Party food - what else

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Having a little gathering on Sunday, just 4 adults and 4 children for a birthday. I want to make a party food style buffet as cooking one meal that everyone likes is impossible.

I am exhausted after a crazy week and working most of Saturday so it needs to be quick and easy (and don't mind if some is shop bought).

So far I'm planning :

• veg sticks & dips
• crisps
• mini hotdogs with condiments and crispy onions
• shop bought potato wedges
• vegetarian sausage rolls
• apple tart
• chocolate rocky road

I'm so uninspired. I usually always include quiche but super bored of it now. I probably need a bowl of salad of some sort. What else?

Personally, I would choose - are you serving hot dogs and mini wedges, or are you doing a buffet. Then I'd stick to one or the other.

So, if someone were standing cooking and giving me hot food, I wouldn't want crisps with it or salad or sausage rolls.
But if I were having 8 people for a birthday tea, I'd probably do a cold buffet - some bread, chees, some sort of cold meat, salad bits, then (depending what you like) things like beetroot / potato salad / chutney / coleslaw / etc - you wouldn't need everything, but you presumably know what you like.
Then I'd get something like a cheesecake to cut up and then a few cartons of the mini bites you can get in any supermarket....millionaire shortbreads, or crispie cakes or flapjack, or cookies, or muffins or brownies etc. They have a long date so will get eaten up over time, but it offers a bit of variety without too much faff in serving or washing up.

Plus birthday cake of course.

Those premade triffiles that e.g. Asda sell,
Cheesecakes
Cheese and crackers
Salad mix
Bagels

What you've listed isn't very much for eight people.
A small selection of cheeses with crackers or bread.
Cubes or slices of frittata, you can buy this ready made, so it's quick to prepare.
Platter of charcuterie or chicken drumsticks.

Is this just or nibbles or an actual party meal??? Its doesn't sound substantial for an actual meal.

Do you have a BBQ? Could you cook burgers, then everyone fills them with various salads and dressing they choose?

Do fajitas, and again, everyone chooses a meat or veggie filling, rice, black beans pepper/onions, salad etc and makes their own

Baked potatoes with various options. Meat and or chilli con carne/veggie, tuna/mayonnaise and corn, grated cheese, bacon, pineapple and spring onions.

Puff pastry pizzas.so simple even for the exhausted and always goes down well.we do pesto chicken.bacon and egg.salami and mozzarella. Cheese and tomato.
Fruit skewers or salad
Tub of coleslaw
Pringles
Those ready to bake baguettes.
Or those garlic flatbread.
Buy in pizzas.
Frozen mini desserts.
Frozen roulade pudding.
Big bowl of broken mirangue,cream and fruit for Eton mess.

Is there a reason that cooking one meal is impossible? I mean, due to preferences/allergies or is it a case of the kids don't like "adult" food? Because usually I'll do something for the adults and something simple for the kids but if you want to go buffet, I'd stick with a theme and run with it.

So if you want to go the hot dog route - do at least three types of sausages. I'd probably do something like a traditional hot dog sausage, a chilli dog and a vegetarian sausage. Maybe some kind of traditional German sausage. Ensure it' looks generous and like there's plenty for everyone.

Rolls

Fried onions

bowls of other extras people might like - pickles, jalapeños, cheese, guacamole etc. Plus mustard, ketchup and mayo.

Fries or potato salad (or both).

Coleslaw

I'd also have crisps and dips and maybe some mini sausage rolls etc out on arrival.

Dessert could be simple - if you're going with the sort of hot dog theme you could go with ice cream lollies for super simple or go a bit more full out with sundaes - put out ingredients (ice cream, fruit, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, cream, sprinkles etc) and let everyone help themselves.

Thank you all for the advice! It definitely is a bit disjointed, it's just a struggle to please everyone. I'd hate to cook something that half the people wouldn't eat so tend to plan a lot of random things!!

Taking the advice on board I'm going to hone in on the hot dog theme and have bought different types of sausages this morning and extra add ons and sauces. I'll have potato salad and chips for the kids, as well as a tomato salad. I also bought some coleslaw.

Crisps, dips and mini sausage rolls will be on arrival.

Hopefully that works out!

Don’t laugh. Very retro but my Dd loved this for birthdays from 6 on. Still does. Now 20.

pineapple n cheddar on cocktail sticks stick into half grapefruit. Knack is getting right pineapple to cheese ratio. Just taste!

Still a classic.
We have a traditional party tea every year still.all over 30s! Love those kiddie parties.party rings Cadbury fingers.crispie cake haha.

Sounds great op.dont forget the buns!
And can you do a pan of caramelized onions.can be left to itself for hours but always popular.
We always do a kachumba type salad which is a hit.
But more pudding food?

I would get

M&S large rectangular pizza for the kids - juice cartons - Percy pig sweeties

M&S large lasagne for the adults - serve with garlic bread and coleslaw

maybe a cake too?