Help menu planning (ILs will be here for maybe 10 days...)

[HappyGoLuckyLuLu]

As in title - for a variety of reasons, we're ending up with ILs from the weekend before Xmas until maybe 28th or 29th (COVID-permitting). I'll be still working as will DH the week beforehand, and so I'm trying to get ahead of myself with some meal prep now of things I can freeze so things are a bit easier before and after amid everything else that needs to be sorted (YIKES!)

Please please hit me up with ideas of things I can cook this weekend and freeze, or things that will be easy to make that week (ideally that elderly, don't eat that much ILs, and slightly picky think 'food items can't touch on the plate' kids will all consume and love well, ok will minimally manage to choke down). I've all our regulars, but was hoping for some tasty new options (have slow cooker and instant pot, so can get them all going this weekend if I get my arse in gear).

I have made a butternut squash curried soup, and a beef stew already, so not quite starting from zero, but that's maybe 1 day done - course it's lunches needed too - I wfh, and they're not going to have car or be able to get out and about while here, so I'll be needing to sort them then too - sigh. I'm tired already just thinking about it - cheese/ham butties may be the staple meal this festive season .

Thank you lovely Mumsnet people xxx

Lasagna and chilli would both freeze well.

Pizza and toasties for lunch. Or those bread rolls that you heat up, and have with cheese and pate.

Cottage pie.
Roast meat and freeze in gravy.
Chicken curry.

Have you a recipie book for instant pot ? Found once I got past the fear very quick and easy to cook

Spaghetti Bolognese or cheese pasta bake/ macaroni cheese. Beans on toast, cheese toasties?

Fake your own death and check into a hotel 😄

Your in-laws are staying with you for TEN DAYS?

Just get a massive bottle of valium, a vat of whisky and construct a hideout in your bedroom.

Get them to buy take aways and ir cook for a few nights.

10 days 😱

Why did you agree to this? Where is your DH in this batch cooking? Is he doing his share?

Roast gammon with Cumberland sauce and then ham and mushroom pancakes the next day (ready made pancakes to save labour).

A whole salmon baked with dill sauce - again can be eaten cold next day.

Coronation chicken.

Lamb tagine in the slow cooker/instant pot.

Game casserole with chestnuts and orange zest.

Definitely get part baked rolls. You can make some nice easy lunches.

A nice filling is diced chicken & bacon with a wholegrain mustard mayonaise & shredded lettuce.

Also can make quick "pizzas" with them. Cut in half & bake for about 7/8 minutes. Then spread with tomato puree, grated cheese, mozzarella & any other fancied topping. Put back in the oven for approx 5 mins.

Also serve soup with p/b rolls.

Slice a chicken breast almost in half horizontally. Open & fill with grated cheese & cream cheese. Close & wrap with slices of bacon. Bake for approx 35 minutes.

Make quiche. Quick home made pastry case or buy frozen. Roll out & line an oven dish. Dice cheddar into 1cm cubes, chop bacon & add to the case. Whip up 6 eggs & 150ml double cream & pour over the cheese. Put a teaspoon of cranberry sauce in each portion. Bake for approx 40/45 minutes.

Get some hotdogs for the kids.

Pasta bake with cheese sauce, chicken & bacon. - easy to freeze in advance.

Sausage, bacon & eggs.

Make & freeze a chicken pie.

Gammon steaks, salad & chips.

Enchiladas and/or Fajitas (too much if fussy?)

Jars of korma sauce for a quick mild chicken curry & rice.

Make a few crumbles & serve with custard or ice cream for pudding.

Talking of puddings, Asda do a gorgeous Exrea Special sticky toffee pudding.

Get a selection of cheese & a tub of crackers, grapes, apples & (olives?) For an easy snack.

Lunches - get a couple of different batches of soup in, or buy some nice ones (and decant into your own pots before the come if they are likely to sniff at wasting money on them). Wide variety of cheese, ham, and salad bits, part baked rolls and lunch becomes soup, roll, cheese/ham. Fruit, yoghurts, a nice cake and mince pies for puddings. Could add a quiche or pork pie for variety. Absolutely fine to repeat; in fact if you’re working then very easy to say to them this is for lunches, help yourselves.

11ses a box of mixed biscuits to go tea and coffee. Or again, a nice cake or mince pies.

Evening non-touching meals.

Sausages with mash and onion gravy
Fish, potatoes or rice, whatever is acceptable as veg.
Baked potatoes with a choice of toppings - grated cheese, tuna, baked beans, hummus, coronation chicken (all toppings can be recycled for lunch the next day too).
Omelettes which can be plain or cheese for children and full of mushrooms or whatever you like for grownups.
Lamb chops, mint sauce, potatoes and veg.
Challenge the children to come up with a favourite meal one evening each and cook it with you or Granny (or whoever else is likely to be cooking). Might surprise you with what they choose!
Choose your own topping pizzas.
Takeaway at least once!

Picky lunch a couple of days? Pork pies, mini pasties, sausage rolls, pitta bread and dips, salad bits, cheese and crackers (ritz maybe). Basically party type food. Eggs and toast for lunch. Pate and toast? Jacket potatoes with any leftover chilli, bolognese etc. And lots of mince pies!

Warmed quiche and salad

Do a rota. Pin it to the fridge monday you Tuesday dh, wed mil, Thurs fil etc

Lots of different pasta options. Sauces, veg mix, cream, sausages...

In Spain we make something called 'Cuban rice' which is basically paella/risotto rice cooked in veg stock (4 measures of water to 1 of rice) until it all evaporates. Tomato sauce and a hard-boiled or fried egg on top. It takes 20 minutes to make and it's delicious, cheap and filling.

@ForbiddentoForbid

Fake your own death and check into a hotel 😄

😂😂😂

Thank you, some good options in here already. Massively appreciated, going to try and get a bit of a plan tonight & will def include the odd takeaway.

DH will do more of the on-the-day cooking in evenings as I often have calls with the Americas. But he won't realistically do the batch stuff before hand, it kind of balances out - aside from having to sort lunches when he is happily away taking refuge at work. He will likely do most of Xmas dinner (I actually cannot cook anything that requires timing after a glass of wine so the sooner I have one on Xmas day the better 🤣🥂)

How is everyone else's planning coming along - anyone else getting ILs for 10 days!?!?!? Or am I the only lucky one? (Must order wine this weekend too, lots & lots of wine.) I actually just hope it does happen given numbers at the moment and not seeing anyone last year as we live quite a way away - I'm sure I'll be walking the dog a lot during those 10 days but I'm ok with them coming really.

OP make sure you have a plentiful supply of their tea/coffee and biscuits available.

Has your dh not suggested something? He must know what they eat at home.

Toad in the hole
Lemon chicken tray bake
Wraps with leftovers
Tuna pasta bake
Frittata

All easy to prep ahead and scale up

Serve everything with chips, veg or garlic bread to bulk out cheaply and feed the masses

Lasagne
Pigs in blankets pasta (fusilli with tomato sauce and pigs in blankets)
Steak pie, roasties and veg
Chilli
Maggi cook in the bag things, with new potatoes and veg or rice and salad
Chicken Kiev’s or fish cakes

Two of our festive favourites are bouef bourguignon with fresh tagliatelle, and coq au vin with mashed potatoes and steamed greens. Both are even better reheated.

Fresh ravioli (or any stuffed fresh pasta) takes just minutes. I just serve it with olive oil or garlic butter and garnishes, such as fresh herbs, fresh parmesan, nuts/pine nuts, pancetta pieces, crispy onions etc. Serve with salad or grilled asparagus.

Gammon or pork fillet wrapped in bacon with layered mashed root veg is another of our winter favourites. Make the mash ahead, then bake in the oven with the gammon.

We usually have steak and ale pie at some time over the holidays. Make the filling and freeze. Top with pre-made puff pastry before baking.

Raclette is always fun. If you don't have a machine, you can just melt the cheese on the potatoes under the grill instead. Serve with charcuterie, cornichons, pickled onions, salad.

Jacket potatoes for lunches, we do them in the slow cooker

Honestly what would you normally eat on those days? They are coming for 10 days so can't expect top quality cooking. Just do what you would normally do for the first week, and then normal Christmas fair

Don't go making soups. Buy soups, buy sandwich fillings and bread options, maybe some hummus and pitta breads. You are working they can make their own lunch if you just have a lunch shelf in the fridge

Makes you sad alcohol in food gets evaporated!!
10 fluffing days op??

Lunches/light teas:

Soup & rolls (mushroom freezes well, as does leek & potato)

Toasted sandwiches (also good with soup!)

Quiche & salad/coleslaw/pickles

Baked ham/ whole roast chicken/salad/coleslaw/pickles

Baked potatoes & tuna/coleslaw/chicken mayo (leftover from roast), baked beans/cheese

Pizza & salad

Main meals (ignoring picky children, so adapt as necessary):

Prep ahead:
Lasagne
Chicken pie
Fish pie
Any curry
Cauliflower cheese macaroni
Shepherd’s/Cottage/lentil pie
Pork & apricot casserole
Burgers/meatballs (we like turkey)

On the day:
Chicken thigh tray bake
Sausage tray bake
Salmon tray bake
Toad in the hole