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 not just you, I'd find any of this a PITA!
However if I needed to serve at short notice I'd do a load of fried rice/noodles + chicken wings and stir fried veggies. I'm SouthEast asian. Wings just need marinating and can go in the oven

Also OP you sound really nice, but the burden shouldn't be on you to fill everyone up. Given the short notice , surely people can bring some snacks, dessert and sides? You just need to provide the mains and 'some' sides

Or for real ease three ready made quiches, big bowl of green salad leaves, big bowl of new potatoes. Cheeseboard, crackers, French stick or two and butter.

Both M&S and Waitrose have offers on quiche and heated up they’re quick and easy. This only leaves you the heating of quiches and cooking the potatoes. Cheeseboard just pick those on offer and pad out the platter with crackers and sticks of celery.

Couscous is very easy and inexpensive - make it look more interesting with chopped up colourful peppers, parsley etc.

Serve with meatballs in a spicy Middle Eastern-style sauce

Flatbreads and plain yoghurt

This is not cheap!!!

Jambalaya and leave it out and people can help themselves. Or a ciamotta and some sliced ham

Definitely, just cook the rice fresh.

Get cheapest garlic breads?

Big bowl of salad (or ask guests to bring?)

Perfect one pot meal.

Have a great night!

@tearsandtiaras I reckon I could do it for about 30 quid. To me that's pretty cheap for 9? And I'm on benefits. But of course if the budget needs to be lower then forget meat altogether and just do a veggie chilli or something, with rice.

Everyone brings a dish. Simple

A big slow cooked chilli. Bulk it put with loads of kidney beans and mixed beans. Serve with jacket potatoes or rice. Buy a few bags of cheap tortillas too.

Picnic food with baguettes and everyone brings something

Austrian potato salad - look online . It’s served cold so can cook day before and fridge. It has no cream or anything in

Chicken thighs. Roast with various seasonings. They are cheap ish cut, and already in individual portions

Homemade coleslaw

fresh watermelon cut into triangles with rind on.

My go too would be a big lasange, garlic bread and salad. Probably make some merringues for after.

It’s going to be hot on Thursday so I’d make it really simple.

I had people round at the weekend and cooked (ahead of time) a gammon joint - then just put out baguettes, coleslaw, salad and crisps and let people put together their own sandwiches etc. would work equally well with a roast chicken.

Chilli for 8 with 1000g of beef, 2 tins of tomatoes, 2 or 3 tins of beans, (kidney and also haricot or mixed bean tins) 2 or 3 onions, 2 peppers, some cooking chocolate. Serve it with rice and garlic bread. Get them to bring puddings. Job's a good'un.

Do people really eat chilli on hot days, maybe it's because I'm not a massive fan of spicy food but I couldn't imagine wanting to eat it when it's so warm out

I love spicy food, so you'd have to control for that, but yeah I definitely eat it in hot weather! A lot of cultures in warm climates have spicy cuisines.

Seconding chili, with some jackets in foil, big bowl of rice and some cheap fake Doritos with dip!

I would do curry in the slow cooker to help with time. See if you can borrow a 2nd one (assuming you have 1 of course!)- chicken in one and a lentil Dahl or chickpea curry in another, rice, naan bread, popadoms and some dips.

No thanks. I wouldn’t.

Massive pan of chilli and jacket spuds always gets a good reception with our lot

I would do a massive pot of something with sides…. Pasta dish, or curry, or chilli etc. big side salad and some garlic bread or french bread. Keep it simple.

I don't really understand this. The country's most into heat in their food are among the hottest in the world.

Of course they do. Spices are eaten all over the world in proper hot temperatures.

A big pan of chilli served with potato wedges, nachos, sour cream and all the different toppings is my go-to meal for easy and inexpensive hosting.

However, in this heat people may want something colder. I did a version of a ploughmans with some extra bits (cheese board, slices of pork pie, ham, baguette, salad, pickled onions, boiled eggs, chutney, tuna mayo, grated carrot) at the weekend and it went down really well.

Fruit salad and ice cream for dessert.