would it be hard work even if we did a bunch of prep on Christmas Eve?

We'd probably still have a cheese/cold cuts/smoked fish/bread/salad situation - at some point during the day.

I second the poster above that says it's a faff. I love canapés, I do them for watching Eurovision every year, but I would say it's much harder than a roast dinner. Still, if you fancy a change, might be worth it.

I should have said, they're a lot of work because with many of them, the taste is spoiled if they aren't fresh. So not much can be prepared ahead of time.

Surely if you got cheeseboard, cold cuts etc you don't need that much more? A few ready made canapés from M & S would be enough rather than all the faff of making them yourself?

Grilled hallumi with sweet chilli jam. Cocktail sausages roasted with honey and whole grain mustard. BBC Good Food has excellent recipes for both.

ILs do something similar and it works quite well - some favourites =

• blinis with smoked salmon / caviar
• devilled eggs
• Little goats cheese tarts with red onion
• Mini samosas
• falafel
• Homemade pakoras
• Stuffed dates
• Brie and cranberry parcels
• Seafood platter
• cocktail sausages
• pate on toast - could do fish or mushroom

Just be careful with how long seafood hangs around - there is a notorious incident where lots of the family got very ill from an oyster platter that was left out in the warm for far too long

My 3 favourite canapés are:

Beetroot and horseradish (puréed together then spread on) toasts
mini salmon tartars with lemon zest and capers
Mini peppers stuffed with cream cheese

All work made the night before (and the peppers you can just buy in a jar) - you just have to do the toasts fresh for the beetroot

Baked Camembert with crusty bread or tortilla chips. It’s an easy one.

don’t be too faffy, prep will be a nightmare.

We did a series of canapés in place of breakfast and the usual midday starter last year (still had a full Xmas dinner around 3pm, as our family tradition dictates), washed down with bucks fizz pre-12pm, and a choice of fizz and Negronis after. The DCs still had their early morning breakfast of stocking chocolate first, of course... It worked really well, but that's because we cheated and bought everything ready-made! I bought a mix of oven-heated off-the-shelf stuff (purchased well ahead when they first come out and are discounted, then froze them) and seafood from the Waitrose Entertaining service. The oven was already on, so slinging in the odd baking sheet of canapés every so often was no problem, and everything else was just a matter of popping into a plate from the fridge with the odd bit of decorative salad. I would happily do it again this year, but I suspect our budget won't stretch to it this time, sadly.

Back in the day when the kids were young and we hosted Christmas we'd do canapés at lunch time. One I can remember were cream cheese mixed with tuna and parsley and rolled into balls. One year I made smoked salmon parcels but they were huge in comparison.

I'm thinking about doing a few little starters. Prawn cocktail, pate with oatcakes and chutney, black pudding balls, brie and cranberry parcels, maybe small bowls of soup with nice crusty bread

I love this idea, although appreciate how much time it could take. I much prefer making my own, not a big fan of beige party food but in this situation I'd be prepared to compromise!

I've made sausage rolls with good plant based sausages for a party before, but best to check your parents would eat those. They could be made ahead with fresh shop bought pastry and frozen. You can buy them ready made of course but i understand they aren't particularly tasty.

Alternatively I'd make vol-au-vents. Fry up sliced mushrooms then add a couple of spoonfuls of cream cheese and mix through.

Prawn cocktails in shot glasses

I do love bhajis and samosas - I'd buy these ready made & frozen.

Jars of things you can just decant: olives; artichokes; peppers.

I'd want something fresh - eg dips with sticks of cucumber, carrots and different coloured peppers. Humus can be made ahead, I'd make guacamole on the day but in this situation think I'd buy the guac ready made.

Even though it's a summery dish, I'd enjoy a shot glass of gazpacho as an alternative fresh dish

As PPs have said, cheese and biscuits with all the trimmings. You could put out a plate of smoked salmon, cream cheese & slices of baguette and let people help themselves.

Love this kind of food and watching this thread with interest!

OMGitsnotgood I agree homemade will always be superior, but shop bought doesn't have to equal beige blandness if you are willing (and able of course) to spend a bit more on the fancier stuff. Your platter ideas sound great, and could be the answer to my budget reduction this year - I would need something in place to stop my youngest DC from immediately snaffling all the charcuterie before anyone else gets a look-in though 🙈😂 Maybe individual grazing plates?

Figs stuffed with goats cheese and baked in the oven for 5 minutes. Can top with walnut, honey, chutney etc

That's such a fuss free round of food that looks special

Fair comment re not having to be beige - just been to too many buffets that didn't mix it up. Fine to have one or two beige dishes mixed in with more colourful offerings.

If your DC like sausage rolls, maybe put out a plate of those before the charcuterie platter, in the hope that it will slow down the demolishing of the platter?

A plate with cream cheese as a base , smoked salmon and chives on the top. Use that as a dip

Place marking for ideas. Last year I did a charcuterie board for Christmas Eve.

Some simple nibbles that are popular here...
Hard boiled quail eggs with celery salt
Lumpfish or salmon caviar on toast
Smoked fish pate on toast
Parma ham & sliced figs on blinis
Shot glasses of gazpacho or vichyssoise

We do this, it’s great! I’d get a mix of pre-made, home-made and cold rather than the faff of making and assembling too much food on the day. Leaves more time for cocktails!

I love the Tesco fresh party food- usually 3 for 2: duck selection, chicken skewers or gyoza, filled yorkshires and mini burgers. Whatever takes our fancy! halloumi or mozzarella sticks are good too but we have so much cheese that we don’t bother!

alongside this are delicious charcuterie meats, olives and cheeses from the garden centre with cracker selection. Various grapes, figs and chutneys to accompany

Pigs and blankets, red pepper pasta salad and super green salad from m and s, mini hassleback potates with sour cream and crispy bacon.

THEN it’s probably late afternoon evening so we have different crisps, dips, hummus, Thai crackers and nuts, with a big dessert grazing board. Containing berries, festive friends, m and s munchie mix, mallow and marsh, candy kittens Rocky road, whatevs!

M&S me too, but we only have them as a sort of pre-dinner thing, around 2-3pm, actual dinner (no starter) at around 5.30-6.

It can be a lot of work and a huge faff.

But I’d suggest doing some stuff home made and the rest using supermarket nibbles. Vary hot and cold stuff. You’ll still be in the kitchen a bit taking stuff in and out of the oven for the hot stuff.

One mega easy one is cream cheese with a dollop of sweet chilli sauce and Doritos to dip.

You have until now and Xmas to taste test the best ready made supermarket stuff. Which magazine usually to a taste test every year if you subscribe.

Blinis with smoked salmon and caviar (Lidl have it close to Christmas usually) mini pastry shells (larger supermarkets have or get a 24 tarter tray) with smoked mackerel pate. Crackers with hummus and roasted peppers, mini quiches (see tray above) would do sharing boards for ease. Fir hot canapés Aldi had good ones last year