Casual Italian Buffet Menu

Recipes for a casual yet delicious Italian buffet from appetizers to dessert. Make ahead instructions and preparation timeline leading up to Buffet-day included.

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Even though I know I can't hurry spring, by March my mind still wants to try. So I was thinking about lemon-y, lamb-y things for my lunch guests but when I saw the weather forecast was -13 degrees Celsius and potentially snowy I had to give up on the crocuses and spring-y things.

It worked out well in the end! This buffet was a real hit with everyone. And I can attest to enjoying the leftovers (amidst a roaring snow storm)! Here are the recipes and scheduling suggestions that will allow you to prep many of the dishes ahead of time so you can enjoy your guests the day of!

We had this with Montepulciano D'Abruzzo with the appetizers tarts. This is a medium to full bodied wine, dark plum in the glass, fruity on the nose. The alcohol level usually weighs in at 13% so it can be a bit hot on the palate, which is fine with the appetizers. Cherry notes on the palate, tannins are slightly grainy.

You could definitely serve this with all the dishes in the buffet but if you want to try something weightier look for a Ripasso or Chianti.

Dessert was Torte di Ricotta. This dessert is light and delicately lemon-y. Of course consider Limoncello!.

The Day Before Your Party

Prepare and assemble the lasagne. This Mushroom Marsala Lasagne is full of flavor and can be prepared and assembled the day before you plan to serve it. It is a winter lasagne because it uses celery root to thicken the white sauce. Celery root is available late fall through winter in Ontario. It will take about 1 to 1 ½ hours in the oven the day of your party.

Prep the Green Salad with Copy Cat Olive Garden Dressing. Clean and chop all the salad ingredients. Put a square of paper towel in the bottom of a large plastic bag or right in your (covered) serving bowl if you have room in the fridge. Just remember to take the paper towel out before you toss the salad! Add the salad ingredients, except for croutons, but do not mix. Put the lettuce in and just dump the other ingredients on top. Mix the Dressing ingredients in a separate sealed jar. Store the salad ingredients and dressing in the fridge overnight.

Make the candied walnuts for the tarts and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Prepare the fig mixture for your tarts. You can make the fig/port reduction and cut the blue cheese into the right sizes. Refrigerate. If you happen to be using crumbly even better!
Brown the sausage, onions and garlic for the Slow Cooker Tuscan Sausage Tortellini Soup and store in a container in the fridge overnight.
Prep the buffet area and/or table if possible. If you have a separate eating area you can set your table the day before. I put a tablecloth on the dining room table, set out the plates, utensils, salt and pepper, wine glasses, water glasses and napkins. I have a separate area I can set up the food line so I can usually put out my cloth for the buffet and pull out the serving dishes and utensils I want to use. (If you will need those spaces for your family activities then you can only prepare your table and buffet area the day of the party.)
Select your wines and set them out with the wine opener so you are ready to uncork and serve the next day.

The Day of the Party

Prepare the No Knead Rosemary Garlic Bread. This recipe will take about 2 hours and ten minutes start to finish. But your hands on is only about 5 minutes. It will take 1 ½ -2 hours to rise so you will just need to be around the kitchen when it's time to put it in the oven. You will need your oven during the last hour and a half for the other recipes so start this at least 3 hours and 45 minutes before you expect our guests.
After your dough is ready and rising put the soup ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it on high. It will be ready about 3 hours after you turn it on but can easily hold on warm for a couple hours more. So start the soup and then you can 'fuhgeddaboudit'!
If you were not able to set up your table the day before do it now and get your serving platters and utensils and trivets ready.
Bake the bread and/or rolls according to the recipe instructions. They should be coming out of the oven 1 ½ hours before you expect your guests. After 5 or 10 minutes move them to your serving basket.
Position the racks in your oven so you will be able to bake the lasagne on the lower rack and heat the eggplant and tarts on the upper rack.
Put the lasagne in the oven when the bread comes out ie about 1 ½ hours before you plan to serve.
Adjust the oven temperature if necessary to bakethe tarts. Fill the frozen tart shells on a baking sheet and add them to the oven on the upper rack. Don't forget to set a timer for them!
Take the salad ingredients and dressing out of the fridge while the tarts are baking. Shake the dressing now and again just before serving.
Uncork the wine while the tarts are in the oven.
When the tarts are ready remove them from the oven and let them rest a few minutes. At this point your lasagne should be piping hot and browned on top so you can reduce the oven to the lowest temperature just to keep it warm. Plate on your serving tray.
Your guests are probably arriving just about now.
Offer them wine and invite them to help themselves to the tart appetizers.
When you are ready to move on to the 'main' event, put out the bread/rolls, toss the salad with the croutons and dressing and add it to the buffet table; move the slow cooker to the buffet with a ladle, cut the lasagne into serving size pieces and place on a trivet on the table.
Invite guests to help themselves!

Other Wine Suggestions

Campomoro Barbera Piemonte 2013 (Italy)

476259 Score 92 $16.95

The 2013 Barbera Campomoro is a delicious entry-level red. Pliant, intense and rich - but never heavy - the 2013 offers terrific quality for the money. Sweet floral notes add freshness to the red cherry and plum flavors. Drink this juicy Barbera over the next handful of years. Drinking window: 2015-2020. Score - 92. (Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, Dec. 2015)

Olim Bauda Barbera D'Asti Le Rocchette 2012 (Tasted) We served this full -bodied, high alcohol Barbera D'Asti with the soup, salad and lasagne. The food helped to offset the high alcohol (15%) on the palate and it withstood the strong flavors in the various buffet dishes. There is a bit of herbalness on the nose. The palate has an earthiness to it with berries, cherries and a hint of licorice. Long finish. Score 91 $26.95

The 2012 doesn't show any availability in Ontario but if you can access another vintage or have it in you cellar -lucky you!

Casual Italian Buffet Menu

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