To ask for your ideas of what I can serve eight people cheaply?

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Our family usually has a get together to watch England in major tournaments. I hosted the first one and had a barbecue with burgers etc plus a ham joint, salads, sides, an cheeseboard and charcuterie etc. It came to £200 and I was very pleased to do it. I enjoy hosting and would be so embarrassed if anyone was hungry. People often comment that they get good hospitality here and I’m pleased they think so.

Due to a change in circumstances, I am now also hosting on Tuesday. There will be eight of us. I can’t really afford to spend the same again, but I don’t want anyone to be sitting hungry. Has anyone got any ideas of what I could serve?

It’s due to be very hot on Tuesday so the mince-based things could be a bit warm…?

Chicken thighs (bone in) are incredibly cheap and easy to do for 8 in a big tray.

There are so many ways you can do them - just make sure the skin has oil + salt and is nice and crispy and they will be delicious. My favourite atm is with chorizo and a sprinkle of paprika.

You can then serve with anything - green salad, rice, potatoes, whatever you think people will like.

It was under £50 when I did it for Easter for family, there were 8 of us eating the lamb. I made flatbreads and a couple of different salads (Mediterranean veg cous cous, greek salad etc). Lamb was on offer from Tesco though!

Or this is delicious (and very filling!) and you can adjust the ingredients to make enough for eight.

I normally have it with cous cous.

https://www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/spanish-style-chicken-bake

Definitely some great ideas here. Sounds daft, but for the roast chicken suggestions, how would I actually serve it? Like do I leave it in its full roasted form and guests cut bits off or do I cut the meat off the bone in advance?

I’ll be serving buffet style rather than a sit down meal so that people can eat whenever they’re hungry and so they can watch the match at the same time.

Currently obsessed with this recipe (minus fresh chilli asi don’t do heat) and think it could work.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2024/05/black-bean-and-vegetable-bake/

I’d avoid a roast chicken as everyone ends up wanting a bloody leg!

It's short notice so you can't do my bargain go to which is an amazing vegan chili with rice, tortilla chips + (non vegan and non compulsory) grated cheese and sour cream.

It is truly delicious and you can feed 10 people for about £12. My Neanderthal husband refused to eat it for years because he didn't consider anything vegan to be proper food but now it's his favourite. If I go away for a few weeks I stock the freezer with tubs of this. My Texan cousin also thinks it's the best chilli he has ever eaten.

DM if you would like the recipe for any future events.

Tapas.

I’d cut the meat off in advance , otherwise you’ll find them hacked to bits !

Made a lasagne tomorrow night stick
it in the oven on Tuesday night. Do some garlic bread and salad.

Definitely chilli and rice plus some cheap garlic bread baguettes, crème fraîche and tortilla chips.
Should fill 8 people for less than £50.

I would make a chicken curry, a dal, potato and spinach curry, home made nans, and a tomato/onion/herb salad. Strawberries for pudding.

Chilli. Big pot. Another of rice. Help themselves.

Or jacket potatoes with choice of two or three toppings.

Or a combo of the two. (Chilli, rice, jackets, tuna mayonnaise, baked beans, cheese.)

It's soccer. Hearty and straightforward is fine.

I think some on here are expecting too much ! A few different Quiches, cold meats and salads are enough, surely! Ice creams / fruit for afters.

Oh sorry. Massively cross posted.

We’ve just done the same for 10 people for the last England game. All food
from Asda and Lidl

Bowls of crisps and dips (£4)

Big bowl of chilli (£15)
Big bowl of rice (£3)
Baked potatoes (£2)
Garlic bread (£3)

Sour cream (£2)
Grated cheese (£3)
Bowl of lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes (£3)

Ice cream sandwiches (£2)
Choc ices (£2)

All for under £40

chilli in slow cooker
Rice on hob
Garlic bread in oven

Quick and cheap and no one went home hungry!

Lamb curry with rice and lots of side dishes - salads, chutney, peanuts etc
Dessert - large home made trifle or a fruit salad.

Do you have a slow cooker? We always do 5 bean chilli which tastes just as good as a meat one, but last time we did both meat and 5 bean (pinto, cannelini, black, butter and red kidney beans) and it padded it out really nicely - shove it all in the slow cooker and leave it to cook while you get on with your day! then just do a bit pot of rice, maybe some nachos to dip in or a bit of salad on the side. Lovely!

A big dish of lasagne, vegetable if you can’t run to meat. Can be prepared ahead of time and baked when you need it. A salad to have with it. Bread and cheese plus a fresh fruit platter if the budget can take it.

Barbecue is good, especially if the weather stays nice. You don’t need to be doing ham joint, cheeseboard and charcuterie with it.

This is what I did last week (and there wasn’t a huge amount left - a couple of burgers, salad and coleslaw).

I wanted to do something different this week.

It’s going to be boiling hot so I’d just make something like a big potato or pasta salad, baguettes, some other cold veggies eg green bean salad and maybe roast some sausages in the oven (lots of nice recipes online). Plus crisps. That would keep most people happy as they’ll be too busy watching the football to really concentrate!

Big lasagne, salad, garlic bread, perhaps some chips if you like double carbs.

I think I’d just do a big chilli. Then some baked potatoes, rice and tortilla chips with sides like sour cream, cheese etc. salad.

Corn on the cob is good with chili. You could put out some hot dogs and buns for diy chili dogs. It would stretch the chili further. Corn bread, my sons like cornbread made with jalapenos and bacon and cheddar cheese.

Spicy Sweet potato fries, I don't like them but the rest of the family does.