Christmas Buffet Ideas

(serves 4)

Pigs in blankets 

Ingredients:

8 x frozen chipolata sausages
8 x rashers of frozen streaky bacon

Method:

Defrost your sausages and bacon. (this is best done overnight in the fridge). Spread a piece of streaky bacon horizontally onto a board. Roll the chipolata over the bacon, browning the last to centimetres of the bacon with a beaten egg mix. Place the pigs in blankets onto a baking tray and into a preheated oven at 180ºC for 12-15 minutes

Cheat: Most supermarket chains offer a selection of frozen ready-made Christmas platters. Keep an assortment in your freezer and take out when needed.

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Devils on Horseback

Ingredients:

8 x frozen chipolata sausages
8 x rashers of frozen streaky bacon

Method:

Defrost your sausages and bacon. (this is best done overnight in thefridge). Spread a piece of streaky bacon horizontally onto a board.Roll the chipolata over the bacon, browning the last to centimetres ofthe bacon with a beaten egg mix. Place the pigs in blankets onto a baking tray and into a preheated oven at 180ºC for 12-15 minutes

Cheat: Most supermarket chains offer a selection of frozenready-made Christmas platters. Keep an assortment in your freezer andtake out when needed.

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Sausage rolls

Ingredients:

200g sausage meat, frozen
1 x roll of frozen puff pastry

Method:

Defrost your pastry. Cut the puff pastry into 16 squares (2x2 cm). Place a large teaspoon of sausage meat into the centre of 8 of the pastry squares. Brush the pastry around the surrounding sausage meat carefully and place the further 8 pastry squares onto the filled squares, pinching the borders firmly together. Place the sausage rolls onto a baking tray into a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 12-15 minutes.

Cheat: Keep frozen ready-made sausage rolls in your freezer – ready to throw in the oven when unexpected guests show up over Christmas!

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Fish and Chips

Ingredients:

2 x side fillets of frozen white fish
1 x bag of frozen chips

Coating:

1 x bag of breadcrumbs
1 x egg

Method:

Defrost your fillets. Cut the fish into thick finger length pieces. Dip the pieces of fish into plain flour, dusting them lightly. Next dip the pieces into a beaten egg mix. Finally shake breadcrumbs over the pieces of fish. Place on a baking tray – ready to go into the oven.

Take the chips out of the freezer, place on a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven at 220ºC for 20-25 minutes. Most brands can be cooked from frozen, please refer to the packaging.

Grill the fish pieces in the oven at 180ºC for 15-20 minutes. Cook them at the same time as the chips; just remember to set a timer for when they need to go into the oven. Put in small cones of greaseproof paper, wrapped in newspaper for that traditional look, and serve with tartar sauce.

Tip: Buy ready-coated frozen fish fillets to save on preparation time.
Cheat: You can also save money by using fish fingers instead of whole fish pieces. The kids will love them!

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Roasted vegetables

Make some extra time in an already busy period and pick up a couple of bags of frozen carrots and parsnips from your local supermarket. These come in handy bags, and are already chopped into perfectly sized batons. And remember, what you don’t use you can just put back in the freezer for a later date! As they come already chopped and seasoned, preparation time is kept to a minimum.

Ingredients:

2 x frozen carrots
2 x frozen parsnips
2 x frozen red onions
2 x frozen mixed peppers
3 cloves of garlic
Rosemary to sprinkle over

Method:

Peel and cut the parsnips and carrots into batons. Cut the mixed peppers into long, finger length pieces, and the red onions into 6 segments each. Place all the ingredients into a baking tray including garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 15-20 minutes. The vegetables are done when they are soft and brown. Can be eaten with a variety of dips: hummus, tzatziki sauce (cucumber, garlic and mint yoghurt)

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