Community Chat

[nana59]

Help!  I'm hosting Christmas for 12.  The past two years I have ordered Italian dishes from a great restaurant....but I'm tired of that menu.  Any suggestions for an easy buffet? My arthritis gets in the way of doing anything that requires too much preparation.  Thank you....

[hopi]

@nana59

When having a buffet it is usually during football season and I like the least sloppiest method,  So I choose alot a finger food. chicken strips, wraps,

mini hoagie sandwiches  - that type of stuff.

[cherry]

You might get a spiral sliced ham,and serve it at room temp( buy some chicken parts already cooked) . You could buy salads and or sides from a grocery store

Make a couple of jellos, some cottage cheese, relishes, rolls/breads

A couple of  store bought, nice desserts, some ice cream

[Sooner]

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@cherry wrote:

You might get a spiral sliced ham,and serve it at room temp( buy some chicken parts already cooked) . You could buy salads and or sides from a grocery store

Make a couple of jellos, some cottage cheese, relishes, rolls/breads

A couple of  store bought, nice desserts, some ice cream

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You can't go wrong with ham!  Have some side salads, coleslaw, and some slider buns and several types of mustards and some mayo, bread and butter and dill chips and sticks pickles, olives, sliced cheeses (those little sliced variety packs you can get now are great!).  

Buy the desserts: Pies, cakes, cookies.  OR put a big batch of curried or stewed fruits (with butter, brown sugar and spices in them) in a crock pot and let it go about 3 hours or more before time to serve.  You can actually cook it on low all day).  It smells like the holidays big time, and is wonderful either as a side dish with the ham OR as dessert with ice cream and/or pound cake!  

[queendiva]

I agree with the spiral ham as the centerpiece of your Christmas buffet.

Some make ahead and freeze sides: mac & cheese, scalloped potatoes etc, a big, fabulous salad, beautiful breads/rolls and some veggies.

Ask your guests to bring dessert.

[cherry]

I also suggested chicken, in case there were people coming who didn't eat pork products. It gives them a choice

[Kitlynn]

A turkey and ham are really easy to put out for a buffet style meal. It is also pretty simple to do some form of potatoes along with a couple of vegetable side dishes. Buy Marie Calendar pies and bake them the night before. You can get turkey and ham from places like Hickory Baked that are already cooked and all you do is heat them through. At the holidays most stores have holiday food like dressing ready to heat up also that you can get in the deli department.  You can also get full holiday meals from your store just ask about it at the deli and they will prepare what you want for you and then you either pick up or they will deliver.

[KentuckyWoman]

I'm having fourteen after church on Christmas Eve.  I'm doing ham and lots of snack types of food.  Garlic cheese grits and home made biscuits are is the only hot dishes I am fixing.  I am ordering hot wings from a local deli.  The kids love fried chicken so I am picking up drumsticks at the same deli as well.

I have already made four dozen meatballs.  I baked them in the oven, let them cool completely then popped them in the freezer for a couple of hours.  I used my Food Saver to vacuum seal them.  Before we leave for church on Sunday, I'll throw them in the crock pot with a jar of Heinz Chili Sauce and some grape jelly.  Cocktail Lil' Smokies in barbecue sauce in the crock pot is another fave. 

I will make my home made candy ahead of time and have a couple of cakes from a local bakery. 

[missy1]

large spiral honey ham

rolls

meatballs in BBQ sauce (low simmer in crock pot)

veggie/dip tray from supermarket

party size bag of chicken wings

chips and dip

party size Stouffer's mac & cheese

party size Stouffer's lasagna

big bowl of salad with croutons, bacon bits etc

store bought desserts/ice cream

[sissel]

Also don't be shy if any of your guests ask if they can bring something. When you figure out the main dish let them bring a side or dessert.