Lunch ideas for guests today

[pairsinparis]

I have two friends arriving today at lunch time, they will have traveled 2.5 hours to come over for the night. What's an easy lunch I can do for when they arrive? Nothing that requires too much work as I have two excited little ones to entertain until they arrive.

Any ideas appreciated, I'm tired and blank lol

I had this filled prawn crab and chilli pasta last night. Delicious and on offer at the moment . But from waitrose or sainsburys. Serve with salad and maybe French bread which kids will like.

Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toasted bagels

Or raid the deli counter and get some nice crusty bread and let everyone help themselves.
Buy a big ready made lasagne to bung in the oven and some salad.
Soup & nice bread.

with little kids to look after i would go for roast chicken that is already prepped and in those tin foil trays from Waitrose or M&S, and that you can put in the oven. Ditto potato dauphinoise; ditto red cabbage; ditto green veg medley. Everything already done and pop in oven for about the same amount of time.

Plus nice bread followed by icecream sundaes. You might have to make those yourself though.

Buffet.

Nice bread and butter, selection of cheeses and cold meats, salad, dips, quiche, potato salad, etc.

It's what I always do for lunch guests!

Soup from a packet
Nice bread
Nice cheese
Salad

Or, bung some veg - aubergine, courgettes, mushrooms, pepper, tomatoes - in the oven with olive oil, roast them and serve with couscous. That was my go to lunch when entertaining on mat leave. Add some feta and hummus if you feel like it. Dessert - bowl of mixed berries and cream.

A charcuterie board. Basically meats, cheeses, breads, grapes and strawberries on a big chopping board. Couple of dips and some olive oil on the side. So easy and looks great. Look at Pinterest for inspiration.

I’d do roast chicken, nice bread and salad
Or a ploughman’s type buffet with pork pies, cheese, ham, bread etc.
and wine!

Shop bought quiche and salad. I do that every time we have people for lunch!

Baked potatoes?

Fresh soup from the fridge section
Couple of cheeses
Some cold meats
Olives
Crudités and humus
Green salad
Nice bread
Some fizzy elderflower.

I second the quiche and salad.

Soup and sandwiches.

Fish and chips.

What will the kids eat? I'd start there and just make it a bit more substantial for adults then you're not cooking twice.

Soup, Salad, Quiche??

@olympicsrock

I had this filled prawn crab and chilli pasta last night. Delicious and on offer at the moment . But from waitrose or sainsburys. Serve with salad and maybe French bread which kids will like.

I’ve seen these and wanted to try them - might do while they’re on offer! Did you add a sauce?

I’d pop some potatoes in the oven to bake, then do a range of (store bought) toppings. Cheese, coleslaw, beans, tuna, maybe a ready made chilli you can warm through and serve with salad

Make soup and have it with that part bake bread and nice butter. Buy fancy biscuits, sorted 😃

@purplemunkey just added a little extra virgin olive oil

This Mary Berry pesto pasta chicken salad is really simple and everyone I've ever served it to loves it. Just buy ready cooked chicken and ready made pesto, it doesn't need marinating overnight either! I don't even put in avocado if I want to make it in advance, just more spinach and baby toms.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pestolemonnchicken88391/amp

Big dish of garlic roasted new potatoes
Salad
Quiches
Coleslaw

Unroll a sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry, spread with hummus or pesto or a mixture of both and top with the contents of some drained jars of antipasti vegetables. Bake 180c for 25 minutes and serve with salads

Thanks olympicsrock, I might just try that tonight

In these circs I always make houmous, make or buy good bread and do a range of salad bits and cheese. If you like that sort of thing you could buy some samosas, pies or a quiche to heat up.

Depends what you are doing for dinner. I would want something hot rather than quiche and salad after 2.5 hours travelling. Maybe soup, grilled cheese, chips, salad.