Easy meal ideas for crowd incl veggie

[palmtreesoliveleaves]

We'll be having family back to ours after a Wake and would like to provide something substantial after having only a buffet earlier in the day.

Due to the occasion I'd like something that is easy on the day and filling. Plus something for vegetarians.

What would you recommend?

3 bean chilli and jacket potato

Nice big pot of vegetable soup and lots of fresh bread rolls.
Get an electric catering pot and it will keep good and hot.

A pot of chilli and another of veg chilli.
Bread, tortillas, soured cream, grated cheese.

I think a big leek and potato soup with some rolls and maybe a few cheeses would be fine

How many people is it for?

I honestly don't know how many would come back, could be between 10 and 20. We've family coming from all over the UK but also have friends that may want to come back. Who knows at this point.

Can you afford to buy the sandwich platters from Costco or any of the supermarkets? Or use a local small business for a light buffet and then add some soups to it?

Sorry for your loss.

I'd do leek & potato soup with bread
... and have chesse and a roast ham as "filler" just in case you get the 20 - at least that can be kept for another day.

Have some par baked bred on standby.

I agree with beef and veggie chillis or chicken and veggie curries. §

I was going to say chilli - with bowla of rice, nice bread, taco shells, salads, etc. plates of cheese and meats.

sorry for your loss 💐

I think anything you can do in advance and just heat up is your best option. Curry, cottage pie, lasagna etc. I'm not sure about curries, but if you make lasagnas/cottage pie/shepherds pie in advance in those foil trays, you can freeze them and heat from frozen which I find is super handy in a situation like this if you don't know how many people are coming. Buy trays big enough for 8 servings and then heat as many as you need.

It is a lot of people though so that amount of pre-cooking might be a bit much. Would you consider buying those frozen entertaining size pre-made meals from somewhere like Cook?

Another vote for bean chilli.

With toppings available to add at choice - fried chorizo, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, rice, tortilla wraps/taco shells, sour cream, coriander, guacamole, salsa or something like that.

Sliced melon for cooling mouth refresh/ after.

Sorry for your loss.
I think Chilli and all those sides is too many things to think about. And too many things to try to heat at once in the oven can also be stressful. ( My oven always seems to be on a go slow when it's very full)
So I would suggest, depending how long you are going to be out of the house or if you can set a timer on your oven - baked potatoes - wrapped in foil can cook over a very long time without spoiling and be ready when you need them without attention. Then some pots of stuff to heat on the stove - could be chilli or bolognese, or stew. Serve with grated cheese and bagged salad. All this can be done by anyone so it doesn't need to be you in the kitchen.
Leftover potatoes and any sauce can easily be frozen.

Thanks for the responses.

I would prefer hot food rather than sandwiches as we'll be having a buffet at the wake.

I really like the idea of soup and hot rolls but my husband doesn't like any soup so that's a no no.

Maybe the chilli/lasagne idea.

Chilli is a good idea and you can make some vegetarian and some with meat and also rice, tortillas, cheese and sour cream, and if there's any left over, just eat it over the next few days or freeze it.

Pasta bakes. Veggie and meat ones.

Pasta bakes. Make up in foil dishes, stick them in the oven when you get back. A simple tomato and cheese one, a chicken and mushroom one and a Bolognese type would do it. You can make them in advance. Plus garlic bread and salad.

I second this but would leave out mushrooms and substitute bacon lardons.

Just saying.... I HATE chilli, whether veg or meat, and I won't be the only one. If there is only chilli for both options it is likely there might be some quite unhappy (and hungry) people. I would do similar but different meals. Maybe two types of casserole, or pies, or quiches. Something which can be just left in the oven or slow cooked for hours, or just put in to heat through at the last minute, with jacket potatoes and salad maybe? Or equally easy sides.

@DilemmaDelilah

True. Though I love spicy food not everyone does. I would go down a pasta route instead I think.

Pasta bakes are inoffensive so that might a good shout.