Help - what do I cook for 7 adults, including 2 new mums (1 of which is me), for a whole week?!

[babypowder]

At the beginning of June I'm going to have a houseful, including my PIL, 2 old friends (1 pregnant, 1 with a new baby)my adult SD, DH , DD1 (5) and myself (breastfeeding DD2). I've thought of a couple of things to feed everyone:

• a whole salmon, with new potatoes and veg
• a pile of sausage and mash with onion gravy
• maybe a large pork belly, slow cooked, or a slow cooked leg of lamb

Whatever it is, I won't have a huge amount of time to prepare, although it can take a long time in the oven or whatever.

Any ideas???

A huge chilli/ goulash/ chicken paprika?
Pasta?
Are you nuts?!!

erm, you don't, you rope the friends and pils in to kitchen duties.

but the pork belly sounds nice.

why don't you cook up an enormous batchj of chilli, bolognese, or stew the week before and freeze it.

also pizza is good. and so is egg and chips.

roasted chicken pieces / veg

yours sound good. how much help will you get?

what about making a HUGE batch of bolognese sauce (in 3 separate containers) and freezing it now - this could then be served one night as spaghetti bolognese, one night be spiced up and kidney beans added to make chilli, and one night you could layer it with extra veg and white sauce to make a lasagne. You could do a quorn mince version of the same meals for any vegetarians? That would be 3 meals more or less sorted in advance with minimum assembly on the day?

um you don't

you maybe make one big meal at the beginning and possibly one at the end

then you let other adults pitch in and cook
and you do take-outs
and possibly a barbecue

for the big meals do stuff for freezer like daffodil says

if I had to cook for 7 adults for a week when I had a baby, they'd all eat spam and chips at least one night.

or I'd do garlic chicken - sling a chick leg for everyone in a big pot and add half a head of garlic per person (unpeeled), and some olive oil. cover and cook for as long as it takes or longer. serve with baked potato and maybe some roast tomatoes/peppers.

Pasta with all kinds of sauces. Roast chicken with roast veg. BBQ. Plain grilled fish with flavoured (shop bought and flavoured yourself) mayonnaise.

You really are mad!!
A couple of roast chickens, huge bowl of baby spinach / salad and garlic bread is a lovely, lazy summer meal. Chuck in some new potatoes if you can be bothered.
I like thirtysomething's idea - I always find if you add a bowl of salad, some bread and some wine it feels really relaxed but special - think Nigella with her chums visiting for supper!!
BBQ is always a good suggestion.

Surely they also all owe you a night out? Even if it's pizza Express or a pub with the kids. Good luck!

I found a really good rice recipe for lots of people (would be nice with your slow cooked meat).

Put one cup of rice, and two of water (I used a small mug for 4 people) a big blob of marg (3oz?) and a pack of onion soup mix (dry) into an oven dish. Cover tightly with foil and cook in the oven at gas 7 for about 45 mins.

It multiplies well apparently (I've doubled it and it was fine) and you just throw it together and bung in the oven.
Good luck!

I think pasta is the way to go too, at least for a couple of meals. My favourite last minute fix is pasta, with asparagus added after 4 mins, drain, add chopped smoked salmon, dill, and creme fraiche. Serve with a tomato and basil salad.

in the past i've done in advance and frozen -
shepherd's pies - serve with green veg or our fave of baked beans,fish pie, chicken casserole - serve with rice, as others have said chilli/bolognaise which is nice with baked pots or rice, we always get fish and chips one night, i freeze crumble for pud or buy those tubs of mini merangues to have with berries and cream, the slow cooker is a good idea if you don't want to freeze in advance -i chucked in chicken thighs, veg and stock this morning and served it up with microwave rice [!] 10 hours later and it was fine.

Nice pasta dish Baffled!! Am trying that tomorrow.

I love you people! I just knew that you would give me some fantastic ideas! My biggest problem is that everyone is used to coming to mine to be fed, so no one even offers to help now.

Any ideas re puddings, or am I just pushing my luck now?!

Very easy lemon cheesecake

Hope that works - never done a link before!

Try Eton Mess. Shop bought meringues (broken up), raspberries (I always have frozen) and whipped cream all folded together. Stick a sprig of mint on top if you want to be posh.
Last time I had a big gathering I got all of the kids (depends on their ages) to have a choc cake making competition which we had as pud. Just don't think about all of the mucky, licked fingers.
If you want to be fancy, look on Delia online for her melting chocolate puddings. Everyone goes nuts for them but you can make them in advance and cook them straight from the freezer.

Also, meant to add, you mentioned pork belly. Have you tried Jamie Oliver's from his Italian book? We cooked it on the barbeque last summer and it was really fantastic. I did his quantity and fed 8 with loads left over (enough for 4 more adults)

Easy peasy dessert. Buy some ice cream and some maltesers. Crush maltesers and sprinkle over ice cream. It's yum. I also make a greta dessert which is digestive biscuits, spread with chocolate spread and then sandwiched together with fresh raspberries in the middle. Serve with cream or ice cream.
Really easy and tasty pasta dish is roast a chicken in the oven. Soak some sultanas until pump. Cook pasta (I use penne but tagliatelle is fine). When chicken finished cut up with skin still on and mix with pasta (make sure you pour in juices from pan as well). Add sultanas, some pine nuts and some chopped parsley.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Am going to try that digestive biscuit thing tonight (just to test it, obviously )

I will try the Jamie pork belly.

It's yummy, looks impressive in a restauranty tower type way and is easy peasy.

How about boeuf bourguignon (hope I've spelled that right) with mashed potato

Pasta bake, pasta with pesto, jacket potatoes with veg, cheese, tuna etc, shepards pie, spag bol, chilli, chicken breasts baked in breadcrumbs with parsley potatoes and veg, sausage, eggs, beans, toast etc for something quick and easy, lasange wih salad, ham and egg salad hope that helps.

I have a really nice pasta with potatoes dish too, easy and tastes lovely.

Here are some from a cookery book I collated for our school - I haven't tried them all, but prep time is short.

Frozen berries with a white chocolate sauce

500g frozen berries
225g white chocolate (buttons or grated)
284ml double cream

Put choc and cream in heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water for 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally. When sauce is hot you're away! Divide berries onto 4 plates and leave for 10 mins to take chill off. Put hot sauce in jug and pour over berries at table. (M&S do great berries).

Mary?s fruit salad

1 mango, cubed
250g strawberries, hulled and halved
250g blueberries
250 ml orange juice
30 ml brandy (or a generous slug)
vanilla sugar

Mix together all fruit
Pour over juice and brandy
Sprinkle with vanilla sugar

BLACKCURRANT MARSHMALLOW RAMEKINS

200g bag marshmallows
300ml double cream
900g tinned blackcurrants (or other fruit may be used)

Put marshmallows in a microwaveable bowl, cover with cling film, leaving a gap for steam to escape and put in the microwave on medium for 90 seconds.

Whisk cream until stiff.

Drain blackcurrants and fold into the cream with the melted marshmallows.

Put into 8 ramekin dishes and chill for at least 2 hours.
Emergency peach and ginger brulee

1 tin of sliced peaches
4oz of either ginger buscuits or the fancy smancy ones I can't remember the name of..
1 tub of creme fresh
1 tub of marscapone cheese
1oz of caster sugar

Place roughly crushed buscuits at bottom of tin,
layer peaches on top drizzle some of the juice over, mix cheese and creme fresh together layer over the peaches sprinkle with caster suger, put under hot grill until sugar melts, Serve.. mmmm

Baffled, those recipes look scrummy (esp the first one!).

JodieG1 - what's the pasta with potatoes recipe? My DH would love that - he's a carb-o-phile