1970s theme buffet ideas please

[sandalsinthebin]

Having a 1970s themed night with friends we all grew up in the 70s so thought this would be fun! I don’t have bags of time for prep so looking for ideas for snacks and nibbles to buy / make easily and relatively cheaply. Thinking along the lines of cheese footballs. Already got some 70s sweets.

Cheese/pineapple and cheese/pickled onion hedgehogs
Cocktail sausages

Celery stick lengths ( about three from a stick ) with Primula squeezed down the centre, dusted with cayenne pepper .

Small squares of pumpernickel ( my mother got it from the Health Food shop) spread with Primula and decorated with cross cut slices of stuffed olives.

Mushroom vol au vents - surprised my mother didn’t slip some Primula in those, too.

Cinzano and lemonade or soda
Dubonnet ditto
Britvic Orange juice ( can you still buy that ? The cheapest long life carton stuff would be a good substitute)
All served in small Paris wine glasses

The gassiest beer you can find for The Men

My mother loved putting on a small drinks party with a buffet - she was over the moon with excitement when I worked, in a publishing capacity, with Marguerite Patten, queen of the hostessing cookery books.

A box of York Fruits on the side.

My parents used to have 'dos' in the 70's (on your invites, don't say party, say 'do') and used to have bridge rolls sliced in half with prawns or sardines on top. Then slice some pimento stuffed olives and scatter artfully atop!

Erm.., I'm in my early 30s and serve most of this stuff at my parties. I must have v sophisticated tastes! Apart from the ham banana horror, but planning a party for next month so maybe....

"Hello!"

Coronation chicken was still popular, and Russian salad with sliced sausage.

My mum used to always make (in the 70s) a bright red jelly in a rabbit mould, was about 10 inches long!!
Loving all these nostalgia tips! Hedgehog cheese and pineapple was my first thought!
Loving the babysham etc (do they even still make this??) and parents always had black tower on a Saturday night in our house!!

Red jelly rabbit on green jelly grass!

I tried to recreate it once, used too much water and ended up with what looked like road kill!

Mrs Todd’s, that salmon 😂

Oooh just thought - bitter lemon!

Festival Gateau !

My mum used to always make (in the 70s) a bright red jelly in a rabbit mould, was about 10 inches long!!

Oh this brings back memories! Except, for me it was a vanilla or chocolate blancmange on chopped green jelly grass.

Can you still get vest meals?

Hot dog rolls, split in 2 lengthways covered in marge and a bit of ham.Or you can add a 1/2 cheese slice with a cocktail stick to make a 'sail'.

Mini hot dog sausages, they have to be from a tin and put on cocktail sticks.

Celery with primula cheese squeezed into it and then sliced.

A whole brie cut in that special way starting with a circle in the middle.

'potato salad' - a tin of potatoes drained and mayo added.

Scotch eggs.

A bowl of nuts with raisins.

I'm sure I've seen a Party 7, or similar in Asda recently

Arctic roll rather than Vienetta.

And you could make a pastry jacket for a chicken

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Coronation chicken vol au vents

Can I come?

Scotch and American dry ginger for the men. Martini or Cinzano and lemonade for the ladies, or a Babycham or Snowball if it is Christmas. Bristol Cream sherry for the older ladies, Barley Wine for Granddad. Pineapple or orange juice from a tin or bottle for the teetotallers. Watneys Party Seven for the lads. A cup of instant coffee made with hot milk before people go home. Coke or White’s lemonade for the kiddies - no Fanta or 7Up in those days. Big bowls of crisps, little bowls of peanuts, pretzels etc.

Chicken vol au vents made with a tinned whole chicken and Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom soup. 🤮

If you were very daring, an egg and bacon pie, which you called “quiche” and was viewed with deep suspicion by anyone over fifty.

Sashh is right - lots of stuff came out of tins.

My auntie used tinned "chicken supreme" for her vol u vents it was made my the same people who made tinned stew

@AdaColeman - I remember Russian Salad - you could get it in tins, from Heinz. Sometimes my mum would buy it, as a real treat.

Someone reminded me about it a while back, and I have made it myself, a couple of times - and it is just as good as I remember.

You HAVE to have Devilled Eggs!!

"Sandwich spread" from a jar sandwiches

Got some the other day and DC loved it

No wonder people were thinner in the 70s!

Interestingly, I was clearing out some cupboards for my MIL the other day and was amazed at the tiny wine glasses and teeny weeny sundae bowls. It was like dolls house stuff. Portion sizes have definitely increased. But I suppose nobody wanted a wine glass that would hold 1/3 of a bottle of Blue Nun!

Mini chicken kievs?