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XP: Menu Critique
Revised Menu - Please Critique
I am hosting Christmas for the first time and I am so excited! I will be having anywhere from 12-17 people coming and going on Christmas Day starting at 1 pm (four of which are spending the night). I don?t necessarily want to have a sit down meal, instead a buffet where people can eat when they want.
I figure I would make the ham in the morning, slice it and put the slices in the crockpot to keep them warm. Will this work?
Here is what I have so far:
Main:
? Ham
o Hawaiian bread rolls
o Rye bread
o Swiss cheese
? Potato Salad
? Baked beans
? Salad
Appetizers:
? Shrimp Cocktail
? Sushi (3 kids)
? Cocktail rye with roast beef, fresh mozzarella & grape tomato
? Baked Brie with sugar & pecans
? Cheese & Meat platter (to buy or to make?)
? Dip (which kind?)
? Veggie platter
? Cracker assortment
Desserts:
? Butter tarts
? Assortment of cookies
? Poppyseed cake
Is this enough? Too much?
My husband is requesting to make a dessert. Given what we have so far, do you think a pie would be best?
TIA!
Re: XP: Menu Critique
seems very deli-ey to me
I can't imagine ham out of crock pot, do you have sterno dishes
meaning?
I can borrow some from work.
chocolate something instead/in addition to the butter tarts.
seems like a good amount of food.
I agree with the deli assessment. It's not what I'd be expecting for Christmas (we do Thanksgiving part 2), but if it's what your crowd's expecting, rock on.
I don't think the sides are seasonally appropriate - this menu could pick up and go to the 4th of July.
I'd just go with shrimp and skip the sushi. Sushi's an odd bird to add to this menu. Plus, that way you only have to keep one thing cold on the buffet for 4 hours, not two things.
I wouldn't put the ham in a crockpot. Serve it cold if it's going to stay out all day.
Don't get a meat & cheese tray. A cheese tray alone sounds nice. Ham and the roast beef sandwiches are fine.
The brie seems a little out of place with the rest of the deli menu, esp if you're getting a cubed cheese platter. Do one or the other.
Knorr's cold spinach dip is easy and cheap.
For desserts, I'd probably take out the poppyseed cake (unless it's a family favorite) and insert something by your DH. A chocolate pie could be a nice addition.
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I'm a little confused. Is this an open house? Will you just have everything sitting out on a buffet together? Is the cheese and meat a deli tray or is it to put on crackers?
It seems a touch scattered (I'm not sure that's the right word). I'd consider making it more meal OR more apps. To make it more meal, drop some apps and add some more sides.
To make it more apps: use mini hawaiian rolls, keep the roast beef, and add some sort of small chicken bite (chicken salad in a phyllo cup maybe?) and drop the other sides.
I assume the cheese and meat platter is more summer sausage and cheese cubes and not a deli tray right?
As for the ham, I think the crockpot would actually be better then the sternos. I'd just be sure to keep some liquid on hand- pineapple juice would be good.
I'd do a warm potato of some kind. Cheesy hashbrowns in a crock pot are our family favorites.
I agree that it needs to be a little more app or more meal.
And some chocolate for a dessert.
Thanks for all the responses. Here is to answer some questions:
Yes, this is an open house. Everything will be sitting out all together.
The cheese and meat platter with be cheese cubes and small pieces of meats to put on a cracker.
The cookies I am making will have chocolate and my husband is likely going to make a french silk pie.
Poppyseed cake is a family Christmas Staple.
The roast beef, will just be one small slice on a piece of cocktail bread to be eaten like a canape.
I have a shrimp bowl to keep the shrimp cold for the day.
On a few people eat sushi, so I will be taking it out to walk around with, rather than leaving it on the buffet.
I wasn't sure about the sides. That is sort of what my family usually does. I hate both potato salad and baked beans. I think I will try to do some kind of potato casserole and maybe a crabnerry casserole of sorts?
The ham is another family staple and was requested. I very much wanted to stay away from the whole sandwich thing, but again, it has been requested. I plan to make mini sandwiches on hawaiian rolls and perhaps toast them in the oven.
I wanted this to read very cocktail party.. with a buffet or different food choices to be eaten whenever.
I am open to suggestions but have to keep in mind what my family requested and what I know people like.
Thanks again!
I love a good mashed potato bar. We've done it a few times on Christmas Eve and mmmmm is right.
I put a can of whole cranberries in my baked beans- that would give you beans AND something cranberry.