To ask for your best get ahead entertaining main course ?

[Conniebanana]

I'm cooking for friends soon and need some new tried and tested get ahead dishes. I'm cooking for 10/12 and I generally do a one pot type thing like cassoulet, hotpot , tagine and then do nice sides and a pudding. Sometimes a hot salad starter.
Mains I'm dithering on. Nigella chicken and chorizo bake with potatoes in it looks good but I'd prefer something without the carbs in it as I also do a veggie option that goes whey the same sides.
If you've got an excellent baked cheesecake I'll love you forever too ! Hope this ok to ask

Spaghetti bolo ?

Slow cooker chicken shawarma with flatbreads, various delicious dips, salads and sides. Prepare salads etc before and just put the slow cooker on in the morning

Easiest starter. Giant mushrooms upside down. Fill with garlic butter and stilton cheese and roast. Serve with salad side. Food of the gods

Dessert I have always made well in advance and frozen. M&S sold a frozen recipe book years ago made life easier. Profiteroles chocolate sauce, snow pudding are easy to make and freeze

This is nice

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/slow-cooked-curried-leg-of-lamb/

Rice, dal, spinach salad, raita for a feast. I made it for after the cinema we picked up fresh nan on the way back.

Sorry snow Queen pudding which you freeze

Moussaka, hassleback potatoes, Greek salads, tabbouleh.

Lamb shanks are nice, can be slow cooked for ages (best that way) giving loads of time to do mash and some veg.

Do they eat seafood? A big clam bake with clams, king prawns, new potatoes, corn and chorizo (cooked in beer and old bay seasoning) is lovely. Add a few salads and sides, like watercress and watermelon salad, etc and it’s super easy and always gets a cheer here. I do it on the bbq or in a fire pit but can equally be done in the oven.

This is a lovely recipe and you can make it and serve next day. Serve with crusty bread and green salad, maybe some charred asparagus too
www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/s/slow-cooked-lambandwhitebeanstew.html

I should add I live in a place that gets incredibly hot in the summer so I avoid heavy food like the plague!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pulled-lamb-shoulder-sticky-pomegranate-glaze

This is a really lovely slow cooked lamb, needs marinating the night before then in the slow cooker all day.
We had it with some Greek salads, pitta and dips.

Nigella’s baked Basque cheesecake is yum and dead easy, no crumb base or faffing with water bath. Didn’t do her liquorice sauce opting for a strawberry sauce instead.

I'll be doing chicken in plum sauce for a crowd next week. I use chicken thighs and fresh ginger which improve it. Also works with gooseberries or rhubarb. Will do rice and salads with it. marionscookery.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/252/.

Spinach and feta pie is my go to for veggies (not vegan though) Easy to prepare ahead and looks impressive with the crumpled filo artfully arranged on top with some paprika and toasted pine nuts. Serve with salad and roasted butternut/sweet potato