Hi everyone we have been invited to a 50th wedding anniversary out of town we will be away 4 days before we go to function and have been asked to take a plate we will be staying in a motel so besides a plate of different cooked meats and salad etc any ideas would be gratefully received

Some cheeses and sliced French bread would be nice to contribute or perhaps a plate with blinis bought from the supermarket, spread with cream cheese and topped with smoked salmon, or a small plate with bought sweet treats - I am thinking fudge here that is available from the bulk bins in supermarkets and chocolates. Hope you'll have a good time. What a milestone!

I quite often take a cheese ball and a plate of crackers.

Fresh Fruit to make a platter?

Or - Make crumble topping - assemble fruitbase at motel

If you are close to a supermarket ho0w about taking a frozen cheesecake?

Does it have to be savoury or sweet?

I would also take a box of cheeseboard crackers and a variety of dips...

Homemade fudge, truffles, meringues or chocolates can be made well in advance. You could also take some precooked sweet pastry cases and a jar of lemon curd and assemble on day.

Also there are plenty of antipasto-style foods that can come bags/tins/jars/packets that can be all opened and arranged on a plate/platter just prior to going to your function.

thank you all your suggestion are great as I know the motel only has a hob and m/w will not be cooking

I think I would either do a greek salad or fruit salad and some nice ice cream. If you are on holiday you don't want to have to be mucking around with fiddly things. Lots of the other suggestions are also good too. If it is an older age group then a lovely fruit salad with tinned apricots, fresh bananas and kiwis and pineapple would be appealing to most people.

This sounds disgusting but it is always popular, the trick is presenting it beautifully. I make a "dessert" chocolate platter. It includes- sprats(those small chocolate fish), pineapple lumps, wrapped chocolates- anything chocolaty really. Decorate it with elegant decorations to suit the party. It usually goes before anything else and is very popular with males.

I sometimes take homemade truffles, as the can be made in advance. They also work well on a dessert platter. On the platter chocolate after-dinner mint sticks, chocolate biscotti and turkish delight can also be popular.

Yes cheesecake, all of the above just depends on how much time you have.

I'd make the truffles, but buy everything else! I don't know how long they keep (they always get eaten too quickly) - but they may even be able to be made at home, then transported to the event?

(cheat's) mini banoffee tarts - mini tart shells from the supermarket, a spoonful of that sweetened condensed milk caramel, a slice of banana and a little dollop of cream, with grated choc over the top. So easy - just assembly - but everyone will love them (if the people at the last bring a plate event I went to are anything to go by). :-)

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