Help need to feed 10 people for 1 week over Christmas

[shinybaubles]

I have dropped myself in it, I have invited more people than I have beds for, and more than I know how to cook for. So please give me meal ideas, especially casserole/onepot/type things, and even better if it can be ,made ahead and frozen.

Day one- ask people to bring a dish and do a buffet

Day two- Mexican style mince with wraps, salsa, salad, guacamole etc.

Day three- big joint of gammon or a slow roasted pork and dauphinois pots, sweetcorn and broccoli.

Day four macaroni cheese with leftover gammon.

Day five- pasta bake with garlic bread (make sauce in advance and freeze).

Day six- jacket potatoes and toppings

Day seven- get them to treat you to a meal out or take away ....
Failing that meatballs/stew/chilli that you have made in advance and frozen.

Make heavy use of lentils/beans/veg to bulk out meat.

We live far enough away from family for them to descend in bulk for a week or so.

I delegate post meal clear ups hoovering and washing up as we sit down to eat.

Part baked rolls are useful to add bulk to meals/keep in for easy lunches. Lots of cheddar, tuna and salami to make rolls. Also ask guests or bring a box of their favourite cereal to share at breakfast,

Hope that helps.

Mexican style mince (the cheats way)

Soften onions, peppers, courgettes (all very finely diced so no one can tell or be fussy) add mince, taco seasoning, water and tins of 'chilli' beans.

Leave on low for a couple of hours.

Thanks Nicknamegrief, I do like quite a few of those suggestions, people live too far away to bring a dish with them when they come. Like the idea of gammon and macaroni cheese. Pasta bake also good. I have a feeling there will be two fussy eaters, and I am waiting to hear what it is that they don't like to eat.
Would love to hear any other ideas too the more the merrier.

Chilli and rice
Spaghetti bolagnaise
Curry
Sweet and sour
Risotto
Jacket potato and salad bar
Pizza night
Fajitas
Nice soups and crusty rolls

Maybe rota somebody on each night to help you in the kitchen and somebody else to help with dishes?

They're not the kind of people you can rota - jojane - although fab idea - maybe I should try anyway.
Soups and rolls a good idea
I love Chilli - but not sure how it will go down
also Curry.
May have to think more along stew type dishes.

I cater for the masses over Christmas too my top tips would be make and freeze soup and rolls ahead of time they can be heated at any point.
Lasagne also goes down well and is easy to make absolutely huge.

Tuna pasta bake is cheap, easy to make and fairly inoffensive to people who don't like spice etc

NatashaBee - yes I am doing Christmas dinner.
I think I will have to try and freeze as much as possible.

You need to google/pinterest words like 'tagine', 'casserole', 'stew'....

All prepped in advance and will freeze beautifully, serve with bread/part baked rolls, dumplings made at time (or shop-bought from freezer), or mash (again, can buy frozen or make in advance and freeze.

Never thought of pintrest, that's a good idea.

I would do

Leftover meat and chips on Boxing Day
Spag Bol with garlic bread
Pulled pork and rolls with salady bits
Curry with rice, naans (bought) and one of those Indian snack selection things
Steak and ale pie made with ready made pastry with mushy peas and veg
Cold buffet, quiche, cooked meats, salad, sausage rolls etc.
Asda create your own pizzas with Coleslaw and salad

For breakfast cereal or toast. Maybe crumpets etc for change.

Lunches
Sausage sandwiches (cook sausages in oven)
Soup and rolls
Sandwiches (left overs)

Good luck.

Mumsnet recipe for morroccan veg tagine - very fussy eater here loved it. Easy to make huge, really easy to make and cheap

You'll probably need lots of too!

Thanks storminabuttercup - I think I will leave everybody to pick at left overs on boxing day. Good idea about sasuges in oven.

IorekByrnisonsArmous - I will need the wine, I am clutching at a hot chocolate now and I haven't even started, sure my blood pressure is rising.

I can imagine, I have only half that amount extra coming for afternoon tea in a couple of weeks, it's safe to say I am dreading it !

Although over the years I have managed to maintain quite a low level of hosting expectations

If you have DC, they will love the extra people around. Unless the guests are like my MIL who trails after me when visiting

Oh and make sure you have plenty of jam etc for toast. When DD was tiny and MIL came to stay, I made the fatal error of not having any in.

Oh there was much muttering about it being like Warsaw after WW2

Leftovers for a couple meals.
Cheese and crackers, olives, sun-dried tomatoes etc (get in jars so no need to take up the fridge). Big fruit bowl.

Lots of long-life milk in, cartons of juice etc (again don't need to be in fridge)

Potatoes for doing in jackets, sausages, canned tomato soup.
Lidl's great lasagne and frozen veg or bagged salad

I'm going to have Christmas without an oven (and until then - have combi microwave with oven and grill in), so very much on the simple meals atm!

lurking on this thread for ideas although for a much less ambitious project :o

SPBisResisting - ambitious or foolhardy .

Iorek - that last sentence was hilarious. I do have 2dc one who will be 4 on the 24th Dec, and they will be giddy hysterical with excitement. My sis is coming and she will be helpful.

I have found quite a few good ideas on pintrest, I am going to make as much as I can and freeze.

:o both!
We are going away with our parents and I want ideas for something that I can take down either in a cool box or frozen and allow to defrost during the day (this will be late May) and then bung in the oven.
We're going for a full day out before getting to our accommodation. I'm then responsible for feeding them for one more night, and we'll have one night in a restaurant if I can find anything vaguely decent nearby.

Pasta bake, Lasagne, Chilli, Stew, Cottage Pie, late May - you have loads of time.

Xmas Eve - roasr por sandwiches (could sub roast of choice) plus pickles and nibbles. Christmas cake etc.

Xmas day - obvious innit.

Boxing Day - cold cuts, salad, pickles, excellent bread and cheese.

27th - Ham cooked in Cherry Coke plus baked potatoes or macaroni cheese. Bump up with salad, home made coleslaw and good bread.

28th - Home made soup and bread. Cold cuts or use left over meat for turkey, ham and cream pie.

29th Lamb tagine or pilau. Somehting spicey anyhows.
Can you tell I've done this before?

Yes I know, just a bit pathetic about this stuff :O
Was thiking about doing a huge spaghetti bolognaise.
Would it be better to get it out of the freezer on the morning and let it defrost slowly during the day (in the car) or chill it then take it down in a cool box.
I'm vegi so utterly paranoid about cooking with meat.

People like to graze over Christmas and you won't always all sit down for meals together. I tend to find that some people eat loads (me!) and others only like one proper meal a day and otherwise just want soup or cheese on toast or something. Encourage a 'help yourself' policy for brekkie and lunch and then maybe just make evening meals, either at home or out. I would hope that anyone invited to stay for a week would either cook or take you out at least once! Buy in lots of cheese, cold meat, soups, quiches etc.

Fish pie is good to make ahead and freeze. The BBC Good food one with saffron mash is excellent. The current magazine will have lots of get ahead for Christmas recipes in.

I would do something like:

23rd - Cottage pie
Xmas eve, venison casserole (in slow cooker if you have one)
xmas day, traditional lunch etc
Boxing day, turkey sandwiches (obviously) and maybe a raised pie with boiled pots for dinner.
27th - People are probably ready for a change so maybe a thai fish curry (dead easy even for large numbers)
28th - Beef stew and dumplings (slow cooker again)

Don't forget lots of bread, cheese, ham, and paté to keep everyone filled up, and Christmas cake really comes into its own when there are lots of you.