your go to dinners for playdates?

Spag Bol

Pasta bake of some sort

Fajitas

Fish fingers, chips and peas or fish finger sandwiches

Jacket potatoes and let them add their own toppings

Sausages mash and beans

I used to pretty much always make Toad in the Hole... definitely my 'go-to'

Otherwise, similar to others - top their own pizzas, meatballs & pasta.. maybe pie?

Sausage and mash with big yorkshire puddings (home made) and a choice of 4 veg - either carrot or swede, peas, and two leafy/cruciferous greens

Spag bol for picky kids

Home made chicken curry with coconut & almond & spinach for adventurous kids

Fishfingers or nuggets and chips with 4 veg as above

I always make a homemade desert - jam roly poly, rice pudding, apple crumble, flapjacks (i don't put loads of sugar in the way a shop bought one is made)

I get lots of kids who's parents tell me they are picky who polish off a plateful at mine when mum isn't there!

Fish fingers. When in doubt, fish fingers are the answer.

Fajitas! Always popular.

Just ask a bigger amount of whatever you were making for dinner anyway? Blows my mind anyone makes specific (usually unhealthy) food for kids. If the visiting kid is hungry they’ll eat it.

Surprised pizza didn't go down well. It was our first choice and only choice. Play date = pizza night. I always served with salad stuff so cucumber, tomatoes, pepper etc. most kids didn't eat that but it made me feel like there was a vitamin in there.
I also make my own dough and they do their own toppings; passata, cheese, pepperoni, ham, veg options, (even pineapple 🤯)
The dough is easier to make than you imagine. Or buy the premade dough. Or use french stick cut lengthways.

Pasta with green or red pesto

Pasta with toppings they add themselves - tomato sauce / pesto / cheese etc. or baked potatoes plus toppings - cheese / beans / sweetcorn / tuna etc.

Don’t worry about it too much. Ask the parents, if they don’t give you a clear answer they can’t complain if their kid doesn’t eat. Make sure you have fruit available.

Round here play dates are strictly nuggets, pizza, pasta! I certainly don’t think it’s my role to insist someone else’s child eat a vegetable if they don’t want to.

When I was skint I used to do “Mums cafe”
fried egg,oven chips, beans. Ketchup bread and butter. Most kids will eat something from that list.

My Reception-aged DS doesn't like pizza as he doesn't like melted cheese. It's one of the few things that he really dislikes in every scenario - it's a texture thing I think. He doesn't like pasta bakes, lasagne etc for the same reason.

He will always eat sausages, fish fingers, beans on toast (cheese on the side), pasta with tomato sauce or pesto (but no melted cheese on top).

Make your own Pizzas, fajitas or burgers are my go tos.

With the Pizzas, they get to pick toppings. Tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham, mushrooms etc, herbs.

The fajitas, I usually have grilled chicken slices, prawns, cooked and raw peppers/tomatoes/mushrooms, cheese and sauces to pick from.

Burgers, it's usually a choice of beef, bean or chicken with a similar list of optional extras as the other two with skinny fries.

Sometimes we do make your own toasties with homemade soup. One friend of dc1's is willing to try most things so the last time she came for tea, we had roast chicken with a chickpea salad, a watermelon and feta salad, skinny fries and garlic bread.

Dessert is always make your own ice cream sundaes by request. In October they are Halloween themed and in November/December Christmas themed.

If I know they are coming, it's usually make your own pan au chocolat and a mug of hot chocolate when they come through the door as well.

Charcuterie board but adapted for kids!

Chicken or quorn nuggets seem to be universally accepted by that age group. Or hot dogs. Keep it easy.

Microwave rice or halved jacket potatoes

Crudités and dip or hummus

Then something like chicken legs / burger and bun / fish goujons

Put in separate dishes on table and leave them to it

Nice dessert like sponge pudding and custard or cheesecake

(If we do pizzas, we get them to help and do their own topping but honestly it's a lot of faff.)

What 7 yr old doesn't like pizza?!?!?!

Maybe try a pasta bake or anything that you can make in advance and just bung in the oven (See also shepherd's pie, enchiladas).

Or jacket potatoes and they can choose their own fillings?

In warmer weather, you can't beat a ploughman's. Big hunk of bread, cheese, apple and pickle. A bit of salad or a few crisps on the side.

Pasta and tomato sauce all the way

Can add garlic bread or side salad

I had exactly the same. As far as i can tell, 90% of primary aged kids will only eat the following:

Nuggets and chips
Pizza
Sausages and chips
Pasta with bland smooth sauce ideally from a jar

There's literally no point making anything nice as so many of them turn their noses up. Make sure you have ketchup in 🙄

Those were my standard meals but thankfully with working full time we didn’t do play dates very often. They probably ate better when DH got home before me and started cooking.

Anything that they can select their own bits. Make your own pizza covers entertainment as well as food. If not, chicken goujon wraps was my go to.

Chicken dippers, waffles and beans always gets hoovered up here as does pasta and bolognese.

I don't have a clue. Never had any over after school as we have extra curricular stuff on. Pizza maybe?

Chez moi pizza is standard issue for kids

I'd be dragged over hot coals if I tried to serve anything else

I have beige food in and ask the children when they are here - most popular dish is pasta with butter and grated cheese! Either that or pizza, chips, nuggets. At play dates I've attended when younger its been similar beige food - it's an affluent area and the parents are health conscious but realistic. I'm sure they don't eat beige food for every meal - just play dates. I find if they are fed thee is less arguing..