Flogger

Cheese and pickle, or spam and picalili
If you are looking to impress your guests, serve them in triangles with the crusts cut off.

Oink

That's a given. Not sure about Spam, that sounds a bit low rent as the party is for a celebration. Pardon the pun, but I was thinking of pushing the boat out and serving smoked salmon and as well crab sandwiches. I'm not doing cucumber as that's too much of a cliche and it'll just prompt unnecessary comments.

ann m

Don't waste smoked salmon in bread - scrap the sandwich idea and do the "appetizer" bit with the smoked salmon or prosciutto ham.

Square cracker, smear of boursin cheese or philadelphia and a fold of salmon or ham on top. Yummy, quick and looks nice!

Or if you havea few mins extra, wrap the prosciutto around a blob of mozzarella and half a cherry tomato. Skewer with a cocktail stick.

Alan2005

Tuna mayo?

Flogger

I would always add a plate of spam sandwiches when it was my turn to do the cricket teas. Went down a storm every time. Crab sandwiches sounds nice, just don't get carried away and think it would be a good idea to serve volovants.

Oink

I like the salmon and Boursin idea although I think I'll stick with sandwiches and mini sausage rolls otherwise its going to get too complicated. For afters I'm going to attempt a Victoria sponge cake and also do jelly as a Swiss roll seems just a bit beyond my capacity. Thank you all for your suggestions.

Oakvillian

roast beef & horseradish

cucumber & marmite

peanut butter & cream cheese (my son's absolute favourite sandwich )

goat's cheese & cranberry sauce (and if you have any left over from Christmas you'll save a bit of time & effort there)

brie & grapes (can be a bit difficult to do elegantly, those pesky grapes are a bugger to slice thinly, but if your nan is one of your guests she's likely to think you're ever so sophisticated...)

Oink

Sadly she won't be here and I also don't want to come across as all poncy and posh but I'll definitely get some nice slices of roast beef and do it with a little horseradish. Thanks, that's a great suggestion.

lmartin999

Just do a pot luck. Make sure they take their shoes off too!

It's all about integration remember....

Oink

Neither a pot luck or a bbq of hotdogs and hamburgers is going to happen if I've got anything to do with it and if anyone takes their shoes off, they can naff off out.

Chookie

I HATE pot lucks with a passion - all too often there is virtually nothing that I can eat besides what I have taken as I have a dairy allergy (what is it with people putting cheese all over everything?)

Sarnie suggestions - Tuna mayo with sliced cucumber (or dill pickles if you prefer),
Smoked salmon and cream cheese
cheese and chutney (use a really good old cheddar),
Marmite and cream cheese (or do Nigella's marmite sandwiches where you mix marmite with butter and then spread it on the bread)
Chicken with curry mayo (ie coronation chicken)
BLT
Prawns/shrimp with a lemon mayo....

Can you tell from my suggestions that I like mayonnaise?

lmartin999

They are bloody awful. I tried very hard to eradicate them at work this year but one still managed to get through. Of course being a pot luck organiser is fine - lots of credit for an event with no effort and shit food.

I have no idea why people like them.

Oink

Thanks Chookie but I think I've got the menu sorted now. I agree Limahl-Martin, I hate pot lucks with a passion. I experienced way too many of those in graduate school.

Howefamily

last night we had Philly Steak sandwiches with cajun fries and a glass of shandy.
Tonight its going to be spag bol in the crock pot.

Trying to eat tea before 6pm so I can lose LOTS of weight with minimum effort, I have been told this is the way to go!

Howefamily

I love them! But I like plane food too
Thats probably why I need to stop eating after 6!