to ask you all to help me with my menu?

[Megatron]

Having a very casual get together next weekend, 6 adults, 7 kids (aged 4-7). Want to make life easy for myself and don't want to spend all day in the kitchen so was thinking of making a huge lasagne the day before and have salad, garlic bread etc.

What else can I have too? I want to have some other bits and peices as there's bound to be a lot of grazing going on throughout the day and I need some (easyish) ideas. Would like to make it a little Christmassy too if poss, any ideas?

I'm a lazy git and would probably buy packs of different snacky items like samosas, satay sticks etc and have crudites and dips.

Cheese straws

Jacket potatoes with different fillings

Naice bread (homemade if poss) and cheese/ham etc. Or, cold turkey and gammon, sliced stuffing, cranberry sauce...

Salad - lettuce, cherry toms, carrot sticks, sweetcorn, peppers etc

Pasta and cous cous salads made a day or two before

Cheese board
Mince pies

My really easy yet deceptively posh looking grazing default is smoked salmon and cream cheese whirls.

Concoct mixture of cream cheese, Cyrene fraiche, lemon juice and zest, dill and blbk pepper vary quantities of each to taste. Spread liberally over flatbreads. Layer smoked salmon thinly on top, roll up tightly, wrap in cling film and leave in fridge ... Overnight if possible.

Just before serving slice into rounds. They look pretty, taste great and are surprisingly popular with the under fives. It also makes a little smoked salmon go a long way.

HTH.

db
Xx

That'll be creme fraiche, my iPhone don't speak French innit.

And black pepper obvs.
Gah.

Mini sausages are always a huge hit (especially if served with mustard/ketchup dip).

You can mix smooth pate with creme fraiche and then scoop it onto mini crackers/little pastry cases.

I love a cheese and fruit board with nuts, dates, grapes, satsumas, biscuits etc, all set out for people to pick at.

As purple has suggested cold meats and nice breads are always a hit.

If you're doing deserts buy a few different flavored ice creams and let everyone (mostly for the kids) make their own sundae. To make it Christmasy you could crumble up some ginger bread biscuits and have a bowl of mince meat as toppings and get some red and green syrups and sprinkles.

I'm loving all of these suggestions and will now probably have far too much food out! I'm also incredibly hungry now. Thanks all!

Pom Bears are de rigeur on the social scene this year

Good French bread, pigs in blankets for the children - just right for little mouths, the ice-cream sundae idea is ace.

Is anyone veggie?

Greggs sausage rolls and fruit shoots?

There must be hummus. I make tonnes of the stuff at each and every opportunity. It's nice to pick at without giving you that nasty carb overload feeling.

Baked camemberts. Buy the ones in a wooden box, cut some slits in the top, poke in a bit of garlic and dribble a bit of white wine over.

Bake for about 15 minutes and serve with lots of dippy things - breadsticks, peppers, carrots, celery etc.

Adults and children love them!

I always make 2 types of chicken curry.
One that is very mild with no bits in it (Onions peppers mushrooms etc)
And one with the kitchen shed thrown in.
Huge pan of rice and naan breads.
It's never failed me yet.