Whether you have a family party or a birthday coming up, a wedding, anniversary or indeed an office do, feeding a crowd on budget or anything in between; if you would love to have a buffet for your party, there are many ways you could deliver a fantastic buffet with simple treats readily available at the local store or butchers that will not break the bank. Above all, you won’t need to ask any of your invited guests to bring and share and best of all these party food recipe ideas can be delivered event on the tightest of budgets. So to start, lets give you 4 simple yet cost effective ideas for a finger cold buffet that can be made ahead…

Bruschettas

If really on a tight budget, A few large baguettes, thinly slice top with passata sauce and a little grated cheese are a great way to make your own bruschettas a dish that could only be a couple of quid or that, smart price sausage frozen sausage rolls are 89p for 50 so 6 packs should be plenty. Bruschettas can really be a simple way to tap into any tastes, styles and flavours for your guests and above all they look great. Why not try out the Strawberry Bruschetta especially for those warm days of spring and summer. The refreshing combination of nectarine, grape tomatoes, strawberries, and basil served over thin sliced baguette with slathering of goat cheese will work a great treat for many tastes. You could even extend these with the Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta prepared with jam. Most importantly, this savoury-meets-sweet appetizer mix can be done up to three days in advance, and kept in in your fridge ready for when your guests start to arrive to finish off and be ready to wow. Also consider this Bruschetta with Peach Salsa and Melted Brie combination;

Pizza Sticks

This merely an extension of the bruschetta idea above. Pizza Sticks can be topped with Jarred bruschetta topping, chock full of flavourful herbs and veggie stuff, that can also save both money and prep time. All you have to do is simply top a refrigerated thin pizza crust with the bruschetta topping and a shredded cheese blend, bake, and cut into bite-size strips and wait to see the smiles on your guests faces.

Skewers

Skewer selections can be a simple yet favourite addition to any buffet in both savoury and sweet treats. Think of diced cheese and cherry tomato skewers Fruit, Cheese, and Herb Skewers, breaded braised beef and chilli skewers, lamb and mint leaves skewers, chicken skewers in all sorts of flavours and colours…. Strawberry and marshmallow skewers, grapes and diced chocolate waffle skewers; the list is endless. All you need is imagination be it a stack various combinations of fruit, cheeses, meats and herbs and 6-inch wooden skewers for a fun and fresh party appetizer that can be made up to three hours ahead of time.

A stand out is the Melon, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Skewers…. Who doesn’t love melon and when added to a quality cured ham diced on a skewer, the treat can go a long way to appeasing many guests tastes with this ultimate savoury/sweet combination. Another option is to enhance the flavours and textures with the addition of smooth mozzarella cheese, giving these skewers a versatile flavour cutting through all tastes. Guests love the absolute easiness and accessibility of skewers to pick and help themselves, and you\\\'d be surprised at how impressed they\\\'ll be.

Mini Savoury Bites

From Mini Quiches, mini frittatas, mini spring rolls, mini pies, mini mozzarella sticks, to mini cupcakes and mini cheese bites, the easiness of mini bites means your guests are not encumbered with a full on sit-down mill that sometimes suppresses party moods. Guests are able to pick and bite on the move while interacting with each other. Above all, mini bites free you up ensuring you are spending time with your guests rather than worrying about crockery and cutlery. Best of all, they’re easy to prepare and most don’t take too much time. Mini quiches require just five ingredients and 5 minutes of baking that are and flavourful. Try these tasty pastry cups filled with egg and cheese and anything really that you like be it topped with bacon, peppers, ham, mushrooms, tomatoes… the choice is yours. All other mini bites mentions are also similarly easy to prepare and a combination of two or three of these can create for a buffet with both textures, flavours and colours to suit many guests’ tastes.

Other Ideas

But for those that want to extend their offering, why not for example, as a start, consider a bbq something that comes with so many options and tastes that your guests will surely come to find something just what they hoped for. Fries, onion rings, veggie skewers, burgers, lamb chops, selected skewers are all possible alternatives for any bbq. It’s possible to pick up some real cheap burgers, chicken drumsticks, lamb chops or even high quality steaks and sausages from the local butchers at any moment!! Serve with fried onions, cheese slices, salads, bacon, and fresh baps?? Remember that bbqs aren’t just for summer!!!!

The above ideas are of course not definitive. Other buffets that include traditional treats such as Sandwich selections, snack selections such as pork pies, savoury eggs, cocktail sausages and sausage rolls etc etc can still work a treat especially for those on a tight budget. It’s not impossible to deliver such a buffet even on a budget of £100.

Also consider some rolls in a big basket with a selection of fillings around it so people can help themselves.

Getting friends and family to help for example when you have to ensure the small trouble of buttering 10 loaves of bread and laying on meats, cheeses etc. Sandwich fillings could be savoury cheese some grated cheese mixed with diced onion and peppers mixed with mayo a little of this goes a long way; egg mayo also goes a long way. And if any good at pastry making mini quiches will be cheap to make, just like some little mini toad in the holes which are fine eaten cold. Another thing you might have to be keen on is pricing for example the price of boiled ham might be higher than that of a small ham that you can boil and slice yourself; a beef or pork joint to cook at home, slice it yourself for some meat platters. Instead of bread for sandwiches use value finger rolls served open so that one makes two can be a great option for a lite buffet.

Don\\\'t forget the gateau, they are a tradition or a big dish of cream crackers with some sliced cheese and soft cheeses

Sometimes it might suffice that a hot buffet option is a better one especially during the cold winter months. Serving a Meat and Potato Pie, Mushy Peas, Gravy and red cabbage/beetroot as the food for such events as christening, funerals, charity dos, birthdays etc etc can sometimes work magic and capture everyone’s interest which in the cold months can be better rather than cold sandwiches and sausage rolls. Also, seriously consider chilli and rice or curry and rice and maybe beef stew and dumplings. They can be kept warm on the table warmers so if there are no cooking facilities at the venue there shouldn’t be a problem. A couple of large trifles and cream sponges should suffice for the sweet side of things. I definitely think £100 would be more than ample for this depending on numbers of guests.

So for now, you are looking at choices around:

·         sausage rolls

·         quiches

·         frittata (sp)

·         sausage on sticks (cut into 3)

·         cheese & pineapple sticks

·         pork pies

·         cheese straws

·         sarnies (cheese/egg/jam/tuna)

·         cold pizza

·         boiled eggs

·         chips

·         chicken pieces

·         dips (houmous, sour cream)

·         cheese board

·         french stick

·         salad bowl

·         savoury rice

·         baked spuds

·         chilli

·         curry

·         coleslaw/potatoe salad

·         vol au vonts - filled with chopped crawfish tails , rose marie sauce/chicken and mushroom in bechamel sauce/ chicken and sweetcorn in bechamel sauce/ smoked salmon (scraps lasted a long way) and cream cheese.

·         Bridge rolls filled with egg/cress, ham, smoked salmon and cream cheese, Home roasted beef sliced with horseradish mayonnaise, Smoked haddock pate.

·         Cooked chicken drumsticks - served with a barbecue sauce on the side

·         sausages - normal sausages chopped into 6-8 pieces.

·         mini pizzas topped with cheese/tomato, cheese/ham/pineapple, cheese/salami, cheese/olives/anchovies.

·         humous with warmed pitta bread sliced into strips

·         vegetable pakoras served with mango chutney dip

·         quiche - cheese and bacon, red onion

·         cous cous - topped with chopped cucumber/tomato/red onion/coriander/dried cumin and coriander/lemon juice

·         Cheese board with grapes and HM rolls/cheese biscuits

·         Cheese tomato, cheese and pineapple, cheese salami sticks

·         HM coleslaw and salad

·          

Desserts

·          

·         butterfly cakes

·         chocolate crispy cakes

·         Victoria sponge with cream/jam

·         Lemon cheesecake

·         Pavlova topped with cream and strawberries

For those after some detailed work, pick one or two speciality Ideas including the following…

Filled vol-au-vonts

Little vol au vonts always go down well. These will normally be sold frozen cheap in cases just after especially around the festive period. For fillings you can use prawns for sauce use mayo with a dash of tom puree, cooked chicken scraps, cooked mushrooms, and many other innovative options.

Coronation chicken scones

What could be more British than this scone and coronation chicken combo? Ideal for a summer party or picnic

Truffle macancini

Our twist on arancini balls, filled with the perfect ratio of pasta, cheese, truffle and crumb. Serve these moreish morsels up with cocktails at your next party, they\\\'re a crowd-pleaser!...

Tear & share pasty

Our buffet centrepiece is inspired by a classic Cornish pasty, but served in a new way that\\\'s perfect for a party or picnic...

Thyme & caramelised onion mini Scotch eggs

Making these mini Scotch quail\\\'s eggs is well worth the effort, best enjoyed warm with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. The perfect party food!...

Sausage & fennel seed slices

Slice this make-ahead sausage roll into bite-sized pieces for a delicious canapé - ideal for Christmas and New Year\\\'s Eve parties...

Mac ’n’ cheese sliders

Feed a crowd at a party or buffet with these American-themed canapés of crispy squares of macaroni cheese, sandwiched in mini bread rolls

Turkish-style sharing bread

This deep-pan version of a classic Turkish \\\'pizza\\\' called lahmacun, topped with spicy lamb mince and red onion, cuts into bite-size wedges for a fuss-free yet flavour-packed party nibble...

PBJ Bakewell tart

We\\\'ve taken everything we love about a Bakewell tart and added an American twist with peanut butter and jam or \\\'jelly\\\' as they call it stateside!...

Clementine & vodka-baked salmon with beetroot crème fraîche sauce

Divide a whole side of salmon into fillets, cover with a sticky citrus glaze, then bake for a festive dinner party crowd-pleaser

Double chocolate cheesecake

Cheesecake is always incredibly popular, but add chocolate and it elevates it to something with even more crowd appeal

Sautéed chorizo with red wine

These chunks of spicy sausage in a rich glaze of garlic, honey and red wine are sure to disappear quickly from a buffet or tapas spread

Chorizo Scotch quail’s eggs

Upgrade this picnic family favourite with a tangy chorizo and blanched almond shell, covering perfectly soft-set yolks

Festive gammon

A traditional ham recipe that\\\'s perfect for any celebration, especially at Christmas. The gammon needs brining overnight, but the results are well worth it...

Smoked fish & potato latkes sharing platter

Pan-fry potato patties until golden, then serve with smoked salmon, mackerel and a creamy sauce as part of a sharing seafood platter

Cheese & pesto whirls

These herby tear-and-share bread rolls have mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes baked into them - perfect for a picnic or for dipping into soup

Spiced pork crackling straws

If you love crackling you\\\'ll love these salted and spiced crispy strips of pork skin, perfect as a party nibble or indulgent buffet snack

Prawn & chorizo skewers with gremolata

Entice your guests to the buffet table with the flavourful combination of prawn and chorizo

Sole goujons with mango & lime dip

Coat strips of white fish fillets with breadcrumbs, then bake for a delicious make-ahead canapé, perfect for entertaining or a party buffet

Antipasti skewers

Impress party guests with these simple, stylish canapés - thread olives, feta, Serrano ham and Peppadews onto long cocktail sticks

Layered hummus with spiced tortilla chips

Entertain a crowd with this attractive chickpea dip - make the hummus and herby oil ahead, then assemble at the last minute

Smoky aubergine & coriander dip

The seductively smoky flavour of this Middle Eastern-style dip comes from cooking the aubergines charcoal black

Cherry chocolate Pavlova

Finish your meal with this impressive dessert, with billowing cream and fresh summer fruit

Raspberry & coconut trifle cake

This towering beauty will make the perfect sweet centrepiece for a buffet, or a lighter option if you’re not into Christmas pudding

Duck & pork terrine with cranberries & pistachios

Set aside a couple of hours and enjoy every minute of making this impressive terrine

Easy cheese & onion slice

This cheesy dish is a great buffet recipe for guests to just help themselves to