Party food ideas please

Hi there - we have a big engagement party coming up soon to organise and cater for . Any ideas for suitable party food in the form of bite size thingys :-)

An idea of the numbers and how keen you are to make stuff, would make this a bit easier. Also, the age group.

About 60 max numbers wise and mostly adults - just a few wee kids and babies . I am up for making stuff - not masterchef standard tho :-)

I have bumped the party wedding and gathering thread

mini quiches, pigs on horseback, savoury pikelets with filling on them such as cream cheese mixed with salmon, nothing wrong with sausage rolls, spring rolls or those money bags. Could also do little beef and chicken kebabs, and fruit kebabs. You can also buy rectangular flat bread and spread with hummus, lettuce, grated carrots, capsicum and shaved ham, roll it up then cut into slices (like sushi). This can easily be subtituted to make vegetarian ones.

Can make small pizzas for one - small squares of pre-rolled pastry, cut a small border around the edge of the pastry and put a few things inside this border. I like sundried tomato, feta cheese, halved olives, red onion, drizzled with garlic oil. Bake at 180-200C until the pastry puffs up around the edge and the middle puffs or bubbles. These are really yummy and super easy.

my mum always makes these little savoury pinwheel things. She rolls out flaky pastry then spreads a sauce/chutney on, then chopped up ham and lastly cheese. Roll them up and cut into little discs. bake in the oven until the pastry is golden and cheese is melted. Delish.

Thanks for the great ideas - I am sure I will be trying some of them

http://www.bakingmakesthingsbetter.com/2011/06/chicken-meatballs-wrapped-in-prosciutto.html

My mum does similar with a filling of mashed spud, bacon, cheese and parsley, nom nom nom!

Use a savoury short pastry recipe - or purchase some - this rolls out and bakes and looks a little like flattened shortbread, though tastes different..

Roll out until about 3-4mm thick.. a little thicker than you would have pastry for a pie. Cut into small circles with a cookie cutter - the crinkle-edged ones look good.

Bake as per the recipe or packet instructions. Leave till completely cold and freeze until the day they're needed - or make a few days ahead and keep in an airtight container.

You can decorate them as you wish.. some of the following can be made in advance, then placed on the circles not long before being ready to serve:

* Mix some cream cheese and salmon or smoked salmon together, add chopped chives or a little chopped mint. Season to taste. Spread over the circles, top with a small piece of smoked salmon.

* A slice of avocado, a slice of tomato and some smoked salmon on top..

* Make some guacamole, and spread a thick layer over the circle, sprinkle with paprika and top with a small wedge of tomato.

* Use some cream cheese, seasoned to taste and a little lemon juice added, and spread on the circles. Top with some caviar.

* Spread a little hummus on the circles, then top with a thin layer of pesto.

* Place a slice of tomato on the circles, then top with pesto.

* Place a slice of cucumber on the circles, top with finely chopped mint mixed into some cream cheese, cottage cheese or hummus and season to your taste.

* Mix some finely chopped sundried tomato and some finely chopped mint into some cream, cottage cheese or hummus and spread on the circles.. top with a tiny piece of mint or parsley.

* Mix some chopped smoked salmon into some hummus - season to taste if needed, spread on the circles and decorate.

* Mix some sweet chilli sauce or some pickle, chutney or relish into cream cheese, cottage cheese or hummus, season if needed and spread on the circles and decorate.

* Mix some chopped gherkins into cream cheese, cottage cheese or hummus and season if needed, add smoked salmon if you want, spread on the circles and decorate.

* Other ingredients you could use:

* Salami, chopped or sliced in circles
* Olives - sliced or chopped
* Fresh herbs - parsley, mint, lemon balm, thyme, sage, etc..
* Grilled chopped crispy bacon
* Hard boiled eggs chopped through cream cheese, cottage cheese or hummus and seasoned.
* Slices of hard boiled egg.
* Mashed hardboiled eggs, a little mayonnaise added and seasoned to taste - add a little curry powder and some chopped parsley - the good ole savoury egg recipe adapted to top the circles.
* Thin slices of fresh tuna
* Whatever you fancy....

Club or pinwheel sandwiches, blinis, chicken &lettuce rolls, (made like an asparagus roll, lots of variations of fillings can be made like this,) mini meatballs and dips (satay, plum sauce, indonesian are all good) mini sauage rolls,chicken or fish bites, mini spring rolls,prawns or prunes/oysters in bacon, mushroom vol a vents, garlic toast bites(these are just french stick toasted with garlic butter cut anglewise, you can do a cheese & onion or cheese bacon version of these, spicy sausages sliced anglewise on toothpicks with dipping sauce, bacon & egg pie pieces or mini pizzas. Most of these can be prepared and re heated or chilled and covered ahead of time, so you don't have to spend all night in the kitchen.

What about nann bread with basil pesto and parmasan cheese, foll up and cut.- you can get one from around the world range that is a long oblong one, that would be great for this. T

I'm looking for a desert to take along to a 50th.They already have pav, cake, jelly, fruit salad.I thought of doing little custard tarts or similar but really have no idea what to do.Any suggestions?

truffles? what about lemon tarts or chocolate tarts, or even both?

actaully what about miniature banoffie pies? just need to make (or buy) some pastry cases, fill it up with some of that caramel condesed milk, pop sliced bananas on top and drizzle with melted chocolate

or try making Annabel Langbeins strawberry cloud cake 0 its like a cheesecake style but isn't a cheesecake. I'm sure you could substitute frozen strawberries, given you probably won't find any fresh ones at the moment. http://teaforsix.com/2010/11/22/strawberry-cloud-cake/

Last party I went to a freind had made: salmon strips with cream cheese spread and rolled up and cut like pin wheels - also did the same with ham. they were very nice and good for the low carb and gluten free people.