What to Make for Hosting a Housewarming Party

Puff Pastry bites and the following apps:
https://food52.com/recipes/15343-mediterranean-poppers
https://food52.com/recipes/8010-fig-and-blue-cheese-savouries - use any jam you like
https://food52.com/recipes/14656-little-mushroom-pinwheels
https://food52.com/recipes/15280-binocular-bites-roasted-tomato-blue-cheese-and-dried-fig-manchego-cheese

I had a housewarming last year for about 30 and made it all mexican (which kind of sounds like what you got going here). I made a great ceviche (using tilapia which my fish guy recommended, and is pretty cheap). I also did a grilled corn salad (again, super easy, cheap). I made carnitas (the one not very easy thing i made) and a basil, cilantro & mint, lime pesto and threw that in some rice. it was all able to be made ahead of time and all easily servied from big bowls. My guests loved it and took home the leftovers. Happy to give you more recipe details if you want...

You could do a bruschetta bar -- slices of lightly toasted baguettes with different toppings that people add themselves. Tomato/roasted red pepper spread, tapenade, a couple different kinds of hummus, labneh, avocado slices, thinly sliced and salted radishes, cucumber or zucchini ribbons, of course some good deli meats and/or cheeses -- lots of possibilities. A friend of mine uses endive leaves instead of baguette slices sometimes; that would be a way to mix it up. And, of course, everything can be prepped in advance. Congrats on the new home!

I like the E E Faris post and suggestions. It made me go in another direction however. Instead of having the variety from 4 or 5 cultures (Vietnam for spring rolls, American South for cornbread with ham), focus on one culture and let the variety be within that culture. Perhaps where you and/or your husband grew up? where you are now? a cuisine you often cook. Then the buffet says, this is our home, this is what we eat, welcome.

It's a good idea to go for big platters of fewer items. The visual impact is nice, and it cuts way down on labor time. If you can concentrate on portable finger food then you can avoid having lots of little plates and drippy sauce that can be messy to eat and give you more clean up during the party. Maybe you'd like to try (1) Vietnamese style spring rolls are nice (not fried), and they can be assembled a couple of hours ahead and kept under a slightly damp cloth or kitchen towel. The component parts can be made earlier also. If you'd rather you can ask a favorite restaurant to prepare them for you, and get a friend to pick them up on the way to the party. (2) Cornbread, split in half laterally and filled with either good ham and a thin layer of butter or some barbequed pork. Then cut it into bite size squares, little mini sandwiches that are pretty fast to put together. (3) Dates stuffed with a little quark, ricotta, cream cheese or mascarpone that has some grated orange peel or orange juice stirred in. Put an almond in the middle of each date. (4) Split a long skinny bagette. Drizzle a little olive oil and vinegar over it. Layer on some roasted and marinated vegetables. If you have some pesto or good olives around put some of that on too. Cut into small slices. (5) Since it's fall, maybe you'd like to make a batch or two of gingerbread and have that along with the brownies, cut into bite size pieces. I don't think you even need these many things, really just two or three that are savory would give people something festive to munch on.