Meal ideas for 12

[PorridgeIsYummy]

Hi, I'm in charge of cooking lunch for the next week and a half. It's 12 to 15 of us, 5-7 children, 7-8 adults. Nobody likes spicy food (except me and my husband), so things like curries or chilli wouldn't go down well.

So far I've done pasta, roasted veg salad and pizza. I've run out of ideas now!

Thanks xx

Frittata / quiche
Sausage baps - cook a load of sausages then put out rolls, sauces etc and let people help themselves
Baked potatoes with a couple of different fillings: beans, cheese, tuna

Greek lamb skewers www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10985/lamb-souvlaki-skewers
Risotto
Sausage and beans www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1940681/sausage-and-bean-casserole-
Fishcakes
Chicken casserole www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10052/spring-chicken-in-a-pot or www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1363634/summer-chicken-onepot

Why are you in charge of lunch for that long for that many people?

I’d get stuff in for sandwiches and people can help themselves. Do some soup as well?

Get picnic stuff and lay it out.

Do some boiled eggs, cook a ham.

Risotto
Hummous with wraps and falafel
Burgers
Wedges with dips

Massive pan of soup. Various breads, various cold meats, cheeses, dips, chips and veggies.

Scotch eggs and salads. Falafels or quorn burgers for the veggies.

Veggie tarts - ready rolled puff pasty sheets, smeared with pesto and then topped with roasted peppers, sun dried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms (precooked so they don't go all watery) and shoved in the oven to bake before slicing.

Savoury muffins (cheese, cheese and onion, even cooked bacon can go in muffins) with soup.

Sticky chicken - make up a stick bbq type sauce (tomato ketchup, mustard, honey, dash of soy) and marinate chicken chunks or thighs or drumsticks in it for an hour or two. Shove on lined baking trays and cook till done.

Rice salad - large bowl of cooked rice, chopped veggies and a good handful of toasted nuts or seeds. Make your favourite dressing and shove it on the table with some cold meat and green salad.

Pasta salad - as above, but I use pesto for my dressing and add toasted pine nuts.

Baked potatoes with baked beans and cheese.

Bacon rolls. Lorne sausage in rolls. Black pudding in rolls. Fried egg in rolls.

Gosh that is a long time to cook for so many!

Do you have big enough pans?

I think going for few dishes makes it much easier re knowing how much to buy and reducing faff factor.

Sandwiches... most people have sandwiches every day at work!

Trays of roasted chicken thighs - do one tray plain for the children/fussy adults and other trays with herbs. Or even just buy whole roasted chickens.

Crusty bread.
Slaw type crunch fresh salad.

Lamb shoulder slow roasted in the oven OR lamb kebabs in the oven.
Pita breads
Cucumber, onion and tomato salad
Red cabbage salad
Tadziki

Chili sauce

Soup and bread rolls with cheese and ham

Risotto.

Lemon and chicken and olive tagine with couscous.

Mild curry and rice. Mild chilli and rice. I don't care if people 'don't like spice' there is a bit of eating what you are given!

Chicken fajitas (mild)
You can roast the veg in the oven, fry the chicken and have chopped letticue, cheese, salsa and guac and fajitas on the table.

Lasagna with garlic bread and salad. If you buy fresh not frozen garlic bread you can do it in the oven after you take out the lasagna and it will still be hot if you covered it.

Bangers and mash and gravey with peas and cabbage (not v summery)

Sausage and bean casserole with crusty bread and green beans

Chorizo, tomato and butter bean stew with white fish (I'd use the frozen cod fillets like from tesco and do those in the oven whilst you do the stew on the hob)

Prawn, green olive, fennel, yellow pepper and tomato stew with rice
Basically just thinly slice the fennel and peppers and fry them, add in some sherry or white wine, season and a pinch of turmeric then chuck in tinned toms and olives then just a few mins before finishing add the defrosted prawns.

Fish stew

Roast two chickens, slice them up and put out with bread and butter, cherry tomatoes, olives, green salad.

Hearty soup (something like minestrone), lots of cheeses, selection of crackers.

Wraps with hummous, grated carrot, avocado, spring onions.

Chicken and chorizo casserole with butterbeans.

Agree re mild fajitas.

I do a sticky paprika chicken with crusty bread: honey, lime juice, tomatoes puree, garlic, olive oil and paprika and black pepper. Put chicken things in it, roll around so they are covered and bake for 30 mins.

Butternut squash risotto with bacon

Beetroot risotto with goats cheese or blue cheese.

Roasted butternut squash with Parma ham and pine nuts and balsamic vinegar and and parmesan.

Slow cooker pulled pork: cook a shoulder of pork in the slow cooker, then remove excess fat and add in BBQ sauce (I do homemade with about a zillion ingredients but I expect you could use bought. Serve with bread

Ratatouille?