DINNER FOR 16 - HELP!!!!

[crystalpony]

I am having my mum and dad round on mothers day for tea and so as not to take her away from by brothers and sisters I have also invited them all round plus kids.

I'm looking for something easy to cook/serve that will everyone (no allergies/vegetarian/particularly fussy eaters) including the five children who are aged 4 - 16.

Want to serve starter, main course, dessert, coffee etc.

Help please!!

sorry 'my' not 'by'

that will 'suit' everyone. Gah! Sorry!

Whereabouts are you? (that is relevant honest!)

Are you planning on doing a sit-down or buffet style thing?

How about doing a selection of casserole type dishes with a choice of pasta or rice. we did this for ds christening a few years ago. I think we had a pot of spag bol; one of mushroom stroganof for the veggies; a curry; and either beef or chicken casserole. People then just helped themselves to what they wanted. You could also do some jackets spuds for those who don't like rice or pasta and maybe serve some french bread too.

Puddings could be fruit salad; trifle or pavlova.

Starters could be soup; pate or melon

Lytham, nr Blackpool. Was hoping to do a sit-down meal because I've just got a new big dining table and had all my dining room done so wanted to christen it.

I assume you dont want to spend the day in the kitchen so why not do a soup with crusty bread for starters,roast dinner and trifle or cream cakes for desert or did you want something fancier?

No that sounds lovely, but was just concerned about keeping everything warm for a roasty dinner...think that's the hardest bit really.

cook the meat beforehand the gravy will warm it up
get dh to mash spuds etc whilst you dish up just make the gravy last so it is very hot and that will make the meal hotter iykwim

or put veggies in serving dishes in the oven.

Don't want to be boring but what about a couple of large lasagnes - can make in advance and serve straight from the oven - most kids like it and you can make one a veggie lasagne if necessary?

Did you just suggest dh in the kitchen????? You're hopeful!

make a simple starter - parma ham and lemon
or something.

Mm, thinking maybe a great big hotpot? There's a place by us that does catering size ones to take-out....or would that be cheating??

Yum, I like parma ham, but it's a bit nouvelle cuisine for my mum and dad I think.

It'd be "No offence, love, but I like mine cooked!" or some such..

With that many people I'd be tempted with a couple of shepherd's / cottage pies or lasange or something like that. That way you could serve it at the table, and plonk one at each end. Lots of salads etc
I just think that trying to serve up 16 plates would be difficult to do, and by the time the last person got theirs the first would be cold!

So I am pushing my Italian theme:
parma ham and melon
lasagne, salad, garlic bread
(store bought) tiramisu

Keep it simple fgs!!!!

Lasange is a SE equivalent of lasagne, natch!

god don;t do a roast - they're the worst thing for last minute faffing.(several types of veg, crispy roast pots, gravy, mash, stuffing. -all at once, I love roasts but I rarely do them for guests) go to bbc food (sorry haven't got time to do it now) and search for chicken and leek pie - it's a delia recipe. you can cook teh filling teh night before and on the day put bought pastry on top and bung in teh oven with some jacket spuds. then sit down and half a drink with your guests.

or even have one

Deffo not a roast - doing one for 4 nearly kills me, so there's no way I'd consider it for 16! I like the several casserole type things idea, with rice, jacket spuds, salad and bread. It could be made in advance, can be served at the table so they can all help themselves.

Starter - dunno - something easy - tomato and mozerrella salad? Pitta and dips and crudites?

Pud - a selection - good icecream with maltesers, berries or stem ginger. Meringues, berries and cream. Crumble and cream, custard or icecream.

Coffee and chocs for later.

I have done a few meals for this sort of size group.
The roast dinner at the table is doable.

I like the lasange idea, as I try to prepare earlier.

I have made for starters in the past,
I seem to have a bit of luck with soups so make,

carrot and corriander soup, or leak and carrot, or leak and potato

Then either do a roast,(winter) or two big trays of chicken and ham pie, ( made earlier and frozen)
served with roast pots or mash, with fresh veg.

summer is all melon and parma ham, with fresh prawns/advocado , ( grandparents love the prawn cocktails)

main course has the baby new potatos and veg, and depending on starter have chicken thighs wrapped in bacon and fresh basil leaves with whole garlic cloves and good olive oil, a bit of italian bread goes well with this dish.

Puds are kept simple, I do make jelly and buy ice cream for the kids ( and often for grandparents who still seem to love this combo) but splash out on a exotic fresh fruit salad, or make a large choc ripple cheesecake.

I make a large pot of coffee and sit down sweating at the end of it all.

I have also had the joy of 17 for christmas dinner, which was hard work.

Not again. good luck you are going to need it.

Thanks all for your input. I think I'm definately going for the easiest option so that I do get chance to have a chill and sit with the family.

Some lovely ideas - everything sounds fab

I second the casserole type approach. A roast is perfectly doable, but hard work bringing everything together at the end, and I think for family events you want to be unstressed and spending most of your time enjoying being together. At Christmas I went for nibbly sorts of starters, which people could eat before they sat down (whilst I was rushing around in the kitchen!). There are tricks you can do for a roast, like part cooking the potatoes the night before, and then blasting them after you take the roast out to rest it, making the gravy in advance, having a couple of bake in the oven type veges etc. My mother has had some really good family meals by making lots of nice things and doing a buffet style, so that once it's all ready you don't have to do anything else (plus easier to satisfy everyone). Soup and nice bread is a great simple starter, but you don't really need to have a starter at all. I think a really nice fish pie is always lovely, or there is a nice Delia with chicken pieces over rice (great stick in oven and leave dish). We often do risotto, again easy to make lots of it, generally liked by all, and doesn't really mind if everyone is late. Good luck - I'm sure you will have fun!