Hen do menu challenge help!

[WhereIsBlueRabbit]

I'd really welcome any suggestions from you knowledgeable lot for a hen do menu in the summer. I have ended up responsible (with helpers) for feeding over 20 people one evening and, although I'm a perfectly capable cook, my mind has gone blank!

The challenge: to feed around 20 people, in the summer (so could be quite hot), evening meal, so far am aware of one person who is coeliac (apologies if not the correct terminology), I would be surprised if no veggies among such a large group but none have flagged dietary requirements yet. Probably needs to be something reasonably substantial as there will be booze!

Complications: I'll be arriving by train so no chance of prepping food in advance - it will all have to be made at the time. It's a rental apartment so no idea how well-equipped the kitchen is! (I will probably take a few basics like a decent veg knife). It's summer so could be quite hot. No pasta (coeliac), also next evening meal is Italian.

It's not all bad: the organiser is going to help cook and there won't be a shortage of willing volunteers to chop, etc. They are also doing the grocery shop on the way so I can provide them with a list.

What would you do? I'm thinking that if it's really hot, buy lots of baguette, cold meats, cheeses, veg and dips/hummus and just do a buffet type thing, maybe with a few frittatas or something?

Other options are a large chilli (plus veggie version) with lots of sides (grated cheese, soured cream, guacamole and so on), rice, etc.

I'd like something where it's either easy to make a veggie version to go alongside or where it can have meat added to it - my usual go-to in winter would be something like Nigella's Tunisian root veg stew and couscous with lamb meatballs but cook those separately to allow for veggies.

Any thoughts?!

My go to for things like this is to do fajitas. You can cook chicken and veggie mince. Get some gluten free wraps, and normal wraps. Lots of veg and cheese. Works for different food issues.

Can’t you go out to eat?

BBQ?

Fajitas is a great idea - thank you!

Unfortunately, I'm not organising it and the plan is that we eat out on the Saturday but have a "girls' night in" on the Friday.

BBQ not an option as no outside space! Though could adapt for inside...

Fajitas is a great shout-easy to do last minute and in big quantities. A rental house for that many should be well-equipped with big pots and pans too. I would suggest making with a mild fajita spice and then have a bottle of Tabasco for people to add spice to taste.

Also a great excuse to break out the margaritas...have fun!

Order pizza, everywhere does gluten free versions these days.

We did this recently for my nieces hen do. It was at a holiday house i own. I did a buffet on the Friday night then we ate out on the Saturday. Just the usual buffet foods and salad. It went down really well. We did forget the garlic bread and left them in the oven. The were nice shade of black when we remembered!

I would do the buffet as pp suggested. Get loads of bread, cheese, meats, crackers, salad stuff and then anyone with dietary requirements can pick and choose without needing a whole different meal.

Another version of this is getting some rotisserie chickens and having those with salad and bread.

Rotisserie chickens - now you're talking! I am quite tempted by the idea of a normal buffet...

buffet table.
a pasta bake.
a veggie couscous dish
big salad
garlic bread.
deli meats.
olives.
feta
roasted tomatos.peppers and onions dish
garlic mushrooms
jacket potatos
this way you can do some pick and choosy meals but once one dish is gone its gone.
what about a pudding. something like an eton mess.pavlova,tray bake lemon drizzle.

pan of fajita spice chicken
wraps
curry.cook the base then split adding more veggies to one and chicken to the other.or make a big veggie curry and separate chicken thighs for the meat eaters.then whilst its all cooking or warmin you could be serving popodom and nans dips.mango chutney etc.
one pot veggie rice dish.some sausages or chorizo and chicken drumsticks. for the meat eaters.

couple of big chicken and bacon pies.
fish pies
I no its summer but pies go down well anyday when you have a gang together.
have you done any research into the area.
what about a take out.
buy in some really nice pizzas
most supermarkets do really nice ones now.

jackets with a veggie and meat chilli.
chilli and rice.naans.

Waitrose has an entertaining menu - I would just order from that

2nd for fajitas

I'd order an Ocado delivery to arrive with lots of hummus, guac, bread, cheese, cold meats, naice bread, gf crackers, olives etc so you can just put it out, or order from the M&S entertaining selection which has great gf options

Ive done two hen dos for this sort of numbers. One I did chilli, rice, tortilla chips etc. The other fajitas. Both went down really well and didn’t take much effort.

Couscous is a no go for gluten free, probably as is rotisserie chicken due to the coating. A buffet is probably the best option - and who doesn’t love a good buffet. You can easily cater for all tastes, appetites, diets and weather.
You have to be incredibly careful with coeliacs to not cross contaminate as even a single crumb of gluten can make them really ill.

Just to let you know, a lot of coeliacs also have a dairy intolerant so soured cream, cheese, etc are also a no-go.
You have to be so careful about cross contamination too so I would fully do gluten-free to avoid making that guest poorly.

A buffet is a good idea and tesco do a lot of really good gluten free food.

I’d do:

Smoked salmon
Prawns
Meat platter
Sundried tomatoes
Olives
Gluten free pitta (toast under the grill, not in the toaster) and dips
Gluten free crisps (lightly salted kettle chips)
Selection of gluten free party food

Thanks for the suggestions - and also for the helpful tips on coeliacs. I think I'm going to try and find out who it is and liaise with them directly - I'd like to know exactly what I need to do around food prep (I am assuming she's coeliac rather than doesn't tolerate wheat well or chooses not to eat it).