Planning A Buffet Party
Creating a buffet for a party can seem a daunting prospect, especially when it needs to be made in advance, kept at the right temperature and be ready to be served at the right time, still looking and tasting good.
I recently organised a surprise party for my parents 60th wedding anniversary and this included a buffet for 25 people. I live some 200 miles from the venue so I needed to make something in advance that could travel well.
I decided to keep things really simple. The point of these gatherings is much more about the people than the food. The food is there to sustain and enjoy but should not be the central part of the event, in my opinion.
Quiche – Ideal For A Buffet
It is possible to keep things simple and tasty. In fact sometimes the simplest things are the best! So I decided to go for quiches, baked potatoes and salad for the savoury course with garlic bread. I cooked four very large quiches. There was goat’s cheese, cheese and tomato, roast vegetable and ham, cheese and broccoli. The goat’s cheese was a particular hit, it has to be said.
I made the quiches in advance and froze them, which also made them easier to transport. They were made in large foil ‘roasting’ dishes which I bought from Wilkinsons. I served them cold, but they could have been re-heated
Perfect Sides
The jacket potatoes went in the oven on the day about 2 hours before they were required. Once they were cooked, the oven was turned down to keep them warm.
The salad consisted of lettuce from 3 different leaves to provide colour and texture. Chopped cucumber, spring onions, carrot sticks and baby tomatoes made up the rest. Balsamic salad dressing was also available.
The buffet supper was enjoyed by all. Filling and economical but above all tasty. The dessert was strawberries or raspberries with cream, banoffee pie and carrot cake.
The event was a huge success, with family getting together for the first time in many years. The food was an excellent walk on part that was enjoyed by all.
This week I went on a trip down memory lane and thought about when Mother was alive and we were children,for some reason I remembered the taste of the quiche she used to make.
I used your recipe for Cheese and Tomato quiche including making my own Pastry and adding some fried bacon and sliced Mushrooms.
A massive success,even my fussy nearly grown up Boys couldn’t believe I could cook some thing so tasty.
Thank you for the easy to follow recipe that gave me the confidence to have a go.
Just off to the kitchen now to do one with Leeks onion and bacon.
Kind regards Kev Cherry aged nearly 54
Thank you for your encouraging words. Well done for showing that anyone can cook tasty meals – and being a good example to your boys! Let me know how the next one goes! 🙂