Lunches around Christmas

[iismum]

We've got a full house for several days and I'm doing some meal planing. Suppers are more or less planned (mostly made in advance and takeaways) but I'm a bit stumped for lunches that aren't just bread and cheese everyday. It's going to be really busy - I'm working nearly till Christmas - so quick and easy is important.

Criteria:

• can be ready in no more than 20-30 mins ideally less)
• no advance prep required (will already be snowed under with preparing dinners and of course Christmas lunch itself)
• can feed up to 7 people, including vegetarians and fairly fussy children.

Hmm, looking at that list, maybe I should just stick with bread and cheese. But does anyone have some other ideas?

[Kentnurse2015]

Can you not just do a big batch of soup - make ahead and freeze it even. Simple things like cheese on toast, scrambled eggs, jacket potatoes?

[iismum]

I'm going to do a big batch of soup, but won't it be boring to serve it too often? Jackets potatoes and eggs are a good idea. I think cheese on toast is a bit fiddly for 7 - you'd be looking at grilling14 pieces of toast.

[HeyMicky]

• Soup
  
• Quiche (use ready made pastry and then just mix up some eggs and bits an pieces before you bake)
  
• Baked potatoes or sweet potatoes - microwave them first then just leave them to bake, ready made toppings like grated cheese, tinned tuna, baked beans that can be microwaved.
  
• Pasta salad - cook it it in advance and then throw a dressing over it with left overs, cold meat, frozen peas, jarred antipasti etc
  
• Omelettes
  
• Sausage and root veg tray bake - peel and chop everything, chuck it in the oven to cook while you do something else
  
• Nachos
  
• Individual pizzas - buy the bases or use wraps, everyone choose their own toppings, a few minutes in the oven

[Ecureuil]

I’d be happy with bread and cheese .
In that scenario I usually get in stuff like bread, crackers, cheese, olives, dips and crudités, a pork pie and salad.

[DubiousCredentials]

Bread and cheese for an extended period of lunches sounds beyond perfect to me! Especially if decided upon and prepared by someone else! I’ll do the clearing up.

[Lovemusic33]

I would be happy with bread, cheese, crackers, chutney and maybe some pate, you can offer soup too.

We will be living on cheese and bread for lunches and party type food.

[Kentnurse2015]

How many meals do you need though because there is only so much bread, cheese and pate I can eat in a row!

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Cook a nice big piece of gammon in advance - put on the table with bread, cheese, pate, salad, nice bread, chutney and pickled onions.
Get someone to slice the gammon fairly thinly, in case you have a guest like my Dh, who'd cut it in doorsteps!
If you're having turkey on the day, cold leftovers with cranberry sauce are nice.

One soup that is v nice and easy if you have a stick blender, and perfect in winter, is curried parsnip. Fry sliced onion till soft, add curry powder and fry a bit more, add chicken or veg stock and peeled parsnips cut in chunks, simmer till soft, whizz all up with stick blender. Fresh coriander garnish is nice but not essential.
Incidentally this went down v well with a no dairy, no gluten, veggie (all for health reasons, not just faddy) guest we had not long ago - he had 3 helpings!

[Fffion]

Is everyone going to be in every day? Can you delegate?

[Onionringo]

Party food and salad.

Have you got a slow cooker? Gammon overnight, leave to cool, slice, serve with new/baked/potatoes/chips/wedges, salad.

[Leeds2]

Hot dogs (with veggie sausage option) with fried onions and mustard/ketchup.
Cheese & Ham (or just cheese!) croissants.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Surely you don't need 'proper' lunches, if you're eating dinner every night?

Cheese and crackers
Soup and rolls
Cook a load of sausages and have them in those bake at home baguettes with salad and chutney
Hot dogs a good idea
Hoummus etc with pitta and carrot sticks
Bought sausagerolls/quiche and salad/bread

[iismum]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Really helpful ideas. I think a plan is coming together ...