Menu ideas for 35 people. Can't be anything that needs too much last minute attention.

[bubble99]

I'm cooking for the governors and staff at DS' school at the end of September. I'll be in a meeting from 6.30 - 8pm, so I need something that can be in the oven and doesn't need too much done to it afterwards. I don't want to do a cold meal although I realise this would be easier. I need a meat and a vegetarian meal. Someone else is making the puds/desserts.

We had lasagnes and a meat or veggie curry with rice last year, so I'd like to do something other than those.

TIA. I'll check in later.

Chilli con carne with rice and garlic bread. A load of roast chickens with potatoes roasted around them (if you have big enough ovens).

have you got the dinner lady book? thats got loads of recipes in for bulk cooking

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God ggg that sounds divine! Ignore me bubble, listen to her, she knows what she's talking about!

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Can't you escape the meeting to perpare it all or can't someone help you while you are inthe meeting? Seems a very tall order to me!

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bubble dont know what your budget is but the Maid#s of Honour place outside Kew Gardens does the most fab raised cold chicken and ham pies that feed about 20 each for £38 a pie. They look v impressive and are delicious.

You coujld do some hot new potatoes and salad with them

shepherds pie, a good homemade one and I gave a veggie alterniative, vegan actually on another thread a while back I'll have a look alter

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I had one for a lunch party for 16 recently, there was plenty left over

needs to be something that can be completely cooked beforehand and just reheated. And something with the carbohydrate already there is good - eg shepherds pie, fish pie - then you don't need to faff with potatoes, just a vegetable and a couple of salads.
Fish pie always goes down well and will scoop up some of the veggies (who might eat fish rather than meat).
Another idea is to look in Nigellas how to eat for her greek lamb stew - it is a lamb casserole cooked for hours and hours in white wine which at the last minute you stir in a load of macaroni. The macaroni soaks in the juices, bulks it up nicely and gives you your all in one carbs. And it really just needs a salad and some bread to mop up all the delicious juices. I've made it many times (it is my staple when I have to cook for more than 15 people in the winter) and it is DELICIOUS. Can do the whole thing 2 days before and it just gets better.

Thanks. Lots of ideas here. I've asked for £5 per head to cover both main and pud. I want to keep it informal and 'forky', rather than a sit-down meal. I can feel a chilli coming on, but then again, the raised pie idea sounds good. I've got a rice cooker and can borrow another so the rice, if I cook it, can be doing it's thing while I'm in the meeting.

I love fish pie too, but I've made so many of them at our nursery recently, that I will probably have fish pie fatigue by then.

Ideally I'd like to a similar meat and veggie option with the same carb to go with it. Shepherds pie, meat and veggie, with Krug perhaps?

And ggg. Good luck with the christening meal, it sounds fab!

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Hello, you miserable old fish.

GGG ... what's your 7 hr lamb recipe pls ... it sounds fascinating!

in nigellas last book she does a great recipe for chilli with a cornbread topping sounds odd but is lovely and means you don't need any extra carbs like rice to be made there is also recipe for the veggie chilli with same topping...

she also does a long slow 12 hour lamb and pork cooking recipe that are great... let me know if you want the recipes...

eton mess is also an easy last minute pud that you can get ready in advance and then just throw together in 2 mins when ready to eat - another easy nigella one is rhubarb fool with shortbread again make in advance and just str cream and fruit last minute..