Ham
Bake and glaze your ham the day before.
This makes life much easier on the day — and gives you a very decent supper the night before with a few slices shaved off purely for taste testing of course!

Cheese

A cheese board is always a showstopper and you only need 3–4 really good cheeses.

Rule of thumb:

• One hard
• One soft
• One blue

There are so many excellent Irish cheeses available locally that you’ll easily find great options. Past Blas na hÉireann winners are always a safe bet or take a look at Cais, these cheesemakers association of Ireland for some inspiration.

Salads

This is a tried-and-tested list that works beautifully for feeding a crowd. I’ve sent versions of this in WhatsApps more times than I can count when people are worried about quantity, balance, or how it will all look.

Green Salad (makes 2 large bowls)

• 2 × butterhead lettuce
• 2 × cucumber
• 2 × bunches spring onions

Wash and dry the lettuce well (this can be done the day before).
Lay the lettuce in the serving bowls. Cut the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the watery centre, slice, and scatter over the lettuce. Add sliced spring onions.

Wrap and refrigerate.
No need to dress — there are plenty of other dressings on the table.
If you want something on hand, a good bottled dressing always looks nice – The Scullery or Foxford Café are lovely options.

Tomatoes

A big bowl of tomatoes adds instant colour.

• Use the best tomatoes you can find
• Chop and season well with salt
• Grate in a little fresh garlic (or drizzle with garlic oil)
• Tear through fresh basil

If making the day before— just keep the basil separate and add it on the day.

Coleslaw

• 5–6 carrots
• 1 head white cabbage
• White onions
• Mayonnaise

Grate everything finely and mix with mayonnaise.
If you can get Builíní Blasta Smoked Onion Mayo, it makes a world of difference!

Carrot Salad

• 5–6 carrots
• Dressing:
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp honey
  • Optional: a little ginger paste
• Mixed dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries — anything works)

Grate the carrots or peel into ribbons if you’re feeling fancy. Toss with the dressing and scatter through the dried fruit.

Potato Salad

• Baby potatoes (or larger boiled potatoes, cooled and chopped)
• Chives
• Mayonnaise

Boil the potatoes and allow them to cool fully & halve. Mix with the mayonnaise and chopped chives (kitchen scissors straight into the bowl are perfect).

Broccoli Salad

• 1 large head broccoli (florets and stalks, roughly chopped)
• 1 red onion, diced

Dressing:

• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• Smaller glug apple cider vinegar
• 1 dollop mayonnaise
• 2–3 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2–3 tsp hot honey

Mix everything together. Add nuts or fruit for sweetness — almonds are delicious, and the same dried fruit from the carrot salad works perfectly.

A Few Helpful Tips

One of the nicest things about this menu is how much can be prepared ahead. If fridge space allows, making the salads the day before takes a huge amount of pressure off the morning of the party.

When it comes to serving, you don’t need large platters. Smaller bowls often look better and allow you to refill the table easily. Store everything in containers in the fridge and portion into bowls just before guests arrive.

A few days beforehand it can also help to lay out your empty serving bowls and platters so you know exactly what dishes you’ll need and what will go where.

Bread

Scatter some good bread and crackers around the table and lunch is ready.

And this is the moment to support your local bakery — and your own sanity. Even if you love baking bread, party mornings are busy enough already, so picking up a few fresh loaves makes life much easier.