What to cook for a big family lunch?

[Blankiefan]

I've got visitors coming next weekend for lunch. There will be 8 of us in total. I'd like to be able to make most of it in advance.

I have recipes for some really nice salads I'd like to do (Avoca) but I need a main thing to go with them. My salads are likely to be:

• minted petit pois with Swiss chard and lardons (essentially baby spinach, petit pois and red onion with a mint/lemon dressing and sprinkled with feta and crispy lardons)... Yum.

• beans and barley (kidney beans, black beans, petit pois, pearl barley, mange tout, sundried tomato, all tossed in a but of oil flavoured with garlic and chilli with coriander and parsley)

(I've made both before for a bbq - they go down very well with a crowd)

I'll also probably do a big bowl of new potatoes and some nice fresh bread. But it needs a central dish. Possibly a chicken but I'm a bit rubbish at cooking them (I'm never happy they're cooked through properly.). Possibly some sort of pie / quiche type thing.

And it can't include either fish or beef!!

Any thoughts?

Moussaka (uses minced lamb, not beef), spinach and ricotta lasagne, mushroom and broccoli quiche, quiche lorraine, good old Coronation chicken, lamb kleftiko, huge roast pork joint with crackling?

Do Tom Kerridges Slow cooked shoulder of lamb with Boulangere potatoes. The recipe is on the BBC food website and its delicious and prepped hours in advance.

I think I would do either chicken and chorizo slow cooker thingy or moussaka. Or I did a slow cooked leg of lamb the other week in the oven, which came out lovely!

Thanks for the ideas so far. The parameters have moved - its now no red meat at all....

Slow cooked lamb or pork in the slow cooker (or even better; pulled pork). Cook long & slow in advance, serve shredded on a large platter for folks to help themselves. Can do plain or add seasonings/herbs of choice.

Vege lasagne

Alternatively, boiled pork - cover with water, add some salt, pepper and a few teaspoons of white wine vinegar. Cook for time stated on packet. It is good hot or cold and keeps for up to a week in the fridge. Perfect for buffets.

I'd do pulled pork too.

Could you do a BBQ?

No red meat at all. You can do pulled turkey, Same method as pulled pork just use a turkey crown or breast.

Does red meat include pork? If not, I would maybe just get a selection of 'gourmet' type sausages to bung in the oven.

Or if you want to just do a chicken just leave it in for an extra 20 mins or so on top of what it says on the label...a whole chicken won't dry out or anything in that time but you will be sure it is cooked through.

Or what about something like a puff pastry tart, just roll out ready made puff pastry and bung stuff on top (caramelised onions and cheese/asparagus/tomatoes)...here are a few ideas but google brings up loads of different ones...
www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramelized_onion_tart_with_gorgonzola_and_brie/
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2150649/herby-asparagus-and-bacon-tart
www.ocado.com/webshop/recipe/roasted-tomato-tart-with-pesto-and-fresh-thyme/1941

Chicken -- most people love chicken.

An asparagus and goats cheese tart and coronation chicken?

Spatchcocked chicken? Cooks faster and easier to judge doneness- with a nice spice rub?

Thanks all.

I think the tart has it - thanks panevino.