Dinner for 10

[nilbyname]

I have invited ten people for supper. Ten, was supposed to be 6 and we have expanded.

What can I make? Simple, delicious not too expensive!

Not lasagne, not chilli. Not pasta, thank you all.

I have no guests with dietry requirements, so not too restricted. TIA

If it was me i'd probably go for a curry.

I'd make one meat or chicken dish, 2 veggie dishes plus pilau rice. Plus a salad and homemade raita. Then i'd pad it out with shop bought samosas, bhajis and naan bread.

How about a big (3-4kgs) smoked gammon ham boiled and then roasted off with a honey glaze? Typical recipe The cooking skills required are minimal, they're very cheap per kg & they don't shrink. Looks impressive on the table, really tasty and plenty to go around.

I'd go for curry. can do lots of dishes, prepare in advance and it tastes better warmed up.

I did indian food for Christmas dinner last year for 11, since our guests are veggie. (did the goose two days before!)

Agree with something rice based as you can cook it and it stays warm for a bit as long as you don't leave the lid off so good for not needing exact timing at the end. Mash or mini roast potatoes are also good for that.

I love the idea of curry. I did dinner for 30 recently and cooked goulash with rice and salad but I contemplated other stew-y thing as well because they don't need last minute attention.

there is a great book called 8 around a table which I use a lot for this sort of this and the one of the best I do is a brisket cooked in red wine - really easy just onions garlic celery and carrots chopped up small - get a brisket and chop into small baby fist sizes to quote recipe - and fry them all until coloured - cover with bottle of red wine and enough beef stock add some worcesteshire sauce and S+P - leave on low for 3 hours.. serve with mash or rice - even better if done day before and reheated - every one loves this. really nice deep flavour and brisket cheap meat..

We have a regular dinner party circuit (more kitchen supper than formal)
Last Sunday I did spare ribs in slow cooker with herby rice, Waldorf salad, no mayo coleslaw and corn on the cobs.
We've previously made tortillas with steak and chicken and peppers fried up as well as guacamole, salsa, lettuce etc.
And fish pie
Harissa marinated salmon with vegetables and new potatoes.
Generally do bought in puddings, or make your own ice cream sundaes or self saucing chocolate pudding or something.

Beef stifado is gorgeous and you can slow cook it or cook it low and long in the oven. I tested Sheik Djibouti's stifado from the MN recipe section this weekend and it was easy to mak e and delicious.

You could do an easy Greek style starters then - hoummous (I know it's more Cypriot but is luscious!) Tsatsiki, taramasalata, pitta bread and olives. Maybe dolmades if you can get them locally - yum!

The stifado would be nice with rice or mini roasties or new potatoes and a big Greek salad. Not too much to prep then either.

Curry with all the trimmings

Fajitas help yourself stylee-with nachos and cheese, dips, savoury rice, chillies, grated cheese, mini corn on the cob and maybe chicken wings or curly fries?

Pizza, salad, garlic bread, chips, coleslaw and sauces?

Ooh and a big chocolate cake with cream for pudding.

Morrisons have a delicious one thats half price at the moment. It's £3 now. All chocolate cream on the outside mmmmmmm

Beef stew with mixed veg, dumplings and Yorkshire puddings?

I want a supper gathering now!!

I had 11 the other weekend and did smoked trout with bread and salad to start, roasted two legs of lamb, lidl do really good cheap frozen lamb, stuff in some garlic, rosemary and a couple of anchovies, rub in salt, pepper and red currant jam and slosh in some red wine, every time it dries up slosh in some more. Gratin dauphinoise( make it in advance and pop in oven while lamb is resting)and lots of green beans. Take the roasting tray and slosh in more red wine, redcurrant jam and a stock cube and let it reduce for a lush gravy..

Pudding was apple cake and cheese. Bit of prep to do in advance but not too much work during the dinner.

Sorry, dauphinoise potatoes I cooked in the afternoon, or you could do it the day before and reheated while the lamb was resting. Smoked trout much cheaper than salmon.

Mmmmmm! Lots of delicious ideas, thank you everyone. I might go for the legs of lamb, they sound impressive and delicious, but so does the idea of a big curry!

Thanks everyone!

If anyone fancies the sound of the beef stifado, the recipe is here. It really is super-simple to make and very tasty: www.mumsnet.com/Recipes/i/2935-Beef-Stifado

You could do legs of lamb and serve with (giant) cous cous with roast veg and chickpeas (I do sweet potatoes, any colour of peppers that isn't green, red onion, and whole cherry tomatoes with some whole garlic colbes, cumin, paprika and a cinnamon stick chucked in, then mix in cooked cous cous and a couple of tins of chickpeas at the end). Piss easy and delicious with lamb. It takes about 20-30 minutes, so you could do it while resting your lamb.

Either slow roasted shoulders of lamb served with flatbread, salad and dips or Pulled pork done slow cooker with sub rolls,bbq sauce, corn on the cob, salad and wedges

Ooh the cous cous sounds lush too!!

Great ideas, thanks so much I really appreciate them!

All 13 of my DH family came round about a month ago... I fed them bangers, mash, and peas :)

Last time I had a big gathering I did a big slightly fancy fish pie with a cream & wine sauce rather than white sauce. Was a recipe from Bumpkins restaurant which is on the good food site. Served it with tender stem broccoli
Easy to prep ahead and then pop in the oven so you can sit & chat to your guests