Taco Soup with all the fixings.....
1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1 large onion, diced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes & green chiles
1 (11 ounce) canned corn with red and green peppers
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can low-fat or fat-free canned refried black beans
2 cans water (3 1/2 cups)
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package ranch salad dressing mix (dry)

Directions
Brown meat and drain any fat.
Saute onion with vegetable oil cooking spray.
When softened, combine all other ingredients and cook until heated through.

I leave it in the pot and bring it directly to the table. I have shredded cheese, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, sour creme, tortillia chips and whatever else you like on the side. This is always a hit!

Lemon Chicken

In a large frying pan, heat enough 1/2 canola oil and 1/2 butter to cover bottom of pan about 1/4".

Slice and pound boned chicken breasts (or chicken tenders) very thin. Dip into an egg wash, then dredge in a bowl of flour,salt and pepper.

Put chicken in pan, a few at a time) and turn...about 1-2 minutes per side (just enough to brown, they do cook quickly).
As chicken is done, place in a shallow bowl or plate.

When all the chicken is cooked and removed from the pan....add 1 cup of water and the juice of 1 or 2 lemons.
Stir and thicken this gravy slightly(not too thick) with whatever you usually use (cornstarch or flour).

Add all the chicken back into the pan and turn.

Sprinkle capers in and stir.

This can be put into a crockpot, or a slow roaster for serving. I often make it the day before...it heats up well.

If I were doing it, it would be a Mexican food spread. Easy to do, not expensive at all, and easy to hold and serve when ready. The nice part is that so much can be done the day before and reheated or spread/served as fresh as when it was cut.

The main courrse could be taco's ..with meat cooked ahead of time and reheated or for something a little more, fajitas...cook on the grill with onion and peppers. heat flour tortillas in oven .

Beans, rice, salad (guacamole) lots of chips and dips...You can buy tamales that are very good and heat them to serve as well.

or if you don't like Mexican, is there anything easier than an Italian buffet...with premade lasagna or ziti?

Lasagna or ziti with fried chicken pieces is what I always make for a buffet. Prepared salads-macaroni, potato and coleslaw. Ice cream .cake and coffee.

. Pizza Sandwich Fingers

Take a loaf of bread (or two or as many as you need to feed your guests.)

Remove the edges.

Cut each slice of bread into 4 strips.

Put coarsely chopped, bite sized pieces of salami, green capsicum, button mushrooms and tomatos on each strip. Then sprinkle cheddar cheese and morazella cheese over the ingredients. Grill in a toaster oven. The effect is a spread of green / red / yellow open sandwiches .
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Tuna On A Ritz

Get a box of Ritz biscuits or salted crackers.

Mix a can of tuna with a can of cream of mushroom soup. Then spoon half a teaspoon of this mixture onto each biscuit.
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1 large pot of beef stew and french loaves.

The bread and stew should fill their stomachs. You don't want your guests to go home hungry, do you?

Stir fry in a tablespoon of olive oil, in a large pot, 1 chopped onion, 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 kg beef cubes, 3 large ripe tomatos, 3 large potatos (diced) 3 large carrots (diced), 2 stalks of celery and a box of button mushrooms.Throw in a handful of oregano leaves, a sprinkle of crushed black pepper and a pinch of salt. Then fill the pot with boiling water. Let it simmer for 3 hours to draw out the flavour, topping up with boiling water as necessary. Add sugar and salt to taste. When you are satisfied with the result, serve with warm bread.

An easier way to make the stew is to dump everything into a crockpot (no oil needed) first thing in the morning, add boiling water and let it simmer until the guests arrive.

(Personally, I would marinade the beef in 3 tablespoons of light soya sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar and a little crushed black pepper corns overnight before using the beef for the stew. Then skip the salt and sugar.)

Warm the bread in the oven while the guests arrive. After take the crockpot out to the buffet table, present the warmed bread in a basket and serve your guests.

Let your guests dip the bread into little bowls of stew. Delicious!

Served this recently at a potluck and dish was cleaned out when I headed home.
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Grape Salad
1 1/2 lb each red and green seedless grapes, washed and patted completely dry
Mix 8 oz each fat free sour cream(room temp), ff cream cheese until well blended.
Stir in 1/2 cup sugar/ or splenda and 1 tsp vanilla.
Fold in grapes until completely covered.
Spread into a large glass container.
Slightly brown 4 oz chopped pecans or walnuts, when cool stir into 3/4 cup brown sugar.
Sprinkle mixture completely over top of grapes and give it a gentle pat.
Cover overnight, with seran wrap and ENJOY!

Between the hours of 2 and 5, hmmmmm late for lunch and early for dinner. How about a buffet of dips, veggies, cheeses and hors d'oeuvres?

Have fun!

Or a buffet of salads and desserts only?

How about several quiche's to choose from along with a salad or two and an assortment of muffins or bread. Maybe banana bread and/or date bread.

Another suggestion would be chicken salad (a "fancy" one with grapes, slivered almonds, etc...) with a congealed salad and a green salad/

At our showers I always have a few crockpots out...one with bbqued meatballs, bbqued wings and sweet and sour smokies (little sausage links).

Between 2 and 5 I would do sort of high tea. Finger sandwiches,a nice green salad or two,fresh fruit platters and an assortment of tarts,petite fours,small scones etc. I would serve both hot and iced tea along with a punch.