Food for playdate guest, please help me

[messygarden]

I am new to the "playdate" stuff. We are talking about 4yos by the way, mothers accompanying.

So, I need to make some tea for the guest (and the mother??) but have no idea what to make and how to make it. (Crap cook).

Simple ideas, please...TIA!

[Ohforfoxsake]

I would ask the mum what the child likes.

Otherwise pasta, grated cheese and chopped veggies (cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, cucumber). Jelly for pud maybe?

Or little sandwiches for them.

What we call 'picky plates' in this house. Plates with chopped up ham, cheese, grapes,a few hula hoops, apple slices, maybe a mini cake or a party ring (that's the joy of a 'picky plate, you get it all in one go and can pick and choose).

For you and the mother, if its lunch, nice pasta, sauce, bag of salad. Nice cake for pud. Lots of tea. If its tea time, just tea and cake.

[lucykate]

for playdates after school, i only ever feed the children. usually sausages, mash, veg & gravy, or get them to help make pizzas, as in buy bases, they can choose their own topping.

[Takver]

Is it after school?

I would feed beans on toast or something similar to the children quite early (5 ish), and just provide tea & biscuits to the parent.

Much safer to stick with something utterly child friendly IMO, especially if they have a parent there to be embarrassed if their child is a fussy eater.

[messygarden]

I think I have just got stressed about people judging me etc. I would happily feed beans on toast to my own DCs, but I was worried that the other mother might think I should have made more effort.

Along the same lines, I was afraid of serving up sandwiches in case the parent thought I should provide hot food.

I suppose I am overthinking it , thanks for suggestions, they're great!

[messygarden]

oh, yes, after school

[MrsTriangle]

I would defintiely offer hot food to be honest. Do check if child is allergic to anything or does / doesn't like anything in particular.

Pasta with bit of olive oil and grated cheese mixed through with cut up veggies

Roast chicken with potatoes cut in to wedges, lightly covered in oil and baked for half an hour with peas

Beans on toast with grated cheese to put on top if they like with cut up veggies

Pizza (bought or they add toppings)

Macaroni cheese (you can buy it or cheese sauce!)

Baked potato with toppings to choose like baked beans / tuna / cheese

[MrsTriangle]

or pasta with pesto

fish fingers with baked potato wedges and beans

[sasamaxx]

I would stick with a simple pasta with sauce - then, no matter how fussy the parent (anti-convenience food/anti-sausage/anti additive) you're onto a winner!

(with veggies like people suggested)

[lucykate]

if it's after school do the children involved have school dinner or packed lunch?, if it's packed lunch then i'd say no to sandwiches at tea time too.

and yes, you will be judged and should serve at least 3 types of veg

[MrsGravy]

Fish fingers and chips. Everytime. Not met a child yet who won't eat them (cue a ton of posts telling me their kids won't eat fishfingers...).

I would usually just have some cake for the mum. And some kind of treat for pudding for the kids.

[messygarden]

Children eat a hot school dinner, yes

Thanks for ideas!

[pollywollydoodle]

here it's "what would you like with your oven chips and beans :chicken dippers, fish fingers or sausages"...seems to be what most mums round here serve up....disclaimer am in the black country

[pollywollydoodle]

don't usually have mums as well but tea and biscuits?

[lucykate]

fish fingers is another staple in our house for play dates.

[Mandy1966]

Ogforfoxsake, we have a 'combo' in our house
My boys 11 & 8, love them

Slice of cheese on toast or chicken gougons depends on what Ive got in, ham and salami slices, cubes of cheese, grapes, strawberries, cucumber and peppers, and a little pot of mayo,

Or if I know the child coming to play has Packed lunches,
I do either sausages, pizza, fishfingers or burgers, either with chips or pasta with sweetcorn, raw carott sticks and salad on the table.

Ive never hada mum come with the child, but prob'ly would offer just tea/coffee & buiscuits?

[chimchar]

another vote here for an easy life...frozen something and chips with beans/spagetti/veg or fruit eg carrots, apple, grapes.

loads of us mums seem to get those big pizzas from asda where you choose the toppings too...they go down well.

ice cream or cake or fruit for afters

if mum is coming too, then a pack of nice muffins and coffee.

playdates are about playing..the eating bit tends to be an interruption!

[littlebylittle]

I almost always do fish fingers beans and mash or beans on toast if not a fish finger eater. Sometimes we make fish cakes together - usually the recipe from cbeebies I can cook. sometimes we have done chicken goujons where they dip strips of chicken breast in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. I only do the creative bit if I fancy it or if the children need a calm activity - at least the mess has a purpose! I don't see play date day as the day to be particularly adventurous - have been in the past and one or other usually does a refusal.

[lovelycoffee]

Chips and egg - not very healthy but arranged like a sun (I'm that sad..) with the egg in the middle and the chips round the edge it looks fun for kids who are actually more interested in playing than eating. With grapes or strawberries to follow so its not too unhealthy!

Coffee and cake/biscuits for the mother - I wouldn't cook a meal for the mums. Glass of wine if it gets to wine-o-clock...

[lucykate]

why does it always have to be prefixed with the word nice??, nice cake, mice muffins, nice pasta?

next time a mum comes round to mine, i'm going to serve 'orrible cake, nasty pasta and yukky muffins

that'll impress them!

[lucykate]

sorry nice muffins, not mice muffins

[lovelycoffee]

lol at "mice muffins" - that would be interesting!