Informal birthday dinner. What would you cook?

[WinkyisbackontheButterBeer]

My family are coming around for dad’s birthday this weekend and I have offered to cook.
It will be a plates on knees job as we don’t have enough room around the table.
In the past I have done
Pulled pork
Chilli
Buffet food
Quiche
Pizzas
Curry etc

But now I am stuck. I am feeding 6 adults and a toddler.
Please mumsnet hit me with your best ideas before I admit defeat and order an inevitably disappointing takeaway.

[littlebillie]

Taco wraps you assemble with salad salsa spicy chicken/ vegetables

[RockingMyFiftiesNot]

Any dislikes or dietary requirements?

[anniehm]

Something you can fork, one pot - beef casserole perhaps?

[Blondie1984]

Tagine (beef/lamb/chicken) with pomegranate couscous and flatbreads

[Ricekrispie22]

Fish pie
Pasta bake www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1948/chicken-and-broccoli-pasta-bake
Risotto

[memaymamo]

Why can't you do something you've done before? All those options look good.

I am a big fan of spinach filo triangles or other varieties of things in filo pastry with gourmet salads.

[Nuyearnume]

Lasagne! Or a hearty stew/cottage pie

[WinkyisbackontheButterBeer]

I suppose that I could do something that I’ve done before but was hoping to come up with an idea that was a bit more special.

Dad is a bit funny with fish and isn’t a fan of pasta really.
A stew could be good. It’s just that nothing seems very exciting I supppse.

[WinkyisbackontheButterBeer]

Thank you for all of the ideas. Will have a good think.

[Ivegotthree]

A really good beef stew, mash, nice veg

[RockingMyFiftiesNot]

A good stew is yum, and can be made in advance, and eaten with just a fork so good for 'on knee' eating . Beef and beer or red wine; Hungarian goulash: lamb or chicken tagine.

[Sexnotgender]

Delia’s Beef in designer beer is delicious! Super easy too.

Loads of mash and veg and easy to eat on your knee.

[Sexnotgender]

Another favourite is beef stroganoff. Yum!

[TaffyandTeenyTaffy]

Fajitas? Tapas? Slow cooked Gammon joint?

[icantthinkofanotherone]

Indoor 'barbecue' food? Sausages, burgers, spare ribs, drumsticks etc with buns, mini jacket potatoes and salad.

[MissMacaron]

God this thread is making me hungry for stew. Especially with the weather being so cold, stew and dumplings or crusty bread would be amazing.

I've made this before and it was a real crowd pleaser. www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beef-red-wine-melting-onions

That said, having looked up the Delia recipe (with epic croutons) I'm tempted to give that a try!

[Pretamum]

Nigella's ham cooked in coke is always good. Serve with something like cauliflower cheese or a dauphinois potatoes maybe? That would be right up my street anyway!

[Spam88]

Beef bourgignon with mash? Easy to eat off your lap but is a bit special.

[PotteringAlong]

have a BBQ! Just eat insude

[runoutofnamechanges]

How about a Middle Eastern, Turkish or Greek Mezze? Loads of lovely things you could do: Shish kebabs with vegetables, halloumi, hummous, taramasalata or Baba Ghanoush, flatbreads, pide (like pizza), cheese/spinach/meat sambousek/tyropitta/bourek, roast cauliflower/aubergine. batata harra (spicy fried potatoes), stuffed tomatoes or peppers, lentils with rice, salads - fattoush or greek salad, pomegranate and parsley, watermelon and feta, Israeli chopped salad, cucumber in orange blossom water...

Or Spanish tapas/pinxhos?

[Hippychick78]

What about homemade pies, a pot of boiled potatoes /skin on/doused in butter and stone nice green veg. Homemade pie is a big thing in my eating circles 😂 I guess it very much depends though

You can make the pastry and set the whole pie up ready to cook.

I have a tried tested pastry recipe if it helps please ask.

This cake recipe is amazing,easy/all in one and keeps very well. I make the ganache and keep in the fridge. When serving I add extra apricot jam, a dollop of cream, and awee chunk of ripple. And a tiny bit of ganache. It's decadence central and only ever made fire special ocassions really here

www.womansown.co.uk/food/mary-berrys-very-best-chocolate-fudge-cake-9269/

[OhTheRoses]

Shoulder of lamb steeped in red wine and casseroled with sliced onions, thyme, tomatoes, garlic anx flageolet beans. Scrumptious with mash and purple sprouting

[Acopyofacopy]

Chili con carne or a lovely stew.
Delia’s Guiness Stew, Goulash or Boeuf Bourgignon are lovely. So is her Osso bucco with Risotto Milanese. I love Delia!

[GetUpAgain]

I have similar dilemma. I think it's so difficult at this time of year. Nothing seems right.

[Piebeansandchips]

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9671/steak-guinness-and-cheese-pie

Jamie Oliver's steak, Guinness & cheese pie. It's delicious!