what do you cook for tea when kids' friends come round?!

[cutekids]

Apart from obviously knowing that they have no food allergies, what's the best thing to cook?

whatever us 5 are eating - the kid gets - if they dont like it - hard shit

pasta

spag bol

Try to avoid having other kids round to tea. If they do come they are offered what we have. If just for the kids then sarnies and salad.

and jelly!

I usually have a quick word with the parents first to check for allergies (seem to be loads at DDs school) and any major dislikes but usually something pasta based unless its DDs "best friend" (coeliac) and then its baked potatoes.

Its never anything fancy as most children her age don't seem to be as adventurous as her.

I usually check with parents before.
Pasta.
Fishfingers.
Veggie sausages.
Fishcakes.

Lasagne or some form of pasta or DH does his fabby rice and chicken.

they takes what they get round our way!!

staples are pasta, cottage pie, fishfingers, tacos, wraps, salmon for the more adventurous, h/made chicken nuggets with chopped up cucumber, baby tomatoes, corn on the cob. Oh and oven chips of course!. Most of ds1's mates will eat anything (aged 11). The 5 year olds are more tricky

Spag bol, spag bol, spag bol ... all my kids friends think this is all we ever eat, but it's the only thing they all seem to like - apart from my own DD2, of course, who picks the bits of mince out in a most irritating manner.

Oh yes. Always spaghetti. Easy to do veggy if required. Never had a child say no.

Spaghetti bolognaise. Chicken salad/crusty bread. Fish fingers.

Oxocube - I'd be very interested in your recipe for home made chicken nuggets if you have a moment please? Mine quite like them, but ewww I know 'tooo much' to buy them these days iykwim.

Tiny, you could either search for the very famous 'Enid's homemade chicken nuggets' on Mumsnet (which are nice) or be lazy and do as I usually do which is cutting the chicken into strips or nuggets if preferred and marinade them in buttermilk for a couple of hours to tenderise, then coat in breadcrumbs and fry in olive oil!! Not really a recipe but rather tasty

Pasta in some form or other followed by ice-cream. If they don't like pasta it's something with chips . I'm not Jamie-Olivering other peoples' kids.

Always either pasta, or baked potatoes, quiche and/or chicken wings and salad. Followed by fruit and/or chocolate fondue. My girls are pretty good eaters but some of their friends are very picky; this way they will usually all eat something.

I'm embarrased to admit it but I offer a choice of pizza, jacket potatoe or chips and sausage/nuggets/fish fingers. All with peas.

I cannot cope with the stress of faddy eating kids and know that they will eat one of the above.

i'm with you stripey, only as ds wont eat spag bol and he's the fussiest child alive.

Depends on the child but spaghetti bolognese or chicken casserole if one of her less fussy friends, otherwise fishfingers or homemade chicken nuggets, homemade potato wedges and peas or beans.

make or buy pizza base and then give the lovelies, tomato puree, cheese, salami, sweetcorn and let them have a ball making their own tea! always goes down well in our house!

Just sat down at the computer after doing a do it yourself pizza peal for dd11, her friend, ds 6 and his friend and the friend's little sister. It always works - and is really easy. Dd's friend is a vegetarian, and it's an easy way of accomodatin her. Followed it up with a similar pudding - meringue nests, sprinkles, chocolate and strawberry sauce, pineapple, tinned mandarin oranges(a particular farourite) and squirty cream (because I hate it and if we have real cream I can't resist it!)

Thankyou Oxo - your recipe sounds just great. I'll give that a try

FYI the round Swedish breads you can get from the frozen section at IKEA make excellent pizza bases. I grill rather than stick them in the oven.

Apart from them I always find spag bol a favourite amongst most of dts friends. No one has yet told me if their child has an allergy though, maybe we are just made of sturdier stuff.

I always ask for likes/dislikes/allegeries beforehand.

Home made chicken nuggets, wedges and beans
Pasta with tomato/veg sauce and meatballs
Platter of veggie strips (peppers, tomoato, cucumeber, etc), cheese, ham and bread
Home made burgers
Chicken fajitas
Sausage and mash
Salmon and rice
Pizza - tend to buy the bases and let them add their own toppings
etc.