your go to dinners for playdates?

[kjnewk]

Ds is increasingly having friends over after school and I need to make them dinner. Last couple of times, I went for pizza but that didnt seem to go down all that well. Now am feeling nervous as I dont want the kids to go home hungry and complain to their parents. So please hit me with your fail safe dinners. Ds is 7 years old if that makes any difference.

Pasta
With cheese or tomato sauce.
Sometimes with chicken or nuggets.
Very occasionally fish fingers and chips.
My DD was the one with the limited range so I would offer what she liked to the other kids and go with that. Hence pasta mostly!

Pizza all the way!

DS often gets given nuggests when he goes on play dates.

I think am just traumatised by the kid who refused pizza ;-)

DD was/is a pizza refuser. Hard no to melted cheese!

I hosted a play date last week for my DD and on the walk home we talked about dinner. Knowing that DD's friend is quite picky I wanted to make sure I was making the right thing. We all agreed on tomato pasta- easy peasy.

I make up said tomato pasta and DD's friend refused to eat it because it contained real (thoroughly cooked) tomatoes within the sauce.

I give up.

@Gigglesqueak I think it's different kids. I don't think there is any suggestion that the play dates aren't reciprocal.

OP, pizza is usually a good one, surprised that didn't go down well.

Other than that: chicken nuggets, sausage and chips, spaghetti, beans on toast, fish fingers.

I find kids can be funny about food that’s ’not how my mum does it’. I’ve done Mac n cheese and stuff I think would be failsafe but like you I hate when kids go unfed! Although I don’t know why as it doesn’t worry me if mine won’t eat when elsewhere.

I now tend to do a selection of things to pick and find scrambled eggs, croissants and a plate of salad veg to pick from - carrots, cherry toms and cucumbers - go down well. As with strawberries and other popular fruit. Toasties a good option too. I often do a decorate a biscuit thing - give them digestives, some icing and sprinkles, they can eat that for pudding.

You can’t go wrong with wraps or jacket potatoes with a variety of toppings/fillings. Then you can offer healthy options like lettuce, tomatoes, beans, cheese, avocado etc for those who like it.

Depending on how many I am feeding, I will do a wee beige buffet and chopped vegetable sticks. I often make pizza dough and get them making their own pizza. I think you were unlucky there. There cannot be that many pizza refusers!

I also always do pizza, to the point that one regular guest asked me why we only ever eat pizza at this house.

On the odd occasion I've done sausages, chips and peas/broccoli. Or spag bol.

I don't worry if they don't eat it though. I check in advance with the parent and serve it in the middle so everyone helps themselves and let them crack on.

I think wraps with chicken and various salad bits could work well too, anything that gives them an element of control.

The only thing I offer is pizza from the petrol station or a lot of snacks. We eat dinner late, well, after any playdate friends have gone home. I really cba with making two dinners, so they get the easiest option.

Long time ago now but pasta based meals always went down well, particularly macaroni cheese and spagbol. Chicken pie was a hit too. (Used to make individual ones in larger ramekins.)

Yeah, they won't like whatever you serve, it's a given. They will fight with it, poke it or refuse to even come to look at it. Possibly they will eat haribo or ice-cream.

I ask parents. Pasta plain with a bit of salad, cakes or biscuits.

I have beige food in and ask the children when they are here - most popular dish is pasta with butter and grated cheese! Either that or pizza, chips, nuggets. At play dates I've attended when younger its been similar beige food - it's an affluent area and the parents are health conscious but realistic. I'm sure they don't eat beige food for every meal - just play dates. I find if they are fed thee is less arguing..

Chez moi pizza is standard issue for kids

I'd be dragged over hot coals if I tried to serve anything else

I don't have a clue. Never had any over after school as we have extra curricular stuff on. Pizza maybe?

Chicken dippers, waffles and beans always gets hoovered up here as does pasta and bolognese.

Anything that they can select their own bits. Make your own pizza covers entertainment as well as food. If not, chicken goujon wraps was my go to.

Those were my standard meals but thankfully with working full time we didn’t do play dates very often. They probably ate better when DH got home before me and started cooking.

I had exactly the same. As far as i can tell, 90% of primary aged kids will only eat the following:

Nuggets and chips
Pizza
Sausages and chips
Pasta with bland smooth sauce ideally from a jar

There's literally no point making anything nice as so many of them turn their noses up. Make sure you have ketchup in 🙄

Pasta and tomato sauce all the way

Can add garlic bread or side salad

What 7 yr old doesn't like pizza?!?!?!

Maybe try a pasta bake or anything that you can make in advance and just bung in the oven (See also shepherd's pie, enchiladas).

Or jacket potatoes and they can choose their own fillings?

In warmer weather, you can't beat a ploughman's. Big hunk of bread, cheese, apple and pickle. A bit of salad or a few crisps on the side.

Microwave rice or halved jacket potatoes

Crudités and dip or hummus

Then something like chicken legs / burger and bun / fish goujons

Put in separate dishes on table and leave them to it

Nice dessert like sponge pudding and custard or cheesecake

(If we do pizzas, we get them to help and do their own topping but honestly it's a lot of faff.)

Chicken or quorn nuggets seem to be universally accepted by that age group. Or hot dogs. Keep it easy.