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- Jul 22, 2006
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Our Christmas party is next week, and I'm having trouble planning the hot side of the buffet. For a little background, this is a "Cookie Party." The guests all bring the ingredients to bake their favorite cookies. Every room on the first floor has tables set up for cookie preparation. Once the guests arrive, the kitchen turns into baking central. (Part of the fun of the party is forcing your way into the oven and getting your 15 minutes of baking done.) At the end of the night, we judge the cookies and award prizes, and then everyone does a massive cookie exchange.
The buffet and bar are relegated to the second floor. The spare room is set up as the bar, and the buffet is actually a large table that we built to cover the king-size bed in the master bedroom. A large platform in the middle has a Disney-themed Christmas display since no one can reach the middle of a 7-foot square table. Even with the center display, there's a LOT of buffet table to fill with food.
Back on topic... the food...
Once the cookie baking starts, I can't use the kitchen for anything on the dinner buffet. I also need the prep, cooking, and cleanup to be done before the guests arrive. So, the central theme of the dishes is things that can be done ahead of time.
I found a great bargain on spiral sliced ham on Black Friday. I'll be serving that cold so it doesn't turn into leather. Also on the cold side will be shrimp dip, salad, a fruit & cheese platter, and a bread platter.
I've got five chafing dishes, so I'd like to have five hot dishes, too. I really want as much of this to be pre-prepped as possible, so I'm going to rely on BJ's for some of the items.
Here's what I'm thinking so far, but I'm flexible...
Meatballs in brown gravy
Cheese tortellini in tomato sauce
Scalloped Potatoes (to compliment the ham)
Oriental Vegetable Mix
For the last dish, I'd like to do either a chicken or fish (non-shellfish), but I'm afraid of anything that will dry out in the two hours it'll be in the chafing dish. The dishes also have to be easy to eat while standing with your plate in your hand.
Anyone have a recipe to suggest?
The buffet and bar are relegated to the second floor. The spare room is set up as the bar, and the buffet is actually a large table that we built to cover the king-size bed in the master bedroom. A large platform in the middle has a Disney-themed Christmas display since no one can reach the middle of a 7-foot square table. Even with the center display, there's a LOT of buffet table to fill with food.
Back on topic... the food...
Once the cookie baking starts, I can't use the kitchen for anything on the dinner buffet. I also need the prep, cooking, and cleanup to be done before the guests arrive. So, the central theme of the dishes is things that can be done ahead of time.
I found a great bargain on spiral sliced ham on Black Friday. I'll be serving that cold so it doesn't turn into leather. Also on the cold side will be shrimp dip, salad, a fruit & cheese platter, and a bread platter.
I've got five chafing dishes, so I'd like to have five hot dishes, too. I really want as much of this to be pre-prepped as possible, so I'm going to rely on BJ's for some of the items.
Here's what I'm thinking so far, but I'm flexible...
Meatballs in brown gravy
Cheese tortellini in tomato sauce
Scalloped Potatoes (to compliment the ham)
Oriental Vegetable Mix
For the last dish, I'd like to do either a chicken or fish (non-shellfish), but I'm afraid of anything that will dry out in the two hours it'll be in the chafing dish. The dishes also have to be easy to eat while standing with your plate in your hand.
Anyone have a recipe to suggest?
