Easy/impressive lunchtime "playdate" recipes please

[champagnesupernova]

Sorry for using the abhorred word "playdate"
But I'm looking for inspiration for when you have mums and their little ones over for lunch in the hols...I have two of these this week.

I often churn out gnocchi/nice looking pasta with pesto, peas and bacon-y bits
But went to a friend's recently and we had smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels which I haven't had in aeons. Not hard not too £££ as she'd used offcut bits.

Looking for something similar?
Ideas please?
TIA

[cadifflur]

I went to a party recently, where there were bread rolls with various toppings, which had been sliced as normal, but literally just topped and the other bit of roll not put back on IYKWIM. Very simple, but it just looked nice and a bit different, the children ate them easier than usual as thinner and you could easily prepare in advance just by already buttering the rolls then putting back in bag till needed, and preparing pots of toppings, whatever you're using, e.g. egg mayonnaise, tuna, grated cheese and salad ready to go. Then it's not time consuming when your friends are round to get them all out. Or, pots of different toppings out on the tabel, and mini pitta breads which everybody fills themselves - I find that picnic type lunches work better with children, and sometimes just varying the breads/rolls/pitta/wraps options is enough rather than actually cooking.

Or make your own pizza is a nice one too.

Not very imaginative though, but then I'm just for an easy life

[gapants]

I usually do a big grilled vege cous-cous, some cheese, bread, hummous and nice ham.
OR
jacket potatoes with various fillings in bowls for people to help themselves to with a big bowl of salad.
If it is very good mates and a cold day, we end up doing cheese on toast and some kind of home made soup I will have on the go anyway.

[Pamplemoussse]

um

a big plate of ham sandwiches, with cubes of cheese and sliced apple chucked over

[LincolnBiscuit]

just pasta and garlic bread here.

[PhylisStein]

Frittata/Spanish omlette and salad.

[ExpectoPatronum]

Home-made soup, really nice rustic-type bread, cheeseboard, generous bunch of grapes.

[RockStockAndTwoOpenBottles]

Mixed tapas like platter:

Serrano Ham or Pata Negra
Manchego cheese
Olives
Fresh anchovies
Prawns
Lovely bread

or

Hot chicken and bacon salad, with avocado etc

or

Spinich, bacon and walnut salad with a honey and balsamic dressing, topped off with some grilled goat's cheese

or

French Onion Soup with garlicky/cheesy croutons

or

Some simple griddled salmon with a pad thai like noodle side

or

Spaghetti with clams

[callmemalcolm]

I like a bit if pastry. Like a roasted onion and goats cheese tart. Mm