your go to dinners for playdates?

I ask parents. Pasta plain with a bit of salad, cakes or biscuits.

Yeah, they won't like whatever you serve, it's a given. They will fight with it, poke it or refuse to even come to look at it. Possibly they will eat haribo or ice-cream.

Long time ago now but pasta based meals always went down well, particularly macaroni cheese and spagbol. Chicken pie was a hit too. (Used to make individual ones in larger ramekins.)

The only thing I offer is pizza from the petrol station or a lot of snacks. We eat dinner late, well, after any playdate friends have gone home. I really cba with making two dinners, so they get the easiest option.

I also always do pizza, to the point that one regular guest asked me why we only ever eat pizza at this house.

On the odd occasion I've done sausages, chips and peas/broccoli. Or spag bol.

I don't worry if they don't eat it though. I check in advance with the parent and serve it in the middle so everyone helps themselves and let them crack on.

I think wraps with chicken and various salad bits could work well too, anything that gives them an element of control.

Depending on how many I am feeding, I will do a wee beige buffet and chopped vegetable sticks. I often make pizza dough and get them making their own pizza. I think you were unlucky there. There cannot be that many pizza refusers!

You can’t go wrong with wraps or jacket potatoes with a variety of toppings/fillings. Then you can offer healthy options like lettuce, tomatoes, beans, cheese, avocado etc for those who like it.

I find kids can be funny about food that’s ’not how my mum does it’. I’ve done Mac n cheese and stuff I think would be failsafe but like you I hate when kids go unfed! Although I don’t know why as it doesn’t worry me if mine won’t eat when elsewhere.

I now tend to do a selection of things to pick and find scrambled eggs, croissants and a plate of salad veg to pick from - carrots, cherry toms and cucumbers - go down well. As with strawberries and other popular fruit. Toasties a good option too. I often do a decorate a biscuit thing - give them digestives, some icing and sprinkles, they can eat that for pudding.

@Gigglesqueak I think it's different kids. I don't think there is any suggestion that the play dates aren't reciprocal.

OP, pizza is usually a good one, surprised that didn't go down well.

Other than that: chicken nuggets, sausage and chips, spaghetti, beans on toast, fish fingers.

I hosted a play date last week for my DD and on the walk home we talked about dinner. Knowing that DD's friend is quite picky I wanted to make sure I was making the right thing. We all agreed on tomato pasta- easy peasy.

I make up said tomato pasta and DD's friend refused to eat it because it contained real (thoroughly cooked) tomatoes within the sauce.

I give up.

DD was/is a pizza refuser. Hard no to melted cheese!

Pizza all the way!

DS often gets given nuggests when he goes on play dates.

Pasta
With cheese or tomato sauce.
Sometimes with chicken or nuggets.
Very occasionally fish fingers and chips.
My DD was the one with the limited range so I would offer what she liked to the other kids and go with that. Hence pasta mostly!

DD has a friend who only eats a specific type of potato, purchased from waitrose! . I always tell him it absolutely IS that potato!!!

OP - I hear you re the posh food thing (see above). I seem to have convinced a whole bunch of DD's friends that I'm a super posh, fabulous cook by making "chicken tenders" which are basically just chicken breasts sliced into easy pieces (or mini chicken breasts are even easier), dipped in flour, egg, breadcrumbs and fried. Parents keep telling me their children want them to get the recipe and I keep having to admit it's not exactly flash. I do "elevate" them by adding lemon zest and salt to the breadcrumbs. I"m convinced it's the salt that sells it!

I remembered something else I do often, but only for weekend playdates as it's a bit slow to make but I've yet to have a child reject it: baked chicken thighs. I usually do them with mashed potato, or sometimes with chips. Some children don't like skin so I just cut that off for them. And serve with a range of veggies. If I'm feeling generous, I make yorkshire puddings too!

Pizza is usually my go to! Maybe veg sticks and garlic bread or french bread on the side? Or I do chicken goujons with french fries and peas.

Or maybe chicken wraps. I'd probably do a plain roast chicken or cook chicken breast fairly plain and let them fill wraps themselves with the chicken, salsa, cheese, lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, sour cream, sweet chilli sauce etc.

One child told me he only liked sweetcorn and cucumber as veg so I excitedly said "oh, I have some sweetcorn" and he said "oh, but I don't want any today" 😂. I think it does get easier as they get older and their tastes widen a bit thankfully!

Noooooooooo

Raw carrots

Not raw catguts 🙀🙀🙀

Can't edit as on app

Plain pasta /with cheese or pesto pasta and garlic bread also go down well

I always ask if they have school dinners or packed lunches.

I use the school dinner menu as a guide.

My go tos are;

Spag bol
Chilli con carne cheese fries
Chilli Nachos
Burritos
Tacos
Quesadilla
Make your own pizzas or subs
Mac and cheese with grilled chicken breast and veg
Chicken curry, rice and Naan
Air fryer food and chips and baked beans
Breakfast for dinner
Pulled brisket and flatbreads

Anything that gets them involved usually works and sorts out killing some time, and getting a mini educational experience in.

The meals usually have some sort of veg stick or steamed veg included.

If I'm feeling generous a take out pizza, fish and chips or a deliveroo of some sort.

Varies on the child

But I tend to go for basic junk food as most won't seem to eat a spag bol or lasagne or sausage casserole etx

So

Pizza (you were unlikely to get a child that doesn't )

Chicken nuggets

Fish gingers

Sausages

Then with chips , waffles , hash brown , mash

Veg or beans

Or sandwich - crisps - raw catguts , cucumber - chopped apple - etx

I would just ask the children what they fancy. 7yr olds rarely all have the same taste no matter the geographical location!

I get some of those cheap pizzas and give them some toppings to put on and some extra cheese, then veggie sticks (most kids will eat at least one type I've found)

When its warmer picky bits go down well.

DD seems to get pizza, nuggets and chips or pasta at her friends houses.

I used to do pasta, fairly basic pizza with oven chips/wedges, or an 'indoor picnic'. The latter worked well for the fussiest of our regular playdate visitors, as she could pick and choose what she wanted and DS would hoover up whatever was left.

The usual/ pasta, falafel, tortillas, hummus, enchiladas etc

Pasta with choice of pesto or tomato sauce
nuggets-make your own wraps with choice of lettuce, tomato, cucumber etc
sometimes I do their names with alphabites which they love (I remember my mum doing this too!)
sausage and mash
picnic stuff -sandwiches, mini sausages etc