your go to dinners for playdates?

Was that eaten ?

Pasta pesto or pizza with carrots and cucumber
absolute crap and I resent feeding it to my own kids. Worse when they have lots of play dates and they are going to a friends every week and eating crap then having a friend here every week and I’m feeding them crap.
I don’t know what to do really but just plodding along for now.
My kids will eat literally anything but still get fed beige shit, whereas all their mates are extremely fussy. One only wanted pizza but not any pizza, only Dominoes takeaway!
I obliged as I wanted to get make friends with the parents, which I did do and now they are firm friends the child gets toast when he comes here.

Much like a pp’s list

Pizza
Bolognese (I keep in ice cube portions in freezer so can vary portions depending on child numbers/hunger levels)
Pesto pasta
Tomato pasta
Fish finger wraps
Sausages
Cheese toasties (very popular)

I will offer plain pasta or toast if child is very picky.

I’ve tried more adventurous stuff - quesadillas, nachos, mild curry - but it’s been hit and miss and I cba with the wasted effort.

I also don’t care if I send a child home hungry. I will just tell the parent they had X but didn’t eat much.

I have good eaters but I was a very very fussy eater as a child so I don’t judge and I don’t take it personally.

Macaroni cheese. Easy and can make in advance and heat up when they're ready.

Peas on the side. Salads bits to pick on.

Pudding - ice cream and they can decorate with sprinkles, sauce and flakes.
If it's really posh, you could make your own berry coulis as the sauce

Am so happy I had my children in the 90s …fish fingers ,sausages ,cheese pasta,cannot remember any dietary restrictions.

I'm keenly aware of allergies so tend to go with pasta and have gluten free pasta in just in case as lots of dc's friends have issues with gluten or dairy.

I almost always do what my daughters call "bits and bobs", which is just cold picnic type food - sandwiches, sausage rolls, fruit, cheese, boiled eggs, crisps, cocktail sausages, bread sticks, dips, etc. It's a fun, kiddy party tea, it's easy, and the leftovers go straight into a Tupperware for my husband's lunch the next day 🤣

There is one special case with DD2 and a particular friend. They both adore anything pink, so they tend to have pink pasta, which is macaroni cheese with pink food colouring!

@Blondeshavemorefun "raw catguts" has definitely been the best suggestion so far 🤣🤣🤣

Mine declares that the best dinner his mate's mum makes is "Spread your own". I asked her about it - she just pulls everything out of the fridge that could possibly be spread on bread, and a selection box of cheese biscuits. I don't know if it's because it looks like a buffet or quite what it is, but DS absolutely waxes lyrical about it. I did it once for our family and he says mine was "nearly as good" 🤣

That mate always asks for potato waffles, beans and cheese when he comes over!

I find that a child who likes chilli or chicken curry usually likes THEIR MUM's chilli or chicken curry, not mine. Fish fingers are a safe bet.

Pizza, fish fingers or chicken nuggets with a side of fries and some veggie sticks/sweetcorn. I ask the playdate child which they'd prefer. I also offer up my own dinner option (typically chilli/stew/curry) if they'd prefer it. If none of these options are ok, they can have a sandwich/toast/cereal.

Why do they all say their kids will eat anything?? I've had this experience a few times now and parent always insists they will eat anything. Then they come and loudly complain about almost everything I have to offer them - which isn't a problem in and of itself (I'm talking about child 6 and under so I hardly expect them to be overly polite haha) - but I could have easily got something they did like if their parent would only tell me what they liked in advance?!

DD had her first friend round for tea over the summer, spoke to parent beforehand and was told that she ate anything. Planned to do DIY pizza, she didn’t like that, chicken nuggets, nope, fish fingers, nope. Ended up with chocolate spread sandwiches and pombears. DD thought it was the greatest meal of her life 😂

Hot dogs, make your own pizzas, macaroni cheesy, picky tea stuff.

🤣🤣

Spag bol or chilli nachos.

Kids in my house eat adult food not beige.

Alternatively ask them in advance what they want.

The biggest hits here was them making homemade pizza 🤣. We did fajitas, chicken pesto Panini, homemade Caesar salads. I tend to do things where they control the end result. It wasn't planned just kind of happened.

Perfect 😁
This would nail it for my DD

I always did butter chicken - quick to do in the Instant Pot when you get home after school, or make ahead. It's mild but tasty, you can include hidden blended veg, and anyone who doesn't want to eat it as intended can dip Naan into the sauce, or just have rice, or indeed just have Naan (cheesy Naan if you can be bothered).

I also put a chopping board full of salad sticks, cherry tomatoes, grapes etc in the middle of the table, and made clear that pudding depended on the board being clear by the end of the meal. So you need to work as a TEAM! Worked brilliantly, bless them.

My daughter is an adult now but you definitely move in different circles if you think jacket potatoes, avocado, lettuce and tomatoes ate a safe option!

Toasties/paninis where they pick the filling. Pizza kit with toppings laid out for them to add. Spaghetti bolognese.

"Generally playdates are considered reciprocal."

For some people they are. For others? Something their children enjoy.

@kjnewk Pasta pesto, garlic bread, fruit and ice cream.
Microwave rice with chopped ham, cooked peas and sweetcorn stirred in. Fruit and ice cream. Or lollies to same on the washing up.

I tended to ask the parent of a new visitor what they like to eat. Try not to fret-no disaster if they don't eat- they can have something when they get home. Do tell the the collecting parent though, so they are ready for a demand for toast.

Hummous
Baby bel
Crudités
Pitta
Wedges

Fruit Platter
Chocolate Fingers

Fajitas are fun, they can build them themselves and add the toppings they want. Go for chicken, black beans, cheese, smashed avo, salsa, tomato rice etc…
Or a big lasagna/ shepherds pie/ moussaka, they’ll be used to those kind of easy but home made dinners I reckon. Beige food doesn’t go down as well in the posh parts.