what meals can i do for visiting family between Christmas and New year..

[want2change]

..which are easy, quick, and also cheap but nicer than 'everyday' type meals?
main courses really that im after..

Risotto
Jamie-style tray bakes like chicken legs with garlic, sliced potatoes and lardons
Chilli
Curry
Lasagna

Sausage casserole

Fish Pie

Seafood Risotto

Coq au Vin

Fish cakes

Chicken goujons

Thick veggie soup with homemade bread

smoked salmon and nice salads
nachos
chilli
buffet style

are you catering for kids? they prefer buffets, sausage rolls and crisps etc

also depends how many, if you're sitting in the living room eating on your laps chilli not so much

Leftover Turkey ham and leek pie (use frozen pastry)

Moroccan Tagine (Veggie version with butternut squash, carrot, onion and peppers, or add some cheap lamb offcuts to make it a meat version) with couscous and tomato salad.

Slow Cooked pork shoulder (bung it in the slow cooker with some BBQ spices) with jacket potato wedges and corn on the cob. (costs about a tenner - feeds about 8)

Got recipes if you want?

boil a huge ham in cola and serve with saute potatoes and red cabbage (or salad) and crusty bread.

The next day serve it cold with cheeses, pickles and salad. Add a hot pudding.

The next day make a turkey and ham pie, served with peas and potatoes.

If you have turkey leftovers, you could use to make spicy turkey wraps (chop turkey and add to stir fry leek or onion, garlic and peppers and lots of paprika and a splash of soy sauce) or a risotto with chopped turkey and mushrooms. Also make a turkey loaf with lots of grated carrots and onion that the kids love.

Shirley I would love your tagine recipe, and Anthony how do you make your loaf?

My "family visiting" staples include chicken tray bake - chicken thighs/legs in dish, new potatoes and green beans around, mix chicken stock with cream fresh and pour over - bake in oven. Can serve with rice if many fewer pots than people! I also do posh sausages and mash, mustard in the mash, proper onion gravy that kind of thing. Jamie's 30 min chicken pie is easy and yummy (I use wholegrain mustard), you can make the filling and serve it with rice.