If you were cooking a meal to impress what would it be?

Both your chicken and lasagne are nice meals which I would be very happy to eat, but not really impressive if that’s what you are going for more “I know you guys are great cooks so we are not trying to compete”.

Roast chicken is the most boring of boring meals.

If it was me I'd do roast lamb shoulder with pomegranate molasses with either couscous or Greek lemon potatoes, labneh and this relish. www.thekitchn.com/appetizer-recipe-pomegranate-olive-relish-recipes-from-the-kitchn-181181

Googling those now, Judge!

Can I add Delia's Little Sticky Toffee puddings, my family are not happy if they think they're not getting these over Christmas! They can be frozen, ours are in the freezers already, and the sauce can be made and gently reheated on the day. Good vanilla ice cream goes well.
Also St Delia's Chocolate Truffle Torte, I think it's what sent the sale of liquid glucose through the roof a few years ago, a few fresh raspberries go well.

After a few days of impressive, a curry is usually appreciated.

So I would cook a couple of dishes in advance and freeze, then reheat in the oven.
Find an easy rice dish to make on the night.
And bring poppadoms, chutneys, naan, samosas and bhajis etc.

Generous servings with chilled Cobra lagers. That will impress!

You could actually cook that in advance and freeze it, take it with you, then just do the rice and the garnish on the day.

I tend to cook lamb shank dishes in advance, because they are great on the reheat. Once the meat is falling off the bones I shred it and discard the bones. That way, if the lamb shanks are very large, you don't need a whole one per person, so four or five would do six decent portions of shredded meat. I keep overnight so the solidified fat can be skimmed off before re-heating.

Diana Henry has a fantastic Vietnamese lamb shank recipe with sweet potatoes and lots of mint, coriander and crushed peanuts, as a garnish. With coconut rice it's amazing. A great, no fuss dish for a crowd.

I'd do an easy seafood or prawn linguine with garlic bread...assuming everyone liked seafood...

Green and Black's chocolate mousse cake or Nigella's molten chocolate baby cakes. Both are impressive and easy.

I would do something from Ottolenghi. They are always delicious and are never as complicated as they look, but if you haven't tried you don't know that!

I’d do something I was very confident in - roast chicken is great but I’d worry about the oven temperature and having enough roasting dishes and a good carving knife.

For that size of group I’d most likely do a casserole type thing that’s quite forgiving if the oven isn’t right. I’d also do dauphinoise over fondant because it’s both easy and indulgent. I wouldn’t bother trying to impress, tbh I find good food loving prepared pretty impressive even if it’s just a bacon sandwich.

For dessert Nick Nairn has an infallible chocolate cake recipe that’s my go to for groups with fruit salad and cream for non-chocolate lovers. Or I’d do a big tray of chocolate brownies and good ice cream.

Lasagne is better for sharing, more straightforward in an unfamiliar kitchen and if it's his speciality he'll smash it.

If you go with your idea, I also agree that dauphinoise (shareable, not as precise, just as delicious) is a better idea than fondants (tricky, a bit technical).

When DP and I do this he tends to make some sort of homemade bread and a massive pie (he makes his own pastry too). His go-to pies are a chicken and squash with ras el hanout one for carnivores and a fairly incredible celeriac and balsamic garlic one for veggies.

(I don't cook, I pour the drinks, but I will take the credit for finding the recipe for the latter and emailing it to him.)

It sounds really simple but it's absolutely delicious.

Warm Roast sweet potato and goats cheese salad. Just needs seeds, bag of mixed leaves, grated carrot and a light drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. Serve with warm flatbread and pakora or meat is preferred.

For something more wintery. Fish in puffpastry.

Buy those mixed fish packets and a block of puff pastry.

Poach the fish in milk and remove bones/skin. Drain off the milk but keep it.

Make a roux using the fishy milk and add a load of finely chopped paisley. Make sure it is really well seasoned with salt pepper and a little mustard powder if wanted. You want it to be the thickness of a custard.

Roll out the pastry into a big square. Put on the fish. Pour over a generous amount of sauce over the fish and wrap up the pastry into as parcel pinching it at the top. Pa by with an egg wash. Bake in the oven until golden (30ish minutes) serve with left over sauce and peas plus boiled potatoes if more starch needed.

I would go for your DH - can you freeze in advance . I would also do night 1 if I had a choice. For dessert I would do a selection, lemon posset with shortbread, profiteroles, crepes, lemon tart etc etc

I would do stovetop food. Steak, green beans, new potatoes and bearnaise sauce. I have the idea that not all ovens are equal and timings vary so what is a successful meal cooked at home might end up a complete balls up in a different oven. I have no science to back that up though.

If I'm trying to impress, I usually do two legs of lamb - one marinated in garlic and loads of fresh herbs and lemon zest, the other in middle eastern spices, honey and rose petals. Served with a rice based on an ancient Ottolenghi recipe, flavoured with spring onions or lightly fried red onions, flaked almonds, apricot, lemon zest, mild spices. Broccoli in lemon butter.

Or at this time of year I might do a beef stew in red wine with fresh herb dumplings or a goulash with mash or rice.

I'd opt for whatever my husband says he'll cook. I would assist of course - turn the oven on and talk to the others so they don't distant him.😀

Firstly do you know which day you're doing? If I was cooking for later in the week I'd check on freezer space and take it pre prepared and frozen.

Secondly I'd want to do something of minimal effort that didn't keep me in the kitchen when everyone else might be having fun. Soni wouldn't do a roast and fancy potatoes. In fact I'd go with your DH and let him make lasagne. Can it be done ahead and frozen?

I wouldn't other trying to impress tbh.

Id just do something easy and nice ha ha like Bolognese or sausage and mash or a casserole.

Can't be doing with working hard to impress friends when presumably they're chill enough to be on holiday with any way.

If you are going away in winter, I would cook a Tartiflette with some crusty white French baguettes and delicious red wine. It’s easy to put together but tastes like you have spent longer on it and is very comforting….

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/triple-cheese-bacon-dauphinoise

This dauphinoise is amazing. We have it with steak but would go with chicken really well

I do French beans as the veg
i forgot about MN chickens!

That's my NYE menu! I love dauphinois and I may include a vegetable, possibly broccoli, the jury's still out.
On the subject of the number of chickens for 10, these are MN chickens, 1 should suffice with butties next day!

I would make venison stew followed by homemade ice cream or poached pears.