Friends for dinner tonight, using what I have in only.

[Margaritte]

I have taken lamb chops out the freezer (Only 5, although are fairly large from the butcher - not sure if its enough though) I have a veg box with tomato, swede, leek, potatoes, red onion & white onion. I have cheese, spring onion & mixed peppers in the fridge.
A cupboard with herbs & spices, chopped tomatoes, flavourings (stock cubes / Worcestershire sauce / vinegars etc)

I have ice cream in the freezer, panettone in the cupboard and then a fruit bowl with grapes, oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, apple, pears.

I have to feed 4 adults & 4 children. I wondered if I could get anything out of that lot without having to buy from the shops (we are pretty skint)

I do have other bits in the freezer, that I could do the dc? Breaded chicken, white fish fillets, frozen pizza. I have soups in the freezer too.

If anyone could please help, that would be great.

Meant to also say I have various pasta, rice (white & Arborio) eggs & lemons

I would do a lamb tray bake with tonnes of veg. Bet Jamie Oliver has some good recipes.

For the kids I would offer the veg from the traybake with the breaded fish.

Fruit salad and ice cream for dessert

Slices of panettone with tea and coffee afterwards

You will do fine with the lamb chops, perhaps with oven roasted root veg. Kids can easily share a lamb chop. Do you have any eggs? You could make a pavlova, but the panettone would be fine as well.

lamb stew/casserole?

Pad it out witht he veggies :)

Some sort of Lamb Hot Pot....keep it lighter with the leek instead of onion, layer in the potatoes and swede, or go burly and full on italiany with the tomatoes, piles of herbs and garlic and then throw in the pasta to bulk it out and take up all the sauce

...have you flour and the like to make bread/soda bread

or pastry, and then you could make a quiche with the eggs, cheese and peppers/springonions....OR maybe mini ones if you feel up to a starter course.

some sort of lemony risotto...doesn't Nigella have a recipe for that??

Pannetone bread and butter pudding? Fruit Salad and the icecream

A cheesecake?Or moussey effort.... Lemons into curd, whip some cream, buy some mascarpone, whip them all up, break some biscuits into wine glasses and serve it as you would Eton mess...all piled and mingled.

Affogato?? ... if you have teeny bowls and can be arsed with espresso making and have no caffeine precious guests.

Really all I might buy to go with that is a pile of salad, some bread for the hot pot/past bakey thing if I cba to make it. AND some cream..it's not pudding without some cream. :D

If you could buy a large pot of single cream, you could do a big gratin dauphinois with sliced potatoes, grated cheese, finely chopped onions and single cream.

I would do lamb chops for the adults with roasted peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes.

The kids could have breaded chicken or you could make fish cakes.

I would do soup as a starter, with chopped spring onion and/or cheese sprinkled in at the last moment depending of course on the soup flavour. With a tomatoey soup homemade salsa (chilli, lime, onion, chopped up toms, bit of cumin) spinkled on top works well. Soup will fill them up.

Then I agree on traybake idea with loads of veg drizzled with oil and herbs and the chops plonked on top. You could do a tray of potato wedges too? Then the dc's could have the breaded fish with veg which they might not eat and wedges. And the adults will eat wedges too since they are yum.

For pud, fruit salad and icecream? My DP makes sauce for icecream which is runny honey mixed with rum - a couple of spoonfuls over icecream transforms it for adults. A sprinke of granola on top (toast oats in frying pan with butter and sugar if you havent any) is good.

Have you got any tinned cannellini beans? A couple of tins of beans in a rich lamb, veg, tomatoey, garlicy stew would probably feed everyone with some crusty bread.

I like all of these... thank you. I am wondering if anyone can explain how I me their suggestions? For eg, how do I make a stew with the chops?
My ice cream is chocolate (should have said in op) more specifically - Gelateria and has dark chocolate pieces / vanilla ice cream / chocolate sauce

Am worried now, is the lamb going to be enough for 4 adults?

Fry off the meat, onion, veg, if you have any garlic chuck that on. The chuck in the tin toms, some herbs and top up with water. Bring to the boil, give it a stir, chuck a lid on, reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of hours.. The meat should fall off the bone so gives the impression of more.. I have done this in the past when had 3 chops for 6. Padded out with veg and no one realises

bloodyteenagers would the sauce be fatty do you think? Or ok because its been fried off?

Have you got any tinned beans or any lentils or split peas? Adding those to the lamb stew will make it go a lot further and will also taste absolutely delicious. Match made in heaven.

Also, pulses (or potatoes) will absorb a lot of the fat from the lamb and will be lovely and unctuous.