Something to take to family buffet please

[AliasGrape]

Over Christmas we will be having a get together with my side of the family for one of the days. We’ve agreed to all bring a dish or two.

The hosts are making a curry and sides to go with it that we will be having probably later in the evening. The rest of us have said we’ll bring stuff to cover either lunch when we first arrive/ nibbles throughout the day or to bulk out the curry and also dessert.

Already volunteered and covered -

• Guacamole, sour cream dip and chips plus veg sticks
• Cheese and biscuits
• Mince pies
• Mini chocolate pot desserts

What shall I take?

I normally take sweet stuff to these sorts of things - I make a rocky road that’s often requested or other baking, but I feel like the sweeter things have already been covered

Other considerations:

1. We will be travelling 2 hours to get there, so whatever it is needs to travel well and ideally be made or mostly made the day before
2. I will have been hosting a lot over Christmas itself (different side of family) and by the time of this event I’m unlikely to have much energy/ enthusiasm left for anything particularly challenging
3. Full kitchen facilities when we get there for anything that needs chilling or reheating etc
4. Other family members are very big foodies and amazing cooks all of them, I’m an ok cook in that I do the basics fairly well but nothing to knock your socks off - there’s no point me going for glory here - I’m just after something that represents a decent contribution and is likely to be appreciated by most
5. Mostly adults - my DD and one other child will be there, but both pretty good eaters so no need to cater separately for them

So - that’s all a very long winded way of asking for suggestions or simple recipes if anyone has any please?

Delia's tiny cheese and olive scones (and a dish of whipped paprika butter or soft cheese to go with them) I make these and freeze. They can be warmed in the oven from frozen in a dew minutes and always disappear fast! )
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/party-food/canapes-nibbles/tiny-cheese-onion-and-olive-scones

A popular (easy)one I often go for is a dish with cocktail sausages that you cook at home and cool, then heat up up for 10 mins when you want to serve them, adding whole grain mustard and honey. So simple, but tasty :)

Sorry, I don't know how to edit - I meant mix the honey and whole grain mustard in with the sausages, then heat for 10 minutes.

Sausage rolls or sticky mustard cocktail sausages are easy. You could do a large foil serving tray of the sausages for ease of transport.
Another idea is an open tart, take a sheet of puff pastry, score all around it about an inch in to form a rim, layer with roast Mediterranean vegetables and mozzarella and bake. Cut into squares to serve.
Or make some Parmesan shortbread, cheese straws, mustard twists etc, they are always popular.

Nigella’s ham in coke for the lunch

selection of posh, shove in the oven samosas, bhajis, mango chutney (bought but my preferred option for ease!)

also love PPs suggestions of baked Camembert and bread. Just prep the cheeses for baking and take them with some nice bought bread.

I would do cheesy jacket potatoes. Bake a whole load of potatoes, scoop out the insides and mash with butter/milk/cream in whatever combination you prefer, add grated cheese, refill the potato skins with the mixture, and top with extra grated cheese. Arrange them all in a foil-lined roasting tin and cover with cling film for ease of transportation. Bake on arrival.

I think they would travel fine if you could wedge the tray flat (or put in a shallow Tupperware). Everybody likes these, in my experience! If there are no veggies, they’re even better with bacon added to the insides.

To travel by car?

I’d do a vegetable quiche or vegetable tart plus a salmon quiche.

If you feel you need something else then some bread rolls and butter or fruit

If it's between Christmas and NY I'd take a pot of light vegetable soup, some crusty bread and cheese. Other people are bringing picky bits and your hosts are preparing an Indian style feast for dinner, so a simple light lunch amid all the excess of the season should go down well.

Home made cheese straws 😋 Make the day before and store in a tin. People love them.

Exactly this idea! And it won’t take ages to prepare.

I've heard it all now. This is adulting on a terrifying level. A straw made of cheese. That you have made the day before. And you have the right size of tin with a lid. And have done this enough times to know people love them.

Union Square nuts. You can make them a day or two (or longer!) before and keep in an airtight container.

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/union-square-cafe-bar-nuts.html

I use any nuts I happen to have in, except peanuts. It usually ends up with cashews, almonds, walnuts.

I make garlic butter / honey chilli butter / herb butter pots with homemade crusty buns
Very popular, butters are best made the week before so the flavours infuse, the bread dough I make the day before and put on cold rise over night, bake first thing in the morning

I would keep it simple and take a few packs of smoked salmon, butter some good brown bread and wrap in clingfilm bring wedges of lemon, and cut bread into triangles when you arrive. Good for brunch with Buck's Fizz.

Sausage pinwheels

www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24596/sausage-pinwheels/

a big salad bowl of kachumber (tastes better at room temp)

if (like me) you keep a bunch of small pudding glasses and pots, lime and ginger possets transported in a cool bag with an ice pack inside).

A fruit salad. I always feel like I don't get enough fruit/ veg at these events.

Kinda implies you have never had cheese straws before?

I'd do these and maybe a bowl of hummus, add in some bread sticks as well, something simple and savoury.

I would suggest pinwheels too; buy the puff pastry, huge variety of fillings possible sweet and savoury, easy to make, bake and transport. Can be warmed up when you get there/throughout the day as needed.

I've heard it all now. This is adulting on a terrifying level. A straw made of cheese. That you have made the day before. And you have the right size of tin with a lid. And have done this enough times to know people love them.

I really don't understand this comment. Who doesn't love a homemade cheese straw ?

• Guacamole, sour cream dip and chips plus veg sticks
• Cheese and biscuits
• Mince pies
• Mini chocolate pot desserts

Is quite an eclectic lunch so just bring anything in your press, like a tin of beans or pineapple rings.

Though in all seriousness, there's no actual lunch there, so why don't you bring some soup? Soup, cheese and crackers for lunch. Mince pies after I'd anyone fancies. The dips can be snacked on if anyone feels underfed

Failing that, go old school and bring a bottle of vodka and some red bull.

Just cook and take a ham, festive and can be eaten over a few days.

Would you have enough room in your fridge to keep salad bags? The food that’s being taken is quite rich and heavy. I’d take lots of different salad bags, little gem lettuces, cucumber (you could peel and chop when you get there), bottles of dressing, boiled whole new potatoes,

I'd bring some actual filling lunch food, not more snacks and deserts. Like @Monty27 suggested, a big pot of homemade soup and a loaf of "homemade" (bakery) bread would be nice. Or some make-your-own-sandwich ingredients. Maybe some bakery rolls and bread, sliced cheese and meat, greens, tomatoes, pickles, olives.