Over invited for tomorrow, now not sure what to cook

[orangefusion]

I started out inviting a friend over for late lunch tomorrow. Then stupidly also invited dp and his 2 daughters (plus possibly his dm and ds) and now I have just asked best friend and her dh. I am hoping they will all back out but it is not likely.

We are having roast dinner today so no roasts. My mind has drawn a complete blank for a meal for possibly 9 people (eek). Ideas please. None are veggie so anything is possible.

If your are in the south, tomorrow's weather forecast is rubbish - so no BBQ!

Evening meal or lunch? Or both?

lasagne and salad? Garlic bread too?

High lunch (if that makes sense!) 5pm. I cook loads of indian food and was thinking I could do lots of dishes, but I always default to rice, dal, a chicken dish and a paneer dish and I kind of wanted to do something different.

If it were fewer I would do a paella and salads but 9 is too much for my pan.

Lasagne- it must be 10 years since I made a lasagne. That could work... good idea- I will mull on that one.

Big curry in one pot, load of rice in the other, totally over cook and then freeze leftover curry to use later. Or borrow another huge pot if you have to and do two types of curry, or two pots of curry and then cheat with Uncle Ben's microwaveable rice pouches - the rice comes out really nice and it means you don't cook more than you need.

When cooking for lots of people I always do something in my enormous slow cooker and take the pot to the table for people to help themselves and then something without like kebabs so most tastes are catered for. Lots of bread and salad, probably couscous. When children are coming, salad includes a plate of carrot sticks, cherry toms, cucumber, apple slices etc.

I cook enough for everyone to have seconds of everything (which they won't) and then I don't have to cook again for the rest of the week

without sauce

I think its the curry option after alll. I just made a pot of panchmel dal so good I want to eat it all now, my pressure cooker is my friend when it comes to dishes like that. Now I can put the dal in the fridge and make another dish in the pressure cooker for tomorrow.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Curry night is always a good option.

I like to a couple of easy sides - eg a mushroom one, or mattar paneer, plus various salads etc.

Orange, care to share your delicious dal recipe? I love dal!

Here it is:
www.sanjeevkapoor.com/recipe/Rajasthani-Panchmel-Dal-Khazana-of-Indian-Recipes.html

ANy recipe in Sanjeev Kapoor's book is fantastic. I would also recomend his palakawli dal and for meaties the chicken tikka masala (I know, but this this is something sublime).