Dinner for 18, wwyd?

[MyBlueDiary]

I'm planning a birthday dinner for my husband. We'll be about 18 people. No veggies, no one with any particular requirements, we are all happy and adventurous eaters and I am a confident cook.

I'd like to focus on the foods my husband likes best. He loves beans and vegetables, happily eats meat but is not one of those men who has to have it at every meal, doesn't much like mushrooms or fish. Much prefers a homely, let's-all-tuck-in vibe rather than cheffy stuff and pre-plated meals.

I'd like to do three courses. I'd also like to make sure that I have the chance to chat to guests rather than being stuck in the kitchen so anything I can make ahead would be great (not soup though). Could order in a nice cake for pudding which would be both birthdayish and simple.

Any thoughts very welcome. Thanks.

I would do a chilli, possibly veg one. Can be done in advance and then served with sour cream, cheese, tortilla, guac, salsa etc... help yourself. So easy to be done in advance.

I would do a variety pie night. Cheese and onion, Quorn cottage pie, steak and ale, chicken and leek. Lots of easy side vegetables such as roast Jerusalem artichokes, green beans, peas, baby carrots etc.

big jugs of gravy.

1. Mixed tomato and goats’ cheese or beetroot and goats’ cheese salad - can cut tomatoes/beetroot earlier and then assemble quickly at last minute.
2. Veggie chilli with rice - make the day before - the more it sits and stews, the deeper the flavour and you can just dollop out more or people help themselves (add nachos and the ‘trimmings’).
3. Plums/nectarines roasted with fudge, butter and rum - serve with crème fraiche and shortbread. Quarter plums and nectarines and arrange in dish, scatter over everything else and roast at 220 until browning.

I would run away. Good luck and happy new year😀

This is a great idea!

One chicken and a massive salad?

When I cook for that many I only have one course that requires a lot of attention. So a birthday cake for pudding is a good idea, or I'd make a baked cheesecake/Eton mess something that could be pre made.

Do you have room to sit or is it going to be eaten standing up?

Starter: noodle salad with loads of crunchy veg- red cabbage, beansprouts, carrot, bell peppers and a delicious peanut/lime dressing (with chilli and tamarind)- you could add grilled chicken/ I am veggie so would have tofu.
Main: red dragon pie or this ottolenghi stew https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/feb/29/yotam-ottolenghi-winter-vegetable-recipes-celeriac-cafe-de-paris-sauce-tomato-barley-stew-tunisian-potato-beans (I have done it several times and it is delicious)
Other option could be some kind of thai curry or laksa?
Dessert: I would do something really simple like a fruit crumble with custard. Then you could also have a load of fancy cheeses and biscuits.

DB and his wife do huge lasagnes, veggie and meat ones and salad and garlic bread on the side.

I would do a nice cassoulet with white beans, veg and some chicken. I made one last night with tarragon, thyme and lemon.

My go to recipe is also a chicken stew with chorizo, halved red peppers, smoked paprika, a bit of chilli or harissa paste, garlic red wine, and green olives served with cous cous or herby polenta. You could add butter beans.

Both are great for serving large numbers and don't require masses of chicken per portion.

I would 100% do a big bean and veggie chilli and then go to town on the extras. Don’t do rice as it’s a pain to cook in big quantities so I would do lots of roasted new potatoes then a huge fiery home made guac and add salsa, cheese, sour cream, green salad, fresh bread or tortillas etc. Let people help themselves.

I don’t think I’d a do starter per se as the main course is really filling. But then I’d make a dessert, has to be something chocolatey like a really good gooey brownie cake (you can stick candles in) and have cream to go with it then maybe a fruit pavlova as well.

Is it sit-down or buffet?

I'd be inclined to go middle-eastern and serve it family style. Ottolenghi, Sabrina Ghayour, Yasmin Khan. Lends itself to everyone getting stuck in, can prep most beforehand, can still have a centrepiece lamb/chicken/beef ouzi or similar, with smaller dishes or several portions of sides so it's easier to share.

Omg, I love the pie idea.

Can you sit 18 round a table/tables? If so I would do:

Something cold to start which is either quick or can be made the day before. Then have it already plated and on the table when people arrive. Savoury tarts. Tomato and motzarella salad. Homemade pate with toasts. Falafel with hummus and pita. Greek salad etc.

For the main your biggest concern is going to be oven space so I’d split cooking between oven and hob. Slow cooked roast lamb leg served with new potatoes, med roast veg (cook these the day before and microwave warm), green veg. Or Moroccan chicken with a variety of warm salads and couscous. Or beef bourgignon (on the hob) served with dauphinois potatoes and mixed green veg.

Cake for dessert sounds perfect!

good luck - I love a house full of people for a birthday!

Oh a nice rich bean chilli with some dark choc thrown in with all the sides, rice, guacamole, salsa, crunchy tortillas etc 🤤🤤

That’s exactly what I thought 😂.

Hope your night goes well op x

If you're talking about a starter and main course, it implies that this will be a sit-down meal, rather than a buffet.

For starter, you need something you can prepare in advance, something like a pâté? I made Nigel Slater's pork and fig terrine this Christmas, and it was really lovely (as well as easy), and although he says it serves 12, I reckon that if you make it in a slightly shallower dish, and serve it with lots of lovely accompaniments (chutney, pickles, salad garnish) as well as decent bread, it could be made to serve 18.

I'd go Indonesian.
Starter - Gado-gado and chicken satay
Main - Nigella's Indonesian biryani, rujak salad and an avocado on shredded iceberg lettuce salad.
You can prep almost everything (the chicken, cook veg and chop fruit, make dressings etc) the day before.

I'd like to come to pie night, please

My friend did a ‘Life of Pie’ themed party. One of the best I’ve ever been to. Some of the pies were ‘old school’ pies, like cheese and potato and minced beef and onion. Others were more ‘modern’, like a Greek feta and spinach pie. I think we had seven different main ones and 4 pudding pies. Roughly 20 of us.

How about Cassoulet?

Make ahead a big bowl of Greek salad, then for starters, whack it on top of (shop bought) crostini with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Serve it plated.

Slow cooker of beef goulash buffet style with bowls of wild rice / quinoa / other type of grain. Crusty bread. Sour cream.

Your cake idea for pud.

Agree. Very easy to create a feast visually with Middle Eastern cooking, and there's so many great bean and veg dishes. It would be adventurous (as opposed to a veg chilli!!!) and great for a family style serving style.

An added plus is that loads of it is easy to prep in advance.

I’d go chill nacho’s salads rice

Go Mexican with it on platters for everyone to help themselves. Lots of variations you can do and all pre prepared

You could also do red and green Thai chicken curries (done that for lots of people), you can add chicken satay skewers.