Christmas Buffet?

Question

We have family from overseas coming for Christmas. There will be 20 of us in total so we have decided to do a buffet instead of the traditional turkey dinner.

I am looking for some sensational recipies for cold christmas buffets - to add to a table of cooked meats, homemade quiche, and the usual sausage rolls/cheese straws etc;!

I need things that I can start to make up a day or two in advance or things that can be frozen.

Tried and tested ideas only please - I don't want any disasters!

Answer 1

ok,i'm the queen of buffets,i love finger food,for christmas,well obviously a platter of cooked meat..turkey,roast beef,ham,pork..lovely,lots of chutney..cranberry sauce,apple sauce,mango chutney etc,some blanched veg..parsnips,carrotts,asparagus with some hollondaise sauce on the side,you can have some chippolatas with bacon on cocktail sticks..theyre great cold with a nice tomato chutney,potatoe salad WITHOUT mayo! just some virgin olive oil,salt and pepper and any herbs you like,do it while warm but leave to go cool,sausage rolls but jazz them up with a little apple sauce on the side mixed with some all spice,a nice seafood platter would be nice..you know,prawns,crab sticks,smoked salmon etc with a nice seafood sauce in the centre,a cheese board would be fab..some nice mature cheddar for christmas,with some crusty bread and pickle,mince pies of course,christmas pud too! lovely cold..and a big jug of brandy cream!have a great christmas..hope i helped..x

Answer 2

Whole Poached Salmon - can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and placed in the fridge - then decorate with lemon wedges/ tomatoes/ and have Sauce tartare on the side.
For Sweets - you can buy or make little choux pastries at least a week in advance and freeze them - defrost previous day and fill them with a variety of savoury (Philadelphia and smoked Salmon/ tampenade/ pesto) and sweet custard/ cream/ lemon curd.
Beef wellington can be prepared up to the Wrap stage and frozen (by unfrozen pastry!) and then on morning of party just pop into oven and cook - this can then be a display and can be served hot/ warm/ cold.
Fluffy baked potato halves - these potatoes can be cooked a day in advance - cut them in half - remove flesh from potatoes add grated cheese and spring onion - freeze the skins and filling separately - defrost overnight and if needed warm them through on the day.

Answer 3

Parboil asparagus for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. In a container add one part olive oil,one part balsamic vinegar,a teaspoon wholegrain mustard,and some chopped garlic-mix well,and add the asparagus,coating each spear. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day,wrap the asparagus spears in parma ham (about 3-4 spears per slice of parma ham),then grill,turning over from time to time. (Easier if you have a George Foreman grill!) Can be served hot or cold.

Answer 4

Iceland are doing loads of nice stuff at the mo.....and there all 3 packs for a fiver. You don't really want to put to much effort into the prep as there is alot of people to feed isn't there, so at least all this stuff can just be put into the oven and cooked off, can be eaten cold too.

The only thing I would serve hot is your roast potatoes, gravy and veg!

If ye a mum, go to Iceland!

Good luck and happy Christmas!!!!!

Answer 5

Sainsburys are selling mini christmas puddings in lots of different flavours - you could do a mixed platter!
You could make turkey and cranberry rolls instead of sausge rolls, just use turkey mince and mix cranberry sauce into it. Then use ready roll puff pastry. These could be made up and frozen then cooked the day you need them.
Instead of normal dip you could experiment with a sprout dip!! Everyone would still have their portion of the disgusting traditional vegetable!!

Answer 6

spicey onions 2 lrge onions finely sliced heinz tomato ketchup acouple of spoon fulls of mint sauce and tabasco.....simple to make buterfly prawns.....get some lrge raw prawns peel them but leave on the end of the tail cut into butterflys by cutting length ways but not the whole way through crumb them in dessicated coconut and breadcrumb mix and deep fry until golden brown served with a sweet chilli dip........take 2 chilli peppers and slice thinly mix with some thinly sliced red onion ,redcurrant jelly ,small amount of orange juice and some paprika powder ..........chicken sate........dice up some chicken breast dice onion and diced capsicum pepper marinade in peanut oil,soy sauce grated fresh ginger overnight put onto skewers and grill........to make your sate sauce .one jar crunchy peanut butter add to sauteed finely chopped onion,garlic and ginger heat gently add in soy sauce and a small amount of chicken stock...this will have to be reheated to serve it.........smoked salmon parcels stuffed with brie and chives.........get a pack or two of sliced smoked salmon take out slices and leave flat get brie cheese and cut of the rind place on smoked salmon and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives wrap like a samosa and leave in fridge.serve with a lemon and chive vinegarette................3parts virgin olive oil one part balsamic vinegar a spoonfull of grain mustard lemon juice from one lemon and chopped chivesdo not refridgerate the dressing will set in the fridge.hope thats given you some ideas but if your looking for more drop me an e-mail...........i got hundreds i was a chef for 25 yrs now i work in a bank......same sorta job really i think not!

Answer 7

serve a really nice cheeseboard with some chutneys and fruit and walnuts and a nice sourdough bread like poilaine.
I would recommend one hard cheese, one blue, one soft, one goat and one washed rind personally.
have some manchego (hard spanish cheese) served with quince (fruit paste) also.

Answer 8

Yes I know a definate no no! Christmas with Farepak! What a disaster!