Birthday buffet

[DXBMermaid]

I was going to go out for lunch with friends for my birthday, but due to the venue being fully booked have now let my DH talk me into doing it at home. Have come up with the following ideas for food. Would love to have your input with regards to balance, quantities etc and any other crowdpleasing ideas. There will be about 22ppl. No vegetarians, but couple of muslim friends so bacon is a no.

Will buy a selection of pastries, muffins and cupcakes as I am rubbish at baking.

Will have a platter of fruit and a platter of cheese.

Mozarella, tomato and basil skewers
Feta and water skewers

Cold pasta salad with tuna and sweetcorn
Green bean salad with various things such as lettuce, grapes, blue cheese etc

Pissaladière (a french sort of pizza topped with sweet caramalised onions, anchovis and olives)

Cheesy bites from the oven.

Chicken strips or drumsticks

Meatballs in tomato sauce.

Mini quiches with mushrooms, onions and beef strips.

What are you doing to serve the meatballs with? They seem a bit of an odd addition to the meal.

Can we have some nice bread, please? With some butter.

Feta and what on the skewers????

Looks very cheese heavy. Any skewers you know without cheese on? Roast veg???

Quantities: I'm clueless. I always make too much. Sorry. But I doubt you'll need 22 of everything, but some things will be more popular than others.

Where are the cheese, pineapple, chunk of hot dog, silverskin onions on cocktail sticks????

Think that's feta & watermelon on skewers? If so, you'll need about 200. For me. With the same amount of 'fings on sticks' as mentioned above .

Id go with a big pot of curry or chilli or a lasagne, plus some snack bits...I guess it depends whether folk are expecting a meal as they would in a restaurant, or nibbles to accompany drinks

Why are you doing all that for your birthday ???

Either someone else hosts, go out somewhere else or dh spends a fortune in m&s !

Lose the pastries. And the muffins.

Maybe some potato wedges, and yes to bread.

Or order in.pizzas wedges chicken strips.

I agree that there are too many cheese elements.

How about some spring rolls with a sweet chilli dipping sauce

Make your own chicken satay skewers.

Some mini poppadoms with mango chutney

Mini Yorkshire puddings with roast beef and horseradish

Veggie or lamb samosas

Whoops yes, I meant feta and watermelon

Good idea about the bread.

Wasn't really planning on serving anything specific with the meatballs. They're just little bitesized ones, a bit like albondigas you get at a tapas place.

Think you are right about the cheese, although personally I don't think you can ever have too much cheese.

Not sure about adding something asian such a satay or springrolls.

Any Hamster I'm a sucker for punishment
No seriously I really enjoy cooking for my friends and think that with the way it looks now there isn't too much to do from scratch and most things can be done in advance.

A load of baked potatoes with toppings / fillings? You can get bags of 8 or so ready done ones that you can microwave or bake from frozen. Keep them warm in foil or low oven till you're ready to eat.

I'd leave out the meatballs as they don't really go with anything else, I'd add a platter of cold meats instead, though if you think that would be unsuitable with Muslim guests attending, how about a fish or vegetable quiche?

I'd keep the pasta salad to vegetables only, if you add tuna to it that will
limit it to only those who like tuna, and limit what else it will go with.

You've got cheese board, two types of cheese skewers and cheese in the green salad and in the Pissaladerie, I'd leave the blue cheese out of the green salad, as lots of people dislike blue cheese. You could do a couple of bowls of dressing, one with blue cheese instead.

I wouldn't go over the top on cakes pastries and muffins, maybe just a platter of mini desserts and a birthday cake, especially as you also have fruit.

You need some bread and biscuits for cheese, and maybe a cous cous salad.
Sounds like a really good party!!