I run a catering business. does anyone have any good buffet recipes?!
I run a catering business. does anyone have any good buffet recipes?
Ineed cold buffet recipes for my Christmas menu. so I need your worldly wealth of answers...come on guys
Answers:
I think some overlooked your "cold recipes" request.
I have served "pickle dogs" on numerous buffets and people love them for you can alter them with a variety of meats and cheeses to hit everyones tastebuds.
Simply take a medium size tortilla spread some cream cheese or moscarpone cheese on it... put a layer of sliced cheese (any kind soft enough to roll) and a layer of thin sliced meat on the cream cheese... now place a BIG pickle on the end and begin to roll up like a cigar. Chill a few hours and then slice into bite size pieces or do bigger pieces, whatever you desire. (For the small ones you can put a toothpick in for easy handling by your customers during a dinner party)
You can use any meat you desire or even add a ranch dressing or a special sauce for a unique flavor! Endless possiblilties !
Happy pickle rolling.... : )
Kraft macaroni and cheese.
A portion of vegetables, rice, pasta, or salad is 1/2 cup.*
1 box of pasta (1 pound) equals 8 servings
you would need 8 3/4 boxes of pasta
go for 9 boxes (9 pounds of pasta) if there are other salads in the buffet.....
Garden Pasta Salad
(16 ounce) package uncooked tri-color spiral pasta
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 (16-ounce) bottle Italian-style salad dressing
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until al dente. Rinse under cold water, and drain.
Mix carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, and green onion together in large bowl. Add the cooled pasta and mix together. Pour the dressing over mixture, add the Parmesan and mix well.
Drool over these http://www.your-cookbook.com/appetizers-...
Sausages on sticks are always good!
If you want to be posher go for the more exotic sausages.
Stick to what you know.
brushetta is good and can be used over christmas with christmasy ideas, no vol vonts!
finger foods lots of hot spicy things like chicken wings, salsa dips, nachos with cheese melted on, much warmer and more memorable,
try butter beans out of a tin, gently fried with onions and garlic then add chopped tomatoes lots of black pepper some salt and fry till soft very tastly and filling
pakora's (vegetables in batter) samosa's, (sweet of savoury parcels) and Naan bread nibblers. (the naans are stuffed, sweet or savoury... served hot or cold.)
or the scooby snack kebab. load the skewers with fresh french bread slices, intercut with cheese, or meat or vegetables, or all of them, when you unload it, its a slice of very thin bread, and a topping.. a true mix and match kebab... look in the Madhur Jaffrey cook books...recipies from all over asia and india.
pitta bread, loaded with feta cheese, vegetables and aubergine slices...
french loaf cut lengthways butter it lightly, and make long pizza on it. let it go cold and slice it into portions... mmm im dribbling...sorry. you can do the same with baked beans and cheese... put a drip or two of chilli sauce in the beans, and use very strong cheddar or parmesan...
cold, its slightly greasy because of the cheese, (its oily) but the taste, its a lock your jaw and leaves your tongue tingling experience. differing cheeses alter the taste, obviously.. experiment.
buy a gallon of coleslaw, and divide it up and add stuff to it, like grated cheese, chunky veg, or use any of the million shapes of pasta... (pasta peas/sweetcorn and rice)
good eating, for next to nothing. were vegetarians by the way... and we have to be creative as otherwise all we get is a cheese sandwich or pasta...
Sesame noodles
Pesto potato salad
Pasta salad
With today's health and diet conscious clientele, you may want to visit the site I've included. The website is maintained by medical doctors.
Delicious food plus good health.
Soups:
Carrot and coriander.
Borcht - parsleyed croutons and creme fraiche on the side.
Chilled avocado - boiled prawns on the side.
Vichyssoise - hot or cold.
Mains:
Cicken Marengo.
Beef Stroganoff.
Lamb chops with garlic and rosemary.
Baked ham.
Prawns Newburg.
Cod Florentine.
Sides/Vegetarian:
Spinach Roulade
Potato Croquettes
Corn Fritters.
Artichoke hearts Timbales with Parmesan.
Salads:
Snap peas and asparagus, garlic and balsamic vinaigrette.
Celery, potatoes and green grapes with wasabi mayo.
Cut cherry tomatoes, basil and vinaigrette.
Broccoli, bacon and raisins.
Desserts:
Buttermilk pannacotta with berry coulis.
Chocolate Lava Cakes with Mascarpone/ cream and passionfruit.
Eaton Mess.
Sliced Panettone with Mascarpone/honey for spreading.
Um, finger sandwiches, bread bowl dips, fruit trays, gigantic meat and cheese platters (and put a giant martini glass in the center filled with fruit with grapes and half sliced strawberries hanging on the edge), carpaccio, pasta salads (especially with a pesto dressing), cold shrimp with a good dipping sauce, tortilla roll-ups with prosciutto, mixed green salads with feta or gorgonzola and a lemon vinaigrette?
Hope this helps a little.
I serve "DIY" Bruschetta on buffets and it is popular. By serving the topping, the garlic crusts and the sliced fresh mozz separately, guests can assemble their own. You don't have to worry about it getting soggy. For topping I pulse seeded roma tomatoes, fresh basil, roasted garlic and pine nuts in the cuisinart.
Another great idea is to smoke pork tenderloins (cheaper and tastier than beef) For large crowds, I buy an entire tenderloin and have my butcher quarter it so it resembles 4 tenderloins. Then I smoke it (baking it is fine). Sliced thin with an electric knife it makes pretty medallions you can display on a platter of decorative lettuce. Place it next to a basket of dollar rolls. Offer 2 or 3 kinds of sauces (bbq, honey mustard, a specialty mayo, etc) and guests can assemble their own sammiches :)
A third favorite is to smoke a few pounds of fresh salmon. Break the salmon up and pile it high on a bed of lettuce. Serve it with lemon wedges, tongs, mini bagels, cream cheese and capers. You can get creative on your cream cheese and caper presentation.
Peeled and deveined shrimp on a bed of ice with raspberry cocktail sauce. Defrost a few bags of frozen raspberries, run them thru the cuisinart. Reduce them in a pan with some sugar and vinegar.
Good luck!
smoked salmon, potato salad with cut up pickles and radishes, cold chicken, fruit salad, chease plate with good cheases, cold shrimp, smoked sturgen,
mini pizza (nibble size) with exotic Christmas toppings - turkey, cranberry for example.
marinated king prawns.
chicken nibbles coated in raw stuffing and then baked - they are lush.
the usual dips - with veg sticks are always a winner,
unusual dips, chilli humous, spicy guacamole, hoisin dips - your own imagination is your limit on that one :)
Personally i like twiglets dipped in marmite - but i have been told i am wierd!!! ;)
you said cold and christmas is colorful. use flat bread in different flavors make coloriful wraps. wraps come in spiniach flavor (green) and sun dried tomato (red) and other great flavers. fill wtih a ray of different meats such as smoked turkey roast beef and ham. several different flavors at you local deli such as spice smoked ect. and different cheeses roll and cut into pin wheels. lay on a bed of lettuce. and garnish with radish flowers (radishes cut and set in ice water then removed to look like flowers) then get red and green bell peppers cut tops and fill with different veggie dips such artichoke dip ect. and serve with cut veggies.