The guys at Iceland challenged me to use the #PowerOfFrozen and put on a glamorous spread - perfect for a new years eve or day celebration.
What do you think of when you hear buffet? Probably sausage rolls, cocktail sausages and anything else beige! So I wanted to break the mold a little and see what I could get from Iceland that was a bit different. Plus, what things could I do to make a table full of party food look more interesting?
So I went into my local Iceland in West Bridgford, Nottingham and conveniently all the party food was down the same aisle. There were also loads of deals (2 for £5 sort of thing) which meant I got lots for my money. 50-piece dessert platter for £5 – WIN WIN!
Beware though, if you don’t have a chest freezer, you may end up having to rearrange your freezer to get everything in! This wasn’t a bad thing though as my freezer did need a clean out!
When preparing all the food, one thing I noticed was how a lot of it has similar cooking times and temperatures. This is perfect in helping to keep time in the kitchen down to a minimum. After all, you don’t want to be missing out on the fun over new years.
Things like the seafood medley shells and black pudding potato rostis do require a little more time in the oven, but they’re definitely worth the extra preparation (albeit still very minimal). These are great showstoppers.
As someone who films cooking videos and I do my own food photography, one thing I’ve learned is a bit of garnish can go a long way. So if you want to spruce up your new years party spread, get your hands on some chives, spring onions, salad and any other greens you may like. When sprinkled over your guest’s food, fresh herbs give a really refreshing flavour and makes everything look even better. People may even think you cooked some of this stuff from scratch!
After hosting a few soirees using Iceland’s frozen party food, I must say it always goes down a treat. I’ve only ever received great compliments with food I’ve served from Iceland. It’s a fraction of the price compared to what you may spend on party food ordered at other supermarkets. I assume this is all thanks to keeping things frozen to keep prices down whilst maintaining quality – embracing the #PowerOfFrozen
So if you’re celebrating this new year with friends and you don’t want to spend all your time in the kitchen, line those baking trays in advance, get your food from Iceland and just stick everything in the oven for when you need it. Sprinkle with your favourite garnish and enjoy.
I hope you have a great time celebrating the new year and good luck for 2017!
Take a look below at some of the Iceland party food I whipped up. Click to enlarge.
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