If you was entertaining family - approx 10 adults what food would you serve for the most convenient and cheap optobo

[KenAdamsRealWife]

Normally would do a Buffet type lunch/dinner but I find it adds up too much. I’m on mat leave and really looking for cheap as chips ideas for around 10 adults over Easter.
Thanks

Either giant lasagne with bread and salad or Mexican: chilli, fajitas, wraps, rice, salads and salsa etc.

Does everyone have a seat?

How about a big curry or something like that?

I’ve never cooked a curry that big, I’m not even great at cooking curry full stop to be honest

I’d do two big lasagnes in disposable foil trays, some baked potatoes and salad.

How “Party” does it have to be? What’s your budget? What’s for pudding? How many are children?

Chilli, rice or jacket potatoes, grated cheese and sour cream

Use a small pack of mince but add chickpeas, butter beans and kidney beans in the chilli to bulk it out

Grate the cheese yourself as blocks of cheese are cheaper than pre grated stuff

Make a brownie (can use aldi chocolate for cheapness) or a Victoria jam sponge for dessert

I would do loads of jacket potatoes and make a big chilli, get coleslaw, cheese, beans and some salad.

Pasta bake garlic bread and salad might be one of cheapest options? Could add sausage or ham to pasta. I sometimes add a pack of filled pasta as well to make it different.

Lasagne is a good bet and can look nice served up and a bit more sophisticated than chilli...

Lasagne
Salad
Home made garlic bread
Lots of red wine
Fruit salad for pudding

Very late 80s, could be fun!

Or
Chicken thighs roasted with thyme, lemon and garlic
Served with roasted new potatoes
Big green salad
Or string green beans almandine
For pudding a summer berry pavlova or Eton mess

Lamb tagine with preserved lemons and serve with
Pomegranate salsa
Jewelled couscous
Baked feta
Pudding could be apple tart

Only 2 kids but 9/10 adults, haven’t really budgeted as such but just need it to be cheap as poss really. Some good ideas here!

Depends on how much effort you want to put in. I like cooking so I would suggest:

Starters

homemade pate (costs about £2 in total for 10)

soup (french onion soup is less than £1 to make a ton

Cheap mains for a crowd:

Pork belly in milk

Ham in Coca Cola

Pulled pork in baps with apple sauce

Coq au vin

Hassleback potatoes always look more impressive than baked potatoes or potatoes bakers potatoes are nice (same as dauphinoise but just with stock rather than cream).

Dessert

Lemon posset is dead cheap as is chocolate mousse

If you really aren’t that keen on cooking I would just do a massive chilli and rice with tortilla and dips to start.

Or you could always just do pot luck!

Toad in the hole and mash

Homemade pizza (from scratch base and all) and wedges

Nachoes (bulk standard value are fab) heated with cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa dips

Some of these suggestions I wouldn’t consider serving as a main meal to guest though.

Pasta bake?
Nachos?

I mean cheap and cheerful is fine, but I think that veering on to student food.

Pulled pork with chips/ Nachos / rice / bread and Salad

What can you cook, OP? What dishes do you usually make?

That's the best place to start.

I mean what dishes do you make for yourself? What are you good at cooking?

Oh the nachos i did. Went down a storm. I wasnt providing a main meal on that occasion just the equivalent of party food/buffet. Was cheap too.

Ive also done the spag bol (not all mine like chilli), and the cheesy tuna bake when a more main meals were expected. The cheesy tune bake was knicked off one of my friends who used it as an easy failsafe lunch with guests staple

Depends whether your after really. But ive seen all nearly the suggestions given work and go down really well

Totally agree @GreenEggsHamandChips . I cater for 12 every day at lambing. Nachos and pasta great favourite meals. I appreciate the aim is to fill more than dinner party but tasty and cheap.

Is it Easter Sunday Lunch, or a “lesser meal”?

Are they roast and crumble types or more lasagne/curry/mex?

What about a chicken pie? Use a big lasagne/roasting dish

A massive ham with loads of mashed potato

Some.of these ideas are pretty depressing. Why are you having these people over if you don't like cooking and can't afford it?

Big supermarket pizzas
Garlic bread
Potato wedges

fazarkley I didn’t say I dont like cooking or I can’t afford it. I’m having them over because I like them and they are family, I just want to do it on a cheap basis.
It’s just to feed them really as I feel it’s what we’ve always done wherever we go when people come for a few hours.
I usually make pasta at home, chilli, chicken and beef dishes, Stir fry.
I might do a big chilli, how much rice would you make ? How much mince do you think would be enough? 125g per person?

Lamb tagine with preserved lemons and serve with
Pomegranate salsa
Jewelled couscous
Baked feta
Pudding could be apple tart

Have I just stumbled into an alternate universe?!

Sounds delicious but hardly cheap... especially for 10 people.

Have you seen the cost of lamb recently?!

Feeding ten people lamb would be incredibly expensive.

Only on Mumsnet hey?!

Some.of these ideas are pretty depressing.
Yeah lasagne is so depressing next to some mash potatoes 😒