Lunch for 20 after Christmas Day?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Some will be children. What do you suggest? I can cook but more of a home cook rather than Cordon Bleu!

All suggestions gratefully received .

[UrsulaBuffay]

I'd do a one pot stop like lasagne or bolognese or hotdogs and onions with buns I'd be sick of Xmas food by then!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Those are really good ideas thanks Ursula .

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

How about a couple of big pans of homemade soup, a selection of breads, cheeses and cold meats, so people can choose their own combination of soup and sarnies?

Or a load of baked potatoes with a selection of fillings to choose from? Eg: bowls of cheese, bowls of coleslaw, tuna and sweetcorn (though I must admit the idea of that makes me shiver), maybe a pan of ratatouille or chilli etc? Couple of bowls of salad alongside and Bob's yer uncle.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Great suggestions again Remus. Thank you.

[breatheslowly]

I'd do a ham, salmon or coronation chicken and then crusty bread, green salad, potato salad and coleslaw to go with it. Coleslaw is really easy to make if you have a magimix to do the fine slicing and grating. Tesco regularly have whole salmon on half price (though I am never too sure if people buy them full price).

[bacon]

If you rather more of a fine fare without the fuss then a selection all 3 pre-made and froze - Salmon en-croute, boeuf bourguignon & goulash with bowls of new spuds, plain boiled rice & veg. All these are easily to prepare, and freeze very well. Defrost overnight and reheat in oven.

[lilolilmanchester]

my personal favourite, with no apologies for having posted this a zillion times on MN already..... hot roast pork sandwiches. Stuffing & apple sauce as optional accompaniments and a big bowl of homemade coleslaw as a side. You could also do potato wedges, but not necessary.

Otherwise, something completely different to Christmas dinner - lasagne as already suggested or a vat of chilli.

I'd also appreciate a fruit salad for afters, rather than more creamy rich stuff.

[lilolilmanchester]

(and you could do "naice" sausages as well as the pork for those who would prefer hot dogs - the children perhaps might prefer that)

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

bacon sounds yum but think freezer space is going to be a real issue this Christmas.

chester don't apologise, I've never seen you post it before and its a really, really good idea .

[DewDr0p]

I'd ordinariy do a big lasagne/casserole/tagine with bread and salad.

However my oven is broken so what I'm actually doing instead is:

Home cooked ham in cider (cooked on hob)
Potato salad with feta and tarragon dressing
Homemade coleslaw
Green salad (veggie sticks for kids)
Butchers pork pie
Nice bread
Cheese board
Pickles
plus a side of salmon if I can work out how to cook it!

If anyone has any good dessert ideas I would be very very grateful!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

dewcan I just come to your house?

[DewDr0p]

Lol yes sure why not - don't get cornered by my FIL for an in-depth convo about pensions though!

All of the above is super easy, shout if you want any recipes.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Can I have your lovely sounding potato salad recipe please

[DewDr0p]

Potato salad (serves 4)

750g salad potatoes, boiled
125g feta cheese, chopped

for the dressing:
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp capers roughly chopped
1 tbsp chopped tarragon (ideally fresh but can get away with dried, just use a bit less)
6 tbsp olive oil

Mix together vinegar, mustard, capers and tarragon. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until it goes nice and thick. Taste and season with s&p if you want.

Toss potatoes in dressing while still warm and sprinkle with feta.

This also makes a nice meal in itself if you add some cooked green beans and chopped ham. HTH!

[Rwep]

I'd do a big vat of homemade soup and homemade bread rolls. All can be done in advance and warmed through on the day.

Then cheese with biscuits or more bread and fruit for people to help themselves. Maybe pork pies and sausage rolls too.

Then bring out the Christmas cake/mince pies/trifle etc. I might make a chocolate cake or something more child friendly too.

I always aim to keep things very simple if there are lots of people

[IDismyname]

Dew
How about some chocolate mousse pots for pudding? they don't need cooking, and chocolate ALWAYS gets eaten.

Oh, and home made jellies. I seem to make these at least once a week - festive, but not filling!

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/french/spiced-cranberry-and-orange-jellies.html

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Thanks for the recipe dew and thanks to everyone who's posted, cheers