Please can you share your easiest/best canapé ideas?

[Eastwickwitch]

Drinks for 30+ people, some will pop in some will be here for hours.
I know I need to feed them but beyond a honey glazed sausage and a cheesy biscuit I'm out of my depth.
I'm working long hours the day before but can find time to make and freeze in advance.
Save me from being judged by my new neighbours

I'd just get plates of cheese and pates and have a couple of baskets of crusty bread and crackers. Plus perhaps some dips and stuff to dip in them. Nice and easy and not much prep. If they're staying for hours any hot stuff will go cold, or you'll be on oven duty all day.

Smoked salmon on brown bread and butter - easy - but people think it's posh . You can make it early in the day and just cover with cling film and keep in fridge.

Stuff you make and freeze can be a bit tricky with re-heating etc so I would avoid that.

Serrano ham (or similar) and manchego cheese (or similar) - lay out in generous bite size bits on platter. They'll stay looking nice for ages, not dry out etc.

These are great thanks.
I'm happy to do reheating too.

Anchovy twists:

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/anchovy-straws/

Peppadew peppers stuffed with spicy sausagemeat or cooking chorizo.

I've done thses a couple of times. Much less fiddly than you woudl think, quite and simple, plus people loved them.

yum

Go retro and do a hedgehog with cheese and pineapple cubes on cocktail sticks

I make prawns on mini baked tortillas with a simple guacamole. Can post a recipe if that sounds suitable.

I'd love that recipe, Kalinda!

Yes please Kalinda.

If you don't mind a little last minute cooking (but very quick) fried quail's egg on a slice of french stick.

If you nick each shell with a sharp knife and rest them back in the egg box, this gets them all into the pan quicker for even cooking.

These are great ideas, thanks so much.
Audit do you fry several at once?

I always do a meat platter ( naice ham, prosciutto, pate etc) and a fish platter.
Piles of prawns surrounded by smoked salmon and crab with blobs of lemon mayo and seafood sauce. Lots of crusty bread

Those sound lovely, Hoppinggreen - I'm starving now!

I have recently done these:

Mush some avocado (by hand or in food processor); add one small tin of white crab meat per avocado; squeeze in some lemon juice and add salt and pepper as required.

Slice a baguette into thin rounds and grill.

Crab mix can go into the fridge and the crostini can be done well in advance if needed.

Stick a spoonful of crab mix on each bit of bread - yummy, and a couple of avocados and tins of crab go a long way

I would also do houmous and carrot sticks etc.

cut cherry toms in half, cut feta into cubes. use cocktail sticks to scewer tom/feta/tom drizzle with balsamic glaze

you can also do with toms/mozzarella /parma ham and basil

They sounds amazing DuPain.

My homemade humous (and Babba gnash) are both horrible

Some tried and tested ideas for quick canapé nibbles:

Mini blinis with creme fraiche or sour cream and then prawns or smoked salmon slivers on top. If you want to look extra posh, add a couple of bits of chive at a jaunty angle.
Platters of olives, cubes of good cheese, sliced chorizo or French saucisson, etc.
Lots of breadsticks.
Super quick dip made from fromage frais, chopped parsley or chives (or any other fresh green herb you fancy), salt and pepper.Rub the bowl it's to be served in with a cut clove of garlic to give a good flavour without the risk of bits of raw garlic in the dip.
Nice quality home made or bought pizza cut into squares.
Lots of Kettle Chips.

Wow, I'm blown away with the ideas.
Thanks so much to all of you.

I made these when we invited our new neighbours over: Smoked salmon rotollos
You can make them in advance and then all you need to do is cut them before the party (and can also make them very quickly. They all disappeared on the day, so I would say they worked well!

Oh I buy the houmous - no idea how to make houmous that doesn't taste like mashed paper!

Hopefully this link will work- scroll down and it's the second recipe i think. They are pretty easy and always big hits! www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/3323664/Chime-in-with-Mex-appeal.html

I went somewhere where they served croissants cut in half lengthways, spread with cream cheese with smoked salmon on top. Bloody lovely and I don't like smoked salmon very much!