Save me from my compulsive overcatering - is this enough and what would you leave out?

[lovecat]

Tis my birthday in 2 weeks time

I'm having a massive piss up elegant cocktail party, with a BBQ on the side, weather permitting.

Now, I always overcater, I cannot escape the nagging fear that someone might enter my house and not leave it stuffed to the gills, but I'm trying to be sensible, so do tell me if you think this is too much or not - and if so, what would you leave out?

I have 25 confirmed guests, plus 5 toddlers. There are another 30 I haven't heard from but am assuming they're not coming at present. Seven of the 25 are vegetarian, two of whom will eat fish. At least 10 of the others are gannets and will eat the vegetarians' food as well as their own. Two are Jewish and won't touch pork products. Four are doing Slimming World.

So....

From the BBQ:

Marinated spicy chicken thighs
BBQ Ribs
Burgers (& veg burgers)
Sausages (& Linda McCartney's finest)
Corn on the Cob
Veg kebabs with marinated halloumi

Big green salad
Pasta Salad

Pre-made and dished up to nibble on whilst waiting for DH to cremate cook the bbq food as we sup our Blue Lagoons, Pimms and Pina Coladas:

mini vol au vents with egg mayo, prawn & avocado, and creamy mushroom fillings
sausage rolls
cheese n' pineapple
olives & nuts
garlic bread
avocado dip and red pepper hummus with nachos and veg crudités
roasted vegetable lasagne
'standard' lasagne
mini garlic & rosemary roast potatoes

And for puds:

DIY Eton Mess
Choc fondue with fruit and marshmallows for dipping
Raspberry & peach cream gateaux (prebought)
Choc brownies

And some pringles and party rings for the littlies (and any passing adults!)

So is it too much, enough or too little? I can't tell! In fact the rabid overcaterer in me wants to add a platter of meats,cheeses and french bread too, just in case ! But I can't for the life of me think where to begin to cut it back...

Can I come? Sounds great!

My only thought is whether you need the lasagne, however tasty? People might dig into that and then not leave enough room for all the BBQ things... When people know there's a barbeque on then they are prepared to wait, surely? You're giving them loads to nibble on and soak up the cocktails with all the rest.

Definitely not too little (imho).

as another overcaterer I would add the french bread as all can eat it and is filling if others turn up. - sorry not much help am I?

oh yes lots of French bread is always a good idea. Aren't there catering "theories" out there about how many different things you should offer for different numbers of people? The more things you offer the more you have to have for fill-ups, and the more people you have the quicker the more popular things will run out. Prob easier to have lots of fewer things (so everyone can have a bit of everything) rather than too little of lots of different things? Has to be "fair" iyswim!

Where are the master caterers when you need them?

ditch vol au vents and the dips - messy and can't do a thing with them if they're leftover

don't dress salads - can pop back into fridge

would do pasta bakes instead of lasagne if you're dooing them yourself - too messy/fiddly when you're getting ready for a party

sounds yum btw

Sounds wonderful!

i'd be tempted to ditch the lasagnes and stick to BBQ and nibbly type things followed by your fabulous desserts

I always over cater too but then have post-party parties for the next couple of days to eat up all the leftovers. I adore leftovers and this way nothing gets wasted!

Enjoy!

Sounds lush but lasagnes deffo not necessary nor pastry items IMO (i.e. vol au vents and sausage rolls).

Get rid of the lasgannes, sausage rolls and vol au vents (although they do sound yummy). Iwould also be tempted to get rid of the roast pots and do anotyher salad type thing - rice or pasta maybe?

I always think of my plate full and times it by number of guest. They may not get stuffed but get fed and I get no left overs.
so 1 hot dog, 1 burger, bit of salad, nibbles and cold pasta dish. and piece of cake/pud for afters

make sure there is more vegie food than meat food as a veggie it is my pet hate that at parties all the food I can disappears fast l

So that's a no to the lasagnes, then

I would have gone for potato salad, but went to a family bbq recently and there were shedloads of potato salad and coleslaw left over, I don't eat either so couldn't hoover up the leftovers.

Rice salad

Saus rolls are the diddy cocktail ones, largely for the kids (but adults as well) and they'll always get eaten later, so I think I'll stick with them. The vol-au-vents I may well dump...

That's a really good idea re. picturing the plate full of food and multiplying it, Eve, thanks for that.

Gothicmama - I feel your pain - my veg friends and relatives are always complaining of this (it even happened to one of my friends in hospital - she asked for a veg meal to be told that they'd all gone because the meat-eaters ahead of her had liked the look of them better than their dinner!) so I was hoping the lasagne and vol-au-vents would even up the potential inroads from the carnivores....

And you're all welcome to come and help me eat it all....

Okaaaay... here's the revised menu for Saturday (heavy rain forecast, poo!)

At 3pm:

Cocktail pitchers:
Pimms
Slow Comfortable Screws
Strawberry Margaritas
Rum Runners
Sapphire martinis

and for the drivers:
Apple citrus punch
Virgin Coladas

along with:
breadsticks
nuts
crisps
olives
mini-croissants with smoked salmon/cream cheese and ham/cheese
mini sausage rolls
mini veg rolls
sticky cocktail sausages
nachos & guacamole
crudites and red pepper hummus
spring rolls and dipping sauce
plate of party rings and jaffa cakes!

Then from the BBQ around tea-time:
spicy chicken thighs
minted lamb kebabs (Tesco's best!)
burgers
sausages

and

marinated halloumi
veggie/falafel kebabs
cheesey thyme-filled mushrooms
mini corn on the cobs
veg burgers & sausages

with

Green salad
Greekish Pasta salad

Followed by:

chocolate fondue with marshmallows, mini-meringues, strawberries and pineapple for dipping
Eton mess
Raspberry & peach gateau (shop)
choc brownies with dulce de leche swirls

and birthday cake!

I've gone overboard again, haven't I?

Being as it's YOUR birthday, why don't you do the drinks, a birthday cake and the BBQ stuff, and ask everyone to bring something?

Sounds lovely though...and i'm starving.

Bit late now, tattooedgrrrl... it's on in two day's time! And I'm a control freak in the kitchen, believe me, I'm never happier than when menu planning!

Anyway, I've bought it all now, except the burgers and sausages (as the fridges are straining at the seams) so it'll all get eaten one way or t'other!

I've told DH he can make it up to me by the purchasing of lavish gifts....