Cold Finger Food Buffet for 50 people

[Titsywoo]

Dh and I are organising a surprise party for Mil in a couple of months. It's an evening do in a church hall with a band. I need to do a buffet but since there is nowhere to hear things up it will all have to be cold. Any ideas?

Sandwiches are an obvious choice I suppose - egg mayo, tuna mayo, cucumber, ham and cheese, houmous and carrot, coronation chicken, rocket, mozzarella and sunblush tomatoes - with white, brown, seedy bread, wraps or mini rolls for variety.

Cocktail sausages, sausage rolls, olives, tomatoes, skewered chicken, melon wrapped in Palma ham, pinwheels, crudités and dips, samosas / bhajis, bread, cheese / crackers, tortillas.

Quiche, frittata, pork pies, felafel, spinach and ricotta filo pies.

How much cooking do you want to do / buy ready made?

Have a look at waitrose / M&S entertaining platters for inspiration - most of which you could prepare yourself, or just order if it's easier.

I would get a couple of joints and serve them cold - I would do roast beef, a ham and a whole poached salmon (or maybe a couillibiac)

I would then do some salads - one potato, one pasta/rice and maybe a couscous one and then a green salad

A couple of quiches or pies (e.g. pork/gala)

Lots of fresh crusty bread
A big cheeseboard
A couple of desserts - one chocolate, a summer pudding and something else....

How do you eat cous cous with your fingers Blondie?

Squish it together into a ball ...duh!!!

I completely appreciate that the OP said finger food but I wouldn't have thought that providing some plastic forks would cause too much extra bother but she can ignore my suggestions if she wants

You could do some stews or chilli in cheap slow cookers if you've got some extension leads, there must be some plugs. Lots of crusty bread with them possibly for a warm option?

When I read these threads it always sounds so straightforward but in reality i find it very stressful. Surely you'd need more than a couple of quiches for fifty? And I know now I'd struggle to slice them into finger food without them crumbling and collapsing.

Mini quiche

Excellent solution!

Thogh I do not recommend the m and s ones, they are awful.

I'm doing a lunch time birthday party for 20 children and nibbles for parents this weekend and finding that stressful enough. For 50 at an evening do, I would really go with drafting in family to help make/bring some of it or go to Waitrose or the like and get their ready made platters of sandwiches/wraps, quiche, salads like cous cous and potato salad etc - disposable plates, cutlery and napkins are not that expensive.

Have you thought about the pudding/tea & coffee set up? Will they have an urn you can use?

Like the idea of a whole salmon/ham joint etc ^ a bit more than just "picnic food"

I've done this. For a funeral sadly. I filled bagels and wraps with different combos always including some herby lettuce. Coronation chicken was the most popular, also egg mayo, smoked salmon and dill, cheese and ham with pickle etc. I cut all the bagels in half and the wraps into three pieces cut on the angle. One large platter of each option clearly labelled with mini cherry tomatoes and flat leaf parsley scattered in between. They went down very well and looked professional and more appetising than regular sandwiches. In addition some sliced carrot, pepper, celery etc and various dips with spoons in. No need for any cutlery, just a serviette. Finger food!

A gammon joint - you can simmer or roast it - is great for a cold buffet. Carve in advance and cut slices into small enough pieces to spear with a cocktail stick. You are unlikely to have any left over!