Buffet Basics

How to Set Up a Buffet

Estimate.
Make the largest quantity of the items that will can later be enjoyed and utilized as leftovers or to make other dishes if they are not popular the night of the party. For example, leftover chicken can be thrown into pot pies the following night. Remember that everyone will not take a serving of everything. Vegetarians will skip the meat dishes, dieters will skip the desserts, and so on.

Portion.
Pre-cut most everything possible on the buffet table.
– Cut items like steak very thin. People tend to take the same number of pieces, no matter how thick or thin they may be presented. Cutting small or thin slices will save people from piling too much onto their plate and ultimately wasting food.
– Make pies in square pans so they can be cut into smaller squares. Squares are easy to pop in your mouth without any waste.
– Pre-plating desserts on tiny plates will also help with food waste as people will just take one plate instead of a slice from several choices onto their plate.

Delegate.
If someone offers to bring something, let them! Just be sure to communicate with everyone so that efforts are not duplicated and nothing gets forgotten. Potlucks are a great way to share the effort and cost, that is unless everyone decides to make the same dish! (It has happened – pizza and lasagna are a great traveling dishes, it’s no secret.) Since the main dish is usually the most costly, the most labor intensive and the hardest to transport; another common mistake when there is no communication is that everyone brings a dessert or an appetizer and then people will not get a meal. If the host makes the main dish(es) and then leaves it up to the guest to bring coordinating side dishes, that can turn out well too. Also make sure that the all important main dishes and any “must have” sides are done by either you or a trusted individual.

Utilize.
This is the time to make use of any gadgets that may be in your arsenal. Warming trays and slow cookers can become best friends as they keep the foods warm so that the host can actually relax and enjoy the party too. Just make sure to use only the low setting and to position a spoon right next to the slow cooker in a spoon holder or on a napkin. Also make sure that there is a spot to place the lid of the cooker during serving.

Offer.
Be sure to offer an array of cold foods along with the hot. Keep cold foods on larger trays of ice if they are items that should be chilled, and especially if they contain ingredients such as mayonnaise. If the ice supply is low, be sure to stick these items back into the refrigerator before the two hour time frame of safety has passed.

Mingle.
To help with mingling at the party, offer different food stations around the house. Use both the kitchen and dining tables to set foods out and also offer a bar in a separate area if it is physically possible. This will keep everyone from standing by the food and making it awkward for others to reach the food. Don’t forget a coffee station near the bar area.

Separate.
Be sure to have a separate little spot in case people bring hostess gifts. Late arrivals might not know where to stick theirs and clutter around buffet tables will only cause chaos.

Place.
Place cold items first on the table so the hot items remain hot by the time people get to them. This also fills plates with the generally less expensive items like salads and buns, leaving less space on the plate for the proteins at the end.

Label.
– Make signs for foods to place next to them. This will save a lot of questions and people piling the wrong foods onto their plates. Place the signs in matching or coordinating tiny frames or use tiny chalkboards, which are handy when last minute changes are needed (these were found at Target).

– Try butcher paper underneath the foods (this will also save the tablecloth from stains) for less formal buffet tables. Write the name of the dish right next to the dish (after all dishes are properly arranged, as they’ll be no swapping spots afterwards). Use a metallic marker for a fancier touch.
– Ask about allergies beforehand or clearly mark any potential problems. We once went to a party where 3 people ended up in the hospital for eating Thai chicken skewers (first timers didn’t realize that it’s the peanut sauce that makes them yummy).

Buffet Basics

Additional Info

For quick solutions to every day kitchen problems, see our food hacks post.

Similar to food hacks, check our grocery hacks for ways to get the most from your dollar at the grocery store.

We’ve also got some tool hacks, check our new uses for old tools for alternate ways to use various other gadgets you may have in the back of your cupboards or drawers.

Need a hostess gift? See our 2019 gift ideas or one of our older posts for some small gift ideas to take along to a party.

For an unusual and refreshing drink, check out pop beer.