Party food - your ideas needed please

[toomuchicecream]

Last year we had a big house party (approx 50 people). I did shepherds pie and salad for the food, which worked fantastically well. Some had mashed celeriac on top and some had a vegetarian filling. I cooked them all in advance (7 of them!) and distributed them round various friends' freezers till the day. At the party it was incredibly easy to open a few bags of mixed leaves and stick them in bowls, then re-heat the shepherds pies and stick them on the buffet table. People raved about how good the food was, it was very simple and straightforward so I didn't spend most the party dealing with food and there was next to no waste. Oh - and as I bulked out the meat with veg bought from the market, it wasn't too expensive either.

We're doing another party of similar size this year. Can I have your suggestions please for things I could cook and serve in a similar way? So far the suggestions from carb eating friends are jacket potatoes with various fillings or pie night.

(Lots of friends have offered to bring food so I'll put them in charge of puddings like I did last year - we know lots of good cooks so that bit will be yummy - and I'll do lots of cheese, celery, cucumber etc as a low carb alternative.)

I often do mexican for crowds, everyone can help themselves to all the lovely side dishes. The guac, salsa, sour cream, cheese and tortillas for the non low carbers. The wahaca cook book is amazing, always do a veggie chilli, a pork pibl and a chicken tinga.

What about Greek? You could do a meze plate of prawns, olives, feta, tzatziki, taramaslata, hummus and grilled aubergine slices, followed by a massive low carb moussaka (just make the topping from cream, cheese and eggs) and a Greek salad. Provide pita bread for the non-low carbers.

There's a lovely recipe for moussaka on the low carb recipe thread

Thank you all - you've got me thinking now...

My mum had a fabulous recipe for lasagne which, instead of using a bechamel sauce, layered cottage cheese (or ricotta) mixed with beaten egg, sliced mozzarella and grated Parmesan with the ragu and pasta. I've done it substituting the lasagne sheets with courgettes or flattened out leeks. The courgettes worked best - and I'm sure aubergine would also work well (although would make it more like a moussaka).

I made a great Greek 'lasagne' at the weekend, minced lamb layered with thinly Sliced swede, topped with a feta cheese sauce.

The recipe is on the BBC Good Food website, just search lamb and swede and it should be the first thing to come up.

Chilli in the slow cooker

Large bowl of nachos

Bowl of grated cheese

Jalapeños

If you can get your hands on another slow cooker

Chicken curry inc peppers, mushrooms & onions

Wraps