Dinner party meals I can make (days) in advance

[OrangeSunset]

Have folk coming for dinner in a few weeks, and I've got a uber-busy week in the lead up, so really need to get most of the grub ready 3-4 days in advance.

Any suggestions for simple-ish meals that will either sit in the fridge happily for a few days, or that I can freeze (apart from lasagne - for some reason whatever recipe I use it takes me HOURS to make lasagne). Just need to think of a main and pud...dinner party is a bit of a grand term, its just mates for food and a catch up.

Thanks

Boeuf bourginon? A tagine? Coq au vin? (I always do dinner party stuff in advance so I can get smashed tbh)

I like your style

With meat/chicken, how long can I leave it in the fridge for once cooked?

Never made any of those, tagine sounds good. Would you serve veg, or just with cous cous?

I am kamikaze with that stuff - I reckon 3 days fine whatever. I'd do tagine with a nice cous cous, pittas and homemade houmous. Nigella's Feast is brilliant for this sort of meal

A pud I often serve up is good quality vanilla ice cream with fresh fruit, short bread and sauces ( that I have pre-made and warm up). People then can help themselves to as much or as little as they fancy. Peach Melba works well. As does a chocolate and/or blueberry sauce.

A fruit tart (with creme pat) is also lovely.

Curries improve with a couple of days to sit.

Curry is gorgeous made in advance and kept. There's a Madhur one for leg of lamb marinaded in a spiced yoghurt / onion / ground almond paste that is melt in the mouth. Follow with a good moist chilli spiced chocolate cake and you are onto a winner.

Any casserole better for having been made and left 2-3 days, or frozen for as long as you like.

I'd do a big vat of beef in red wine type thing, and then just cook rice or jacket spuds on the day.

Or a mammoth shepherds pie; do to mince as early as you like, then defrost, shove into a dish, cover with frozen mash (quick), sliced boiled potatoes (little bit fiddlier but possibly fancier) and grated cheese.

Pudding - rice pudding made with coconut milk and shovelled into the slow cooker first thing in the morning; done perfectly for tea. Or else a crumble or fruit with sponge; you can assemble and freeze raw then just bake on the night.

Or a batch of brownies which takes minutes to mix up, can be frozen raw, (or just shop bought!), baked on the evening with really good vanilla icecream and strong coffee poured over the top. Or baileys.

Beef and red wine casserole. Serve with jacket potatoes and green beans. Very easy to do in advance or with guests.

I do a lamb and plum curry which we love and freezes like a dream.

Nigella's Greek Lamb stew or One Pot Chilli Chicken from BBC Good Food website are my go to cook in advance dishes.
They are both delicious but not fancy dinner party - def mates and wine stuff

I reckon that most curries and stews are all the better for sitting for a day or three.

Hungarian goulash deffo is. I normally cook it on a Thursday for a Saturday night tea. Serve with some class of potato (frozen mash?) and some green veg - we usually just get the microwaveable green veg medleys from tesco. Bit of crusty bread and bobs your uncle.

Desserts - meh, I'd be tempted to just buy in frozen or do a tart or crumble that can be frozen in advance.

I'd do a lamb tagine in advance then serve with couscous and coriander.

Make chocolate brownies few days before and serve with ice cream and raspberries.

Lemon posset by James Martin
Smoke salmon starter with really good sour dough bread, squeeze lemon & bag of salad.
Prawn laksa - make ahead and reheat and add prawns

MIL made us a lovely beef casserole the other night, was apparently a Mary berry recipe with whole carrots and potatoes in, beef bacon and chorizo. Was delicious and reckon would taste even better made a couple of days ahead
books.google.co.uk/books?id=B5D6CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT266&lpg=PT266&dq=mary+berry+catalan+beef&source=bl&ots=-3l0ZiUrIh&sig=r-F2vkoSPHbO82ijLmnoCFhxQ7o&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiE5KWD083LAhWKvBQKHVDICRMQ6AEIPjAG#v=onepage&q=mary%20berry%20catalan%20beef&f=false

Right I'm gonna go with a lamb tagine I reckon.

Then follow with a choice of nigella' lemon curd pavlova or chocolate mousse.

Yum!

Or, found nigella's lamb meatballs with moroccan veggie sauce.
As a sort-of-veggie, not sure I fancy rolling the lamb much.