i'm doing a finger food buffet on friday for about 50+....

[JennyPennyNAPPYWEB]

DH is having a birthday party in a hall. We have about 50+ guests coming and some children too. I have a few questions if anybody could help me out?

• Could I make it all the night before and keep it in the fridge?

• Any tips on keeping it as cheap as possible?

• What supermarket would be best to go to get it all? I looked in Iceland today and wasn't over impressed. THe stuff looked OK but the very small boxes with 3 for £5 and the biggger sizes were £5. I don't think this is the cheapest way to do it?

Thanks in advance for any help! We are VERY skint at the moment so we are talking value sausage rolls etc

I think Sainsbury's did some good value "party" food last Christmas, which could be worth a look.

Could you go 1970s retro, and do lots of french bread, cheese on sticks, etc?

Def either French bread or rolls as they are cheap, but filling.
Crisps, kettle chips and tortilla crisps
Maybe mini scotch eggs
Sausages
Pretzels

ooohhhh yes, didn't think of french bread! Great! What do you do? Cut it all up before hand and put it in a basket? Not sure I like the thought of having a very sharp knife with kids and drunk people around?

Definatly will do crisps.

Got a pack of cocktail sausages in the freezer to use.

Anybody know about doing it the night before?

We had a big part for about 50odd a couple of years ago. We did balls of cous cous to go with the finger food. That worked quite well, is filling and works out cheap. Also pasta salads work out cheap too.

Oh, another idea. What about some homemade quiches?

I wouldn't get the french bread until the day, they always go rubbery the following day. I would cut it into chunks and put it in a bread basket. People can then just tear it in half from there.
As long as you an keep the stuff refrigerate then it will be fine to do it the day before.

Yes, cut up the french bread beforehand, but not too far in advance as it does go hard quite quickly.

Sorry, I'm rubbish on knowing about food safety, so I'm always ultra-cautious.

Little sausages are always a winner, as are sausage rolls. You can get loads of them cheaply.

My friend swears by getting chicken drumsticks/wings and smearing them in curry paste then baking. Have never tried it, but apparently they are yummy.

Pate to go with the french sticks, if you can get some not too expensive. Also cream cheese. Another friend serves this in a block covered in sweet chilli sauce, and it is very nice.

definitely do these
if you ask at your local butchers they can keep wings for you throughout the week, freezing them if necessary. honestly, they cost peanuts, i've bought bagfuls for a coupla quid. and you just leave them in the marinade until they go in the oven, but even if your oven will be over-crowded they'll be delicious cooked and cold.

Big lump of cheddar and a jar of pickle to go with the french bread, pickled onions, ham, tomatoes, houmous. Pot of butter. Very little preparation needed!

People don't expect a full meal at a party, just a few nibbles to keep them going, generally they eat before/after.

also, ask your pals to bring a plate. no-one minds that, in fact i quite like it, feels very clubbable imo.

I'd also buy a value bag of carrots and just do loads of carrot batons to go with dip - you could definitely chop these up the day before.

but if you do, bag them tight with a splash of water.

Yes sorry I didn't mean the french bread the day before, I mean the stuff that needs cookinng really as I have 2 under 2s that will be around all day so would like as little to do on the day as possible really.

Was thinking of getting about 5 cheap pizzas and chopping them up to serve cold. Pizzas are usually popular?

Thanks for all your help and ideas all of you.

Also - what are cous cous balls?

Pizzas - yum!

PIzza always goes down well and is nice cold too. Value chicken legs, roasted in the oven will also go down well.

instead of sarnies, open rolls that way you get two lots instead of one.

Is there anyone you can ask to come over early to help?