Frozen pizza or boiled meat?

[AuntiZoaeshal]

To feed 18 on holiday.

My heart says make a Bollito Misto while I have enough mouths to justify all that meat ( & a poached chicken & turkish rice & boiled veg & broth & crusty bread).

Head says that people will ‘expect’ junky picky bits like frozen pizza & chips - even if that will actually be more stressful to juggle in the oven for that quantity

Very very sick of both pasta and sandwiches. Literally nowhere delivers eg pizza to here - & no car after morning supermarket run.

You know the tastes of the other 17 better than anyone on here, so I don’t think anyone can say better than you - sorry!

Although I’m getting a little hint of you wanting everyone to say that your bollito misto preference sounds divine, and the rest of the group are food heathens?

They are:

1 keto diet person

4 with varying degrees of major food ‘fussiness’ (eg sauces touching food ). Ironically - I think they would like the texture & blandness of boiled. It’s a risk - but even pizza won’t be eaten by one of these people - and one of them cried about a pasta meal not being a ‘proper’ dinner earlier in the week. Chips is the only common denominator

3 big appetite men ( two of which are continental types who like ‘european’ ‘proper’ meals)

1 vegetarian ( who I have an alternate for)

2 children

2 people long-not-seen fresh off a plane special guests

“one of them cried about a pasta meal not being a ‘proper’ dinner earlier in the week.”

Choose whichever will most piss off this idiot! 🤣

Aww - but I so want it to be a nice meal.

Our last night - another family’s first night.

Yeah this.

Ask them?
Honestly, how long do you want to spend cooking for people that won't appreciate it?
Has to google what Bolito Misto is. It's a stew rather than just boiled meat? The way you phrased it I was picturing plain mince boiled in water!
Sounds like you won't please everyone, whatever you make so do what suits the majority and the others will have to make do.

Why would you even agree to cater for so many people with so many different food problems.

Boiled meat sounds gross

I presume it’s your holiday, too, so in your shoes, I would be looking for the lowest effort way to feed such a large group, unless you are seeking to impress people with for your cooking for some reason - though I think that unnecessary when you know them well enough to holiday together.

Oh behave, how do you think people cook things like gammon or .... Curries and stews if they're not just meat boiled a d simmered in liquid...

@00100001 actually, in most stews and curries etc the meat is fried if first then, um, stewed. Not just boiled in water (or broth in this case).

Caterers choice surely. If you're the one doing the work you get to choose and it sounds like you prefer the boiled meat option.

Presumably that leaves the oven free for people to pop in a frozen pizza if they don't want what you're cooking.

I would make the bolito miso, with easy desserts that the most fussy can eat.

The pont is, boiled meat is not disgusting nor unusual.

Is there a BBQ?

I would do your bolito misto thing, with lots of bread on the side, and then you can also have some cheeses and veggies and people who don't like the bolito misto can go for bread and cheese.

a poached chicken & turkish rice & boiled veg

I'd go with pizza over this. Apart from the rice, this sounds disgusting.

I'd do the bolito misto, and then a bowl of pasta for the one who cried because pasta isn't a proper meal.

What's the veggie alternative?

Personally I think fussy eaters will struggle with bollito misto. Would the budget and oven space allow for something like roast chicken with a mixture of sides but also option of something plain like chips?

I cook curry by frying meat in onions, garlic and spices, then add tomatoes and simmer gently. Sounds so much nicer than 'boiled meat' 😂

For my stew, I fry off the meat in chopped celery then add vegetables, pearl barley and herbs. Yum!

'Boiled meat' sounds awful. I mean maybe it's the raw description, e.g. if a friend called me up and asked 'hi do you want to come over for some pizza? versus 'hi do you want some boiled meat' ...

Anyway OP, I vote pizza, on this ocassion. It's more of a crowd pleaser than boiled meat.

Bollito Misto sounds a bit like pulled pork - slow cooked meat. So do that, but also have chips, rice, nice breads, dip and a couple of different salads so there's a banquet type meal with good variety and if nothing else the fussy eaters can make themselves chip butties.

Sorted

What about just a traditional roast dinner?

Actually quite an easy dish to cook for a crowd, and generally liked by everyone, including fussy eaters. Easy to buy a pre-made main that just needs heating for the vegetarian to serve alongside all the roasted veg and potatoes.

I must admit, I thought "boiled meat" sounded horrible, but when I googled Bollito Misto and looked at the pictures, it looks pretty tasty.

How can poached chicken sound disgusting? Am genuinely baffled 😮 🤷‍♀️