Dinner Buffet Catering Menu by Great Events Catering

Holiday Dinner Buffet Catering Menu Items(click through different sections)

Cold Selection

Pomegranate Goat Cheese Bites

with truffle honey and thyme

Thai Pumpkin Veloute Shooters

with caramelized pumpkin seeds

Wild Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Toasts

with a spiced port drizzle

Cranberry Pecan Cheese Truffles

with lavender honey

BLT Cakes

double smoked bacon, pickled roma, arugula cream

Cranberry and Brie Bites

candied walnuts, rosemary

Prosciutto and Figs

with mascarpone cheese on a designer spoon

House Made Smoked Salmon

on a caper bisquit with lemon aioli

Antipasto Sticks

grilled squash ribbons, prosciutto, mozzarella

Crispy Polenta Bites

arugula olive tapenade, ninja radish

Open Face Italian Crisps (selection of 3)

- roasted tomato | goat cheese, basil chiffonade
- porchetta | spiced tomato jelly, squash
- crispy procuitto | brie cheese, grilled asparagus
- charcuterie | genoa, ricotta, gem tomato, artichokes
- Italian chicken | spiced hummus, olive tapenade

Crispy Toasts (selection of 3)

- Italian | prosciutto, radish, mascarpone ricotta, pistachio
- avocado | grilled vegetables, asiago
- caponata | goat cheese, green onions
- wild mushrooms | carmelized ramps, feta mousse
- chicken caprese | balsamic droplets

Caramelized Onion Tartlettes

chive, crème fraîche

Hot Selection

Cranberry and Whipped Ricotta Crisps

with fresh basil chiffonade butler

Turkey Dinner Stuffed Mushroom Caps

with marjoram crumb

Beef Wellington Bites

with a horseradish crema

Apple Cider Braised Beef Tartelette

with butternut squash

Cream Cheese Sausage Bites

with a pecan pesto dipping sauce

Christmas Dinner Dumplings

with a cranberry glaze

Chicken Arancini

smoked tomato jam

Lemongrass Chicken Satay

peanut dipping sauce

Chicken, Beef or Vegetarian Gyoza

with japanese dipping sauce

Tandoori Salmon Skewers

mango chutney

Crispy Shrimp Tempura

bang bang sauce

Zucchini Pakora

indian-style vegetable fritters with yogurt dip

Chicken, Beef or Vegetarian Samosas

mango balsamic chutney

BBQ Vegan Meatballs

with caramelized onions
Salad Selection

Chopped Kale Salad

with candied pecans, dried cranberries, creamy apples, mixed greens, orange poppy seed dressing

Classic Caesar Salad

hearts of romaine, herb and garlic baguette croutons, fresh-grated aged parmesan cheese, creamy garlic dressing

Red Cabbage, Radicchio, and Endive Salad

red cabbage, radicchio, endive, fennel, walnuts, goat cheese, maple cider vinaigrette

Fall Rotini Pasta Salad

rotini pasta, brussel sprouts, shallots, pine nuts, marjoram, brown butter olive oil vinaigrette

Roasted Beet and Onion Salad

goat cheese, arugula, roasted walnuts, lemon orange vinaigrette

Turmeric Roasted Chickpea and Carrot Salad

apple cider tahini dressing

Brussel Sprout and Bacon Salad

brussel sprouts, kale, bacon, pomegranate, parmesan, zesty citrus and honey dressing

Cranberry and Orange Glazed Green Beans

green beans, red onions, cranberries, orange mustard vinaigrette

Broccoli Salad with Feta and Almonds

crisp broccoli, onions, feta, roasted almonds, achiote olive oil dressing

ENTRÉE SELECTION

Traditional Roasted Turkey

sugar spiced crock pot stuffing, natural savoury pan jus, house-made cranberry chutney

Honey Maple Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Turkey Breast

ricotta and sausage stuffed, thyme jus, house-made cranberry chutney

Fiddlehead and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breast

wild glazed ramp sauce

Cranberry and Balsamic Roasted Chicken Breast

summer savoury chicken jus

Red Wine and 5 Spice Beef Short Rib

Herbed demi drizzle

Rosemary and Black Garlic Prime Rib

yellow birch syrup demi

Garlic Butter Roasted Beef Sirloin

wild mushroom brunoise sauce

Bourbon Mustard Glazed Ham

green onion chutney

Apple and Cherry Stuffed Pork Loin

brown sugar glaze

Orange Maple Glazed Salmon Filet

parsnip purée

Wild Mushroom Wellington

spiced tomato stew

Certified Angus Beef® Tenderloin

Available upon request

Starch Selection

Spiced Rice Pilaf with Herbs

Roasted Shallot and Garlic Baby Potatoes

Mashed Brown Butter Yukon Potatoes

Melting Sweet Potato with Fine Herbs

Potato Gratin Stack

| add $1.00 per person

Vegetable Selection

Option 1

Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Vegetables with Chive Drizzle

Option 2

Brussel Sprouts with Butternut Squash and Roasted Candied Pecans

Option 3

Aromatic Spiced Vegetables with Balsamic and Thyme

Option 4

Robust Ratatouille Rounds with Tomato Coulis

Desert Selection

Festive Dessert Bar

festive desserts and cookies, tortes, mousse dessert cups, assorted french pastries

Seasonal Fresh Fruit Tray

Coffee, Decaf and Fine Teas

Desert Table Upgrades

Canadian Cheese Board

white cheddar, swiss, marble, brie, blue, monterey jack, gouda, dried fruit, grapes, gourmet crackers, raincoast crisps

Chocolate Fondue

choice of dark, milk or white chocolate. served with an array of fresh seasonal fruit, pineapple, strawberries, bananas, melon and biscottis (minimum 30 guests)

Loaded Hot Chocolate Bar

steeped melted belgium chocolate milk served with chantilly cream, chocolate and caramel spoons, marshmallow sticks, toffee bits,
grated chocolate, pralines, sprinkles

Chocolate Fountain Rental | optional

- large (more than 100 guests)
- small (minimum 50 guests)

Lollipop Parade

cheesecake and brownie lollipops, dipped with dark and white chocolate

Mini Créme Brûlée

french vanilla | dark chocolate

Gourmet Cupcakes

Pie in a Jar

apple cinnamon | pumpkin | baked in mason jars
One Selection From

Deluxe Cold Cut Tray

make your own sandwiches from our selection of fancy sliced meats and cheeses, black forest ham, roast sirloin of beef, genoa salami, smoked turkey, grilled sliced chicken breast, swiss emmental, and canadian cheddar cheese, assorted breads and rolls, lettuce, tomato, pickle spears and condiments

Mini Cocktail Buns

parma ham | shaved sirloin of beef | smoked salmon | double cream brie | black forest ham with swiss emmental | smoked chicken | good-nature vegetarian

Baja Rolls

carne asada | red onion, tomato, quinoa, queso, cilantro, chili sour cream
spicy thai chicken | quinoa, carrots, purple cabbage, red curry peanut sauce
fiesta shrimp | field greens, black beans, corn, avocado, cheddar, lime vinaigrette
hummus market veggie | red pepper hummus, avocado, spinach, cucumber, quinoa, fresh basil

Two Selections From

Market Dips

creamy dill dip | white bean dip | cheddar bacon ranch | baked pita chips and raincoast crisps

Balsamic Caprese Bruschetta

chopped fresh roma tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella, garlic, basil, olive oil, balsamic and lemon juice with toasted slices of baguette

Homemade Potato Chips

with spicy ketchup and onion dip

Market Fresh Vegetable Display

with fine herb sauce for dipping

Canadian Cheese Board

a variety of canadian cheeses with dried fruit, grapes and gourmet crackers

Fresh Selected Fruit Tray in Season

Buffet Catering Menu Setup

Your event can be formally seated at round or long tables, or you can offer soft seating, like loungey sofas and cocktail tables, depending on the items you select. The food can be served by waiters (perhaps if items are limited) or guests can serve themselves. A chef-attended carving station can be added for a special touch.

When setting the room, the plates should always be stacked on the buffet lines with the food. Although many planners think it’s a nice look to put plates on guest tables and announce that they should bring the plates with them to the buffet, many guests will miss the announcement or forget. On the other hand, the choice is yours whether to set the flatware at the place settings or wrap them in linen or paper napkins and stack them in a basket at the end of the buffet line.

Designing the Buffet Catering Menu

Mitigating long waits at the buffet line is paramount, especially with larger events. Set double-sided tables at multiple locations to get guests through quickly. Adding a game conducted by a humorous emcee–in which tables contend for their place in line–takes the edge off the wait.

You should carefully track guests’ food allergies and inform about the meals’ ingredients. The best way to do so is to print food signs that will be displayed right beside each item. If a guest has very specific dietary considerations, it may be best to request a separately prepared plate from the caterer.

Because buffet menus aim to satisfy a large number of tastes, it’s best to choose items that are generic, like chicken, salmon and roast beef. Stay away from eclectic items like lamb, game or shellfish unless your group is quite large and these are secondary options. Not everyone you invite will be a foodie!

The buffet menu grants the opportunity to offer a wide or limited number of items. Be careful not to offer too many choices with a smaller crowd, as this may mean you will run out of one item before all the guests are served. This is less of a worry with larger crowds, but could mean leftover food. A good balance of variety and quality should be discussed with the chef or sales rep prior to your selections.

How to offer variety with your buffet menu

Choose your proteins for the main dish:

one meat
one seafood
one vegetarian item

Choose at least one salad:

a leaf salad (Caesar or mixed greens)
a grain salad (quinoa or bean)
a chunky vegetable salad (Greek or potato)
etc.

Choose 2-3 side items:

one or two types of vegetables
a starch
etc.

Add a dessert display.

Alternatives to the Holiday Buffet Catering Menu

There are several alternatives to the Holiday Buffet Catering Menu, based on the event type, the allocated budget, the event facilities, table setup and number of guests. Please find several alternative menus below. Keep in mind that our catering experts are ready to assist you along the process of designing the menu for your event. Feel free to contact us at any point and we will be happy to help you!

Please check our Holiday Plated Dinner Catering Menu for a plated dinner setup. It may be a better option for events where guests are seated at the tables and when the number of guests is well known in advance. It can either minimize the food serving time or integrate the food serving into the event’s agenda (e.g. Fundraising Dinner).

Also check our Holiday Lunch Catering Menu. It may work better for events in which the food is complementary to the agenda (e.g. business meetings, workshops).

Contact us for a Quote

Phone: 403.256.7150
Fax: 403.254.8147
[email protected]
7207 Fairmount Dr. SE
Calgary, Alberta
Canada, T2H 0X6