The hybrid finite element formulation, proposed by Pian, on the basis of the Hellinger-Reissner variational principle, has proved to be a good alternative for the development of efficient finite elements that best attend compatibility and equilibrium conditions. The Hellinger-Reissner potential assumes two trial fields: a stress field that satisfies the equilibrium homogenous differential equation in the domain and a displacement field that attends the compatibility along the boundary. The set of nonsingular functions that satisfy the governing equations of the problem is known as Trefftz or fundamental solutions. This work presents a general methodology for the formulation of a family of polygonal hybrid elements for plane strain problems, as well as simple and efficient plate elements for the numerical evaluation of Kirchhoff and Mindlin-Reissner plate problems. Conceptual approaches are introduced for the correct use of fundamental solutions in the plate elements formulation. The performance of the proposed hybrid elements is assessed by means of several numerical examples from the literature.