What would you serve friends for lunch?

[pongonperdy]

Recently went for lunch with some friends and they made us sandwiches. Not wanting to be judgemental but would have expected a bit more. They are now coming for the day and I don't know what to make for lunch. Would feel a bit mean serving sandwiches but I don't want to offend them.

Any ideas for simple but interesting lunches?

Baked potatoes with salad and cold chicken

Roast chicken, crusty bread, salad
Party food - nice cheese, quiche, cherry toms, crisps, dip etc
Soup and crusty bread

roasted veg with cheese

tomato and balsamic sauce

veggie couscous with sunflower/pumpkin seeds

potato salad with anchovies on top

nice bread and big bowl of salad, pot of homous

that is my failsafe lunch when friends and their children come

largely because I don't have that many people who come to my house for lunch and that is a meal I know they will eat

if MIL, or someone I don't know very well comes - well, I have done roast dinners, or BBQ stuff, or baked spuds with big salad and fillings

i'd go with some crusty bread, salami type stuff, some salad, cheese. a 'help yourself' kind of meal i guess. maybe some cold fish like mackerel fillets too?

Great. Keep the ideas coming. Normally do roasts or curry but thing it may be a bit ott.

I don't think there is anything wrong with sandwiches for lunch

I don't tend to do them partly because they are such a bloody minefield - butter/no butter, what sort of bread etc

kids are fussy about sandwiches I find, as are many adults

I like to do big bowls of "stuff" that loosely hangs together, and then let people get on with it

second big chris' suggestion.

Or- hot pork rolls, done with pork shoulder and stuffing and apple sauce.

Or a homemade soup and rolls.

I suppose there are sandwiches for lunch and then there are sandwiches- plastic ham on tesco value bread rather different to say, locally sourced bacon in homemade bread, eg.

A couple. We live a few hours apart. I don't think there is anything wrong with sandwiches don't get me wrong. But I would normally go to a bit more effort I suppose.

I probably wouldn't do sandwiches but would happily do french stick with nice ham, coleslaw etc or maybe some wraps. I'd lay it all out as a bit of a help yourself with tomatoes, cucumber etc

Homemade hot salmon and prawn quiche with salad
Bangers and mash with onion gravy
Chicken casserole of some description
Nice home made soup etc
Cold chicken satay salad

I wouldn't feel constrained by thier approach. Is it Sunday lunch? In the middle of an activity? Will you expect it to be a boozy long relaxed lunch, or do you need quick and efficient, and off out on an outing?

I always do a picnic at a table - nice bread, cheese, ham, salad etc, everyone helps themselves.

Hot cheese and ham pannini then and some home made scones.

As it's autumn, I would do a lovely homemade soup.

Leek and potato
Cauliflower cheese
minestrone
Spicey lentil

With a lovely loaf or baguette and proper butter.

Home made soup and lovely bread?

The Waitrose recipe for spiced lentil and butternut squash soup is to die for and really hearty, easily fill you with a good hunk of bread

Then some nice hams/cheese/salad type thing?

LLW cross post!

I would do a nice soup and then bagels and cream cheese and smoked salmon.

And then cake or scones (from shop) and coffee.

It's definitely soup weather here!

We must have back to front weather - crap Jul/Aug and 18-20 degrees all Sep so far! Still sitting out in shorts - am in Scotland!

Probably be Sunday but not wanting the faff of a roast as we are hoping to go out for the afternoon and my kids won't tolerate a long drawn out effort.

Loving the soup ideas. Definitely autumnal.

We(dh) tend to do bowls of stuff, roast potatos with feta was the last success mmmm. and usually big chunks of nice bread.

I would ususally do picky stuff - falafel, houmouss, roasted vegetables, several types of salad, nice bread and cheese, pate.

And a great big pie or cake of some description for pudding.

However, if it was cold I would make a curry. Then could have poppadoms with raita and chutney, then a nice curry with some potatoes, homemade naan bread and rice. All that (except rice) can be made in advance so easy on the day.

Think key is wth good friends is to make something which you find easy, and not too much fuss, so depends what kind of food you can make with zero stress. I can make curry with my eyes closed, but your forte may be a big fish pie or something. Just do something tried and tested.

Perhaps they are not confident cooks hence sandwiches. Tbh i think sandwiches are a fine lunch. As long as you get pudding

I went to a garden centre cafe for lunch the other day and had a cheese, leek and mushroom pasty with a huge salad. I was absolutely gorgeous. The salad had everything in it - red cabbage, grated carrot, chickpeas, roasted peppers, cucumber... you could make it in advance.

Some ready made pastry could make it an easy lunch. Then maybe a nice fruit crumble and cream for pudding.

A really nice platter of mozzarella and tomatoes adorned with fresh basil leaves. Fresh warm bagettes. mixed olives. Caesar salad.