buffet menus?

Question

I am hosting an "after Confirmation" dinner/buffet for approx 15 family members. The ceremony will go from 6 - 8:30 on a Friday evening. I would like to serve a buffet after the ceremony, but due to how late we would start eating, I am uncertain as to what to serve. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Sounds like the ceremony will be happening around everyone's dinner time, but alot of people may have eaten ahead of time by having an early dinner or a late lunch. A buffet at 8:30 or 9:00 should be substantial without causing major gastric distress by eating it so late! Here are some thoughts:

1. Salads: fruit, green, spinach with a variety of dressings
2. Meat and cheese platters
3. Rolls and sweet butter
4. A glazed ham for carving
5. Appetizers: crackers and cheese, chips and salsa, Hot Artichoke Dip and chips, smoked salmon and cream cheese.
6. Desserts: cupcakes, brownies, cookies and a cake
7. If there is a specialty dish that the family enjoys on special occasions, then make one of it.

Keep it light and festive, enough to stave off hunger, but not enough to have folks going home groaning!

Answer 2

Because you won't be home prior to the buffet I would suggest that you keep it to things that will taste good premade and reheated. Also, be realistic, many people will have already eaten dinner considering the ceremony starts at 6:00.

I would suggest having a dessert party. You can mix bakery pastries with things that you make. Make a huge fruit tray and serve it with chocolate fondue and yogurt dip. One of my favorites and easy to make is a nutella pizza. Either get a premade pizza dough that is totally unseasoned crust or pizza dough (although better it needs to be baked before hand), spread nutella all over it. Put it in the oven for about five minutes on 4 minutes, just long enough for the nutella to get oozy generally about 5 minutes. Take it out and top with chopped hazelnuts.

Answer 3

OK Louise s
how far do we have to drive to eat?
are you cooking the food of having it catered?
how many adults how many kids?

how about having the buffet on Saturday afternoon?

ez micro way stuff
pre make every thing so when you get home fire up the oven to high and then in 30 minutes you can start pumping out food for your guest

thawed out chicken tenders 20 min
appetizers the kind that you would purchase at the store from Fridays
or do fried chicken you can eat that cold cole slaw potato salad cold, macaroni salad, three bean salad, tossed salad say maybe a sandwich ring or a 5 ft hoagie from the local sub shop, vegetable tray

make that stuff Friday morning and afternoon in the ol'ice box and ready for the night

Answer 4

Well, I know That the food and liquor can be very costly when paying for a wedding, but keep in mind that it is one of the most important factors in keeping your guests happy. I am going to be honest with you here, bring your on liquor is a very bad idea. if you cannot afford liquor then make it a non alcoholic reception, you cannot ask guests to bring their own, it is in very bad taste and it may come off as extremely rude to some people. As for your Mexican buffet, I really would not recommend this unless you are doing the whole Mexican theme through out your wedding. If you do decide to stick with the Mexican buffet, you should at least add more to it. The items listed above are not very hearty or meal like, they seem to be more like snacks. They are also very messy items. Do you have any vegetarians coming? You should keep this in mind as well , because the only items you have listed that do not have meat are, Chip and salsa, nachos, beans and rice.....Not a really great meal. If you search around for local restaurants you will find that most of them do catering for a very inexpensive price. Just shop around. Good Luck to you

Answer 5

I think it's fine having a dinner that late. Just serve what you would normally at a dinner party. Pasta, meat entree, salad, sides. It will be fine as long as the people are still hungry and dont fill up on appetizers.

Answer 6

Make a salad bar.Large bowl of salad,tray with tomatoes,chopped onions,olives,chopped pickles,radishes and celery.Then tray with meats and cheeses for sandwiches.Fruit bowl,pasta salad, and potato salad(for those that are hungrier).Then a nice basket for the bread,and crackers.Then all the dressings and condiments for the sandwiches.Hope this helps.You cover lite eaters and the ones that are hungry.They choose what and how much.

Answer 7

Serve finger sandwiches, a variety of flavors, pickles olives, chips, nuts, cupcakes, and soft drinks, iced tea, have coffee but no one will probably want it that late. Maybe have a pasta salad, a potato salad and some thin sliced cold chicken or ham.

Answer 8

Pasta's with sauce is always good. At party stores they have the foil warming trays with heat (very inexpensive). You could have a tray of pasta, a tray of sausage/meat sauce, garlic bread, and a green salad and desert.

Answer 9

starters could be 2 kinds of soup,salad & small snacks served with dips.

in the main course u could have rice,chicken,seafood,pasta,
vegetable cutlets,platters,bakes,pizzas etc.

dessert- pudding,cake,icecream.

for drinks u could have cocktails and fruit punches.

Answer 10

pasta is easy to reheat just make sure you dont cook the noodles throughly in the pot. salads and veggies with a meat tray i did this sort for my wedding worked out very good.