Summer Buffet for 50

[nearlyemptynes]

I in my wisdom suggested a party at home for our silver wedding and it is this saturday. We have around 50 people coming- hopefully nice weather so will be in house and garden. I have ordered 150 samosas from a local indian deli. Will be adding:

Cheese board and grapes
Home made scones, cream, strawberries
Homemade Quiche
Cooked Ham
Cooked Salmon
Potato Salad
Bread
Pizza

Lots of Pimms.......

Any other ideas please

I feel like you could do with some vegetables - a tomato salad or other salads? Some crudite

otherwise I wouldn’t add too much - I think it’s better not to have too much variety but just make sure there’s enough

are you making 50 scones!

Nice! But limited choice for vegetarians and anyone who likes vegetarian food so maybe a pasta salad? Anti pasti ? Caprese salad? Bruschetta?

Congratulations on your silver anniversary - hope you have a great day! 💐

It sounds great. I’d add a couple of salads but that’s all.

Happy anniversary, OP, and many more.

Your menu sounds delicious and I would happily eat it all. Like PP, I wonder how many vegetarian options you have? I realise the possibilities exist within the samosas, quiches and pizzas.

I also agree that a green salad would bexyhe finishing touch and it has the advantage of suiting almost everyone, but for 50 people that is a lot of salad! Perhaps marinaded vegetables would be easier to manage?

If anything, I think pizza (which I love) is slightly out of place here. The rest of the menu is very coherent. If you need another vegetarian dish, perhaps an easy Indian dish? But this is a really minor point.

Pesto pasta
Coleslaw
Crudités and dips

I’d lose the pizza. It goes cold quickly and cold pizza is horrible imo.

Agree that some salads are needed - maybe a green one and some homemade coleslaw?

Making enough homemade quiches for 50 sounds a real faff - would be much easier to buy them! I know they’re not as nice but you don’t want to exhaust yourself before the party! Or replace them with homemade sausage rolls- meat ones and veggie ones?

Big pile of bought brownies and ice cream plus cones.

Agree with suggestions to add salads, caprese and Mexican corn salads would be my shout.

thank you all for your help. I will add pasta salad, green salad, gala pie. Samosas are veggie and will make sure pizza and quiche are too. We are also having apple crumble and custard pots (home made by my sons partner from their apple trees).will also add olives and dips.

and yes i am making the scones
my other sons girlfriend is bringing cupcakes- it is his 21st the day after, he is moaning about it but doesnt know 14 of his mates are coming.

I'd add some onion bhajis and maybe some veggie spring rolls.

Green salad, how about an Indian style coleslaw? Chicken marinated Indian style?

Add a green salad, lose the pizza (unless you have small, fussy children coming?)

Go to Waitrose or Sainsbury’s and order salads etc. Cook do lovely large quiches. Just done a family celebration, it was so much easier than making everything!

Less carby salads.

Couscous or bulgar wheat salads.

Finger sandwiches?

Cherry tomatoes, pepper and cucumber and carrot sticks and a bean or bean and feta salad - veggies for both veggies and everyone else

minimise stuff that people might drop on smart clothes

coronation chicken
tomato and onion salad

Brings the Somosas in which are otherwise on a bit of a limb

The numbers are rising- we are now on 70............help!

Go to Costco if you have a card and buy trays of sandwiches and wraps.

Agree, but swap the chicken for chickpeas. Cheaper, especially for large numbers!

If you haven't made the scones, I woukd ditch and make a cooked of traybakes (or buy in). A lemon sponge and a brownie or chocolate fudge. Freeze and then on the day get out if freezer and whilst still semi frozen cut into cubes. If miney no object serve with fresh berries and cream in the side.

I would look to order some in if you're too busy.

Agree on ditching the scones and making cake instead

is it too late to order anything else from the Indian deli?

I'm assuming this is fork food rather than seating that many? Vegetable spring rolls always go down well

Sounds lovely. Agree with generally increasing volumes of what you choose, rather than increasing variety. Although I also agree that a coronation chickpea salad would help bridge the gap between a British buffet and the samosas.

One article I read years ago on self catering a party which I took to heart was very firm in saying “few choices but absolutely lashings of what you do serve” and I’ve always taken that to heart.

As it happens, following. You are giving me six months prep time.