Easy way to feed a crowd?

[Florencenotflo]

I've got about 15 people at my house for Father's Day. I don't want DH sat in front of the bbq all day. So, give me ideas on how to feed about 15 people with minimal effort! My SIL is vegan (and usually brings her own food but I like to make an effort to include her properly) but the rest aren't fussy. I don't have loads of fridge space (but I am looking at hiring another fridge for the weekend just for drink) and I can't afford to feed them all with an M&S buffet, that was my first thought but I've looked at the cost and it's not possible 😂

[Very]

You’ll get lots of suggestions of chilli or baked potatoes. Personally I would do a big lasagne and serve with a big green salad.

[MauisHouseOnMaui]

Pasta. You can cook mountains of it for next to nothing and in almost no time at all then make the sauce as fancy or as simple as you like, add in some garlic bread and a side salad and you've got a nice meal.

[moreismore]

I’d go with a big curry or casserole. Maybe beef bourginon or coq au vin? Then rice or baked potatoes to go with. A whole side of salmon good too with salads and big bowl lemon and dill mayo.

No idea on the vegan side sorry!

[moreismore]

Actually veg curry would be vegan...

[PurpleDaisies]

Pulled pork in a slow cooker, pulled jackfruit for vegan (or veg chilli), rice, nachos, corn on the cob, salsa, guacamole, cheese, sour cream and wraps

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Couple of slow cookers - a meat tagine and a veggie tagine. Pile of cous cous and pile of nice bread. Tsatziki, hummus, olives etc.

[DaisyChains6]

Could you do a bbq but you cook the food? Usually it's all prep beforehand with salads etc then the actual cooking bit just involves sticking some burgers, sausages and whatever else on the bbq which will take no more than 20 minutes.

[LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD]

Bring and share? People will offer anyway!

[Florencenotflo]

Slow cooker! Genius. Chilli would go down well!

[Aimily]

If you're going for a cold buffet set up then somewhere like Subway do a huge sandwich platter. Affordable, can be picked up on the day as well as caters for all, then you can get other things for a buffet from tesco/sainsburys/asda etc.
Fairly affordable and easy?

[ZetaPuppis]

A chicken and a veg curry, rice and naan breads. If your supermarkets have a world food freezer section or you have Asian shops nearby, frozen veg samosas are good. Just lightly fry and finish off on the oven rather than deep frying.

[mermaidbutmytailfelloff]

I would do a chilli -yes yes a pp said people would suggest it, - you can make a meat one and a vegan one both really mild. Then add loads of rice, tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, really hot salsa (makes up for the mild chilli) grilled sweetcorn.

Simple, low at the time effort, and most people will find something they like.

[FundamentallyTired]

Loaves and fishes?

[Florencenotflo]

@DaisyChains6 I could cook the bbq but DH would no doubt take charge. The main issue is our garden isn't huge and with kids running about, it's not ideal. The only place we can put the bbq (on the patio) is right by the door, the kids will be running in and out. Just easier to put it out of the way in the shed.

[Batinahat]

Yes to chilli and this for the vegan - it's delicious. Put out rice, wraps and tortilla crisps as well as salad for people to serve themselves. Could do sweet potato wedges too.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/burnt-aubergine-veggie-chilli

[TwittleBee]

My step family often cook vegan for us all when we go over (approx 12 - 15 people).

Curry often crops up time and time again when we go and it's always a winner! You can pre prep it and just reheat! Plus do a variety of dips too!

Vegan chilli is also super easy to do and delicious and I don't miss the texture too much when made with lentils and chickpeas. Again, you can jazz it up by doing it as nachos, with extra dips etc

[DizzySue]

I would serve:

Chilli con carne (huge batch cooked in the slow cooker)
Rice
Totrtilla chips
Grated cheese
Guacamole
Sour cream
Salad

(You could do a smaller portion of vegan chilli)

If you wanted to offer a choice I'd also do a carbonara type pasta dish with chicken (pasta bake) with garlic bread

(I'm rubbish with desserts so have no suggestions on that front I'm afraid)

[Love51]

It won't include the vegan, but something I nicked from a friend with a large family is to roast a big pork loin, and do roast pork sandwiches. It works from the pov of us not managing to seat everyone round a table.

[CherryPavlova]

I had 12 for supper last night.
Olives and crisps to pick at with a drink.
Then I’d made an onion tart ahead which I just warmed up for vegetarians, popped some salmon fillets in the oven with a lemon chilli dressing and some prawns in Marie Rose.
I served with a couple of nice breads, and a variety of salads - green, homemade guacamole, carrot and sesame, tomatoes, tabbouleh.

Pudding I’d done knickerbocker glories - very easy and great fun for people to make themselves at the table. Nice ice cream, maraschino cherries, fresh fruit salad, Pimms jelly, cream, cafe wafers etc.

[Hecateh]

I make 2 huge chilli. The biggest is meat based and the slightly smaller is veggi. (Meat eaters will eat vegetarian for seconds but not the other way round.)

an enormous pan of plain rice. And sufficient decent size baked potatoes for one each.

Lots of garlic bread, potato salad (home made), cole slaw(usually bought and mixed salad, and a few big bags of crisps,

Apart from the meat chilli everything else is veggi so no confusion.

Ask for people to bring deserts to share, and bags of marshmallows if there will be a bbq or fire going.

[mummmy2017]

Premade quiche case , chuck in mushrooms, bacon onions, add the eggs bake for 30 mins,. I love hot quiche.

[mysteryfairy]

I sometimes do bbq type food but not cooked on a bbq

Just stuff in rolls cooked on grill/in oven, then salads, olives etc

Easy to eat without a table, people can take it outside but you don't have to worry about a small child/heat accident if garden is bijou

[ilovemydogandmrobama2]

compromise maybe - chicken/lamb/veggie skewers with salads? If rain, then could be done in oven.

[mrsm43s]

I'd probably make up a big paella (we have an outdoor paella burner, but you can do it inside on the stove) and serve it with salad, patatas bravas, olives and fresh bread. If the vegan is quite accommodating, then you could ask her to bring a similar style rice vegan rice dish, and she can still eat the sides.

The other suggestions like chilli/lasagne/curry etc will all work well too. Or as someone else suggested, just man the BBQ yourself!

[Ricekrispie22]

Two or three curries (inc a lentil or chickpea based vegan curry), a big bowl or rice, mango chutney, shop-bought popadoms and naan bread. Perhaps some onion bhajis too!

Or... two or three tagines (lamb, chicken and chickpea) with a big bowl of couscous and warm flatbreads.

Or...Pulled/shredded pork with baked potatoes, warm bread rolls, apple sauce, coleslaw, caramelised onions and a green salad. As PP suggested, pulled jackfruit for the vegan www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegan-pulled-jackfruit