I need your help.

[DioneTheDiabolist]

I am having a party on New Years Day. I need really simple make ahead (tipsy on New Years Eve) recipes. May have a slight hangover on the day.

It will be mostly adults attending, but there will be plenty of kids there. Can any of you help me? Please?

How many people? Sit down or a buffet type free for all?

Sorry - it's a party so you're talking canapes/nibbles etc?

Go to iceland.

Buffet free for all. Can't go to Iceland. Am disappointed by M&S party food, would be suicidal with others. Anyway I'm allergic to prawns and what is it with shop bought party food? It's all prawns and chicken. Does anyone know how to make vol-au-vents?

Definitely canapés and nibbles. Only ones that can be made ahead by a tipsy person with a small fridge and finished by a hungover person.

You can buy pre-made vol-au-vent cases from super markets and then fill with sliced beef and horseradish, what about smoked salmon/makerel blinis?

What about a cheese buffet, nice breads and cheeses, pate & crackers, nice salt butter and chutneys?

I'm being useless

Oven baked Camembert - slice off rind on top, stick in few sprigs of rosemary, drizzle with olive oil, bung in oven for 15 mins. Serve with crostini to dip - cheat's fondue

Thank y'all. Am not a fan of smoked salmon, but can do a decent mackerel pate? Would that do in a vol-au-vent? I can also do a decent mushroom mix the night before for re-heating on the day. Would that be ok?

Explain crostini to me. I is provincial. What can I do that will appeal to kids? What sweet things do you recommend?

Is this a stupid venture?

I'd do a hot buffet rather than cold because it's much less fiddly that messing about with hundreds of canapes - which always means too much pastry and batter. Two big casserole dishes that you make in advance and warm up on the day containing ... take your pick.... Chicken Casserole, Beef Curry, Braised Pork in Apple, Chilli Con Carne (or veggie if you need that) set out nicely with another big casserole dish of new potatoes and another of rice. Everything cut fork-size so it's easy to eat on the hoof. Team it all up with plenty of crusty bread & lots of salads and everyone will be very happy

Crostini - small crisp bread type things, same aisle as breadsticks, which also work. As does crusty bread. Anything you can dip & scoop with

Midnight bacon sandwiches, cant go wrong and takes minutes if you pre butter your baps

Big platters of meat and nice breads and cheeses, mounds of salty butter, potted meat.

I have to go and have a sandwich now, made me hungry.

Hmm, the hot buffet idea sounds good. Have made myself hungry. Am off to toast some wheaten and spread it with mackerel pate, topped with rocket & sunblush tomatoes.

Tell me more about potted meat? Sounds good.

I would get a ham, and offer it alongside a large cheeseboard and hot bread (get the frozen part-baked baguettes). Make sure you have all the possible condiments and accompaniments: pickled onions and cornichons, a variety of mustards, proper mayo (not awful Heinz), chutneys, celery and grapes, walnuts, lots of good quality butter, etc. Do a bowl of salad on the side, and a bowl of homemade coleslaw or Waldorf salad, and a bowl of cherry tomatoes halved with chopped red onion sprinkled on top. If you have to cook something, you could do homemade sausage rolls (buy sausage eat, pastry, assemble the day before and bake when people arrive), or roast a chicken or two for people to put into sandwiches. Or, if you think people might want it, you do a vat of tomato or leek and potato soup.