Self catering - first night meal help!

[foodiemama26]

We are going on a self catering holiday with my in laws next week and I want to take a meal with us for the first night to make things easier. We have a 2 year old and 5 month old and can’t get into the cottage until 4pm so ideally want something to throw in the oven. Journey is only a couple of hours but not sure what to take that everyone will eat and will travel well. 2yo eats pretty well but nothing too spicy, MIL won’t eat anything with mince in and FIL would rather meal had meat and isn’t veggie! Any suggestions gratefully received.

Mild curry?

What about a beef or lamb dish - casserole
/stiffado or tagine. Then part cooked baguettes, and sachets of flavoured couscous. It'll just quickly heat once you're there (microwave or hob) and withstand the journey well.

Stew or chicken casserole.

Roast a chicken on the morning then wrap and take it with you. Boil some new pots, garlic bread and salad, eat with cold chicken. Or roast it on arrival with the above. With luck there will be some left for sandwiches the next day too.

What about a mild chilli made with chunks of sirloin steak instead of mince. Could even take frozen so that it thaw a enroute. Serve in taco shells with guacamole, sour cream grated cheese and shredded lettuce.

Lasagne
Also take cold sausages , ham and cheese and salad
Get some rolls or bread
Sorted !!

I second lasagne, make today and put in freezer, take it out the morning you are going.

Missed the bit about mince, what about steak pie just braise the meat a pack of ready rolled pastry and your done.

I like the lasagne idea but as MIL won’t eat mince (I struggle with mince too) you could make it with pulled beef brisket - like this blog.andrewmogg.co.uk/food-and-recipes/slow-cooked-pulled-beef-in-red-wine-lasagne-recipe/

An easier way to do that is to buy one of the pre pack briskets in Aldi or Waitrose...

Make what you'd normally have and send the fussy in-laws to the chip shop?

Chicken, squash and pesto lasagne www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipe/chicken-squash-pesto-lasagne It's summery, serves 6 and will travel well.

Some pizzas, garlic bread etc? Can chuck it in the oven, most people like it, doesn't have to be spicy or have mince, can be meat or veggie or both.

For an easy crowd meal I'd whack a few pizzas in. Takes minutes to cook and can be bulked out with salad etc if need be.

I quite often do this when going to my parents place. For various reasons I hate cooking at theirs so do something that can be started at mine and then simply warmed or finished at their house.

Anything slow cooked like a stew or casserole works. You can make it the day before, keep overnight in the fridge and then take in the car in a well sealed container, it will be fine providing it is thoroughly reheated to piping hot at the other end. Just don't do what my Dad did once and try and transport an open saucepan full of hot stew on your knees in the car

Particular favourites of this kind of meal are beef in beer, coq au vin, cassoulet, hunters chicken or rabbit stew for something a bit different! All can be eaten with baked spuds, mash or crusty bread for carb and a salad or easy steamed/boiled veg like carrots, peas or beans.

For something a bit more special if that's what you were aiming for, I really like a slow-roasted joint of meat like a lamb leg or shoulder, pork shoulder or rib of beef. Start it off for a few hours at a low temp in your home oven in the morning, then wrap in foil or a blanket for the car. It keeps cooking very slowly on the journey and then can be stuck back in the oven at the other end to finish- within reason the longer you cook it the better it gets. Accompaniments as above, or if you are feeling a bit more fancy gratin potatos are a nice with a roast. Make the dish up with the sliced potatos and cream sauce in advance, cover in foil and stick in the oven for an hour or so at the other end. You can also buy great gratin/dauphiniose from the supermarket if you don't fancy making your own...

Are you planning on taking with or shopping on arrival?
Taking with is harder due to keeping it sufficiently cold in this flipping weather so take that into consideration
Buying and cooking?
Carbonara?
Ready made lasagne?
pizza garlic bread etc ( delivery or supermarket)
Jacket spuds and a variety of ready made toppings?
Chinese takeaway?
Spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce?
Ready made fish pie and veggies
A chicken or 2 can roast in just over an hour and is good with crusty bread and salad or new spuds and veggies

Thanks for all the suggestions. I’m making at home and taking with me so I’m going with part bake rolls, a bag of salad, homemade coleslaw and meat joint (not sure which I’ll see what’s looking good at the butchers). Think I was over complicating this! Would have bloody loved to take a lasagne though! Thanks again

Lasagne, oven chips, salad. Strawberries and cream for pud. Nice 'n' easy.