Meals for guests help please

[DreamSpaceships]

We have 3 adult guests staying for 5 days at the beginning of January. We’re already a family of 6 (4 adults, 2 small children).

I have a good stock of store cupboard items but very little fresh food so I need to go shopping. My weekly budget for 6 is usually £150 but I went over budget by about £250 in Nov/dec combined so need to be careful.

So meal plan of nice meals to feed 9 for 5 days on a budget please!

So far I’ve got chilli, roast pork (already got a large joint in the freezer), and something pasta based as ideas. I just can’t think!

Also any ideas for a NYE meal for 2 adults and 2 children that feels a bit special but is cheap?

What about:

Pasta bolognaise with garlic bread
Cheesy chicken pasta bake
Roast chicken (thighs and legs for ease) and rice with mixed beans/veg
Sausage and mash with green veg and onion gravy
Chicken casserole with crusty bread or mash
Beef stew with crusty bread or mash
Salmon with baby potatoes and veg or salad

I think these sort of things aren't too expensive to buy and are relatively easy to cook in big portions!

For NYE why don't you buy some pizza bases and pasta sauce and get some toppings that aren't majorly expensive like chicken, ham, cheese, pepperoni slices, sweetcorn, onion, peppers etc and make your own individual pizzas? It will be fun to do and will feel special, plus it can be custom made to everyone's tastes! You could just get some sides like dough balls and garlic bread to go with it

You can get a 2kg pack of Chicken Thighs for £5 and they can be used for loads of nice meals. Marinaded in curry spices, bbq, plain roast, italian style with tomatoes and garlic or middle eastern style with olives and preserved lemon. Keema is lovely and a nice cheap way of doing curry. If we have a lot of people to feed for a few days we also do a Baked Potato night. Lots of nice big spuds, choice of fillings and salad. If you have leftover chilli or keema or bolognaise in the freezer (especially odd portions that won’t feed everyone) you can use those as extra fillings. A veggie night with Cauliflower Cheese, Roast Veggies, Ratatouille maybe?

Have a lovely time with your friends!

Thank you.
I think I just need to get my head round feeding guests normal meals instead of cooking fancy meals for them every night!’

How about making a pie, chicken with leek and bacon would be reasonably economical and if you glaze and decorate the pastry can look pretty good.