Family visiting-Meal ideas please

[PorridgeLove]

We will have DP here for 12 days. I need meal ideas for four adults (one vegetarian and one "traditional eater") and picky DC. DF is the worst when hungry and firmly believes in three square meals a day. DM is also picky in a way and claims that many foods hurt her stomach (raw vegetables, some cheeses). DH and I eat smaller meals and snacks. If I don't have a plan DF will ask DM to cook his favourite foods which always ends up in a mess. They do not know their way around the shops here and cannot find anything in my kitchen. Plus they will be miffed if DC rejects DF's favourites. Best would be stuff that I can prepare a few days before so that there is never a shortage of food and DF never becomes hangry.

meatballs (veggie balls for vegetarian) with spaghetti

quorn cottage pie- you genuinely can't tell that it doesn't contain meat (or my dc can't anyway!)

pesto chicken bake with potato wedges (for vegetarian you could do a pesto baked potato

chicken stir fry (add the chicken last- seperate a small bowl of noodles before hand and add quorn for veggie)

all the best x

A large shepherds pie for one day? ticks all the boxes. Traditional for DF

No ingredients to disturb DM's stomach and staple children's food. Can also be prepared in advance. Surely a definite winner?

What about some prepare ahead casseroles, boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, Spanish pork with white wine tomatoes & red peppers, hunters chicken. Partly cook, then freeze, finish cooking on the day. Serve with microwave rice or potatoes dauphinoise.

One the days with meat dishes, perhaps the vegetarian could have lentil moussaka, vegetable stew, or vegetable lasagna .

Combines with a selection of quick dishes like vegetable paella, pea and asparagus risotto, pizza, pasta primavera, you should keep DF happy.

I bet you feel as though you are running an hotel!

Toad in the hole always pleases my fussy Dc and is traditional. It’s also easy to adapt to vegetarian (just use the same batter in a separate oven dish with veggie sausages).
Quiches
Vegetable crumbles. Serves 6 and can be frozen www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1759643/wintry-vegetable-crumbles
Tagines served with couscous - chickpea www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/healthy/moroccan-veg-and-chickpea-tagine/ and chicken www.easypeasyfoodie.com/chicken-apricot-almond-tagine/

Where possible I'd try to do meals where everyone helps themselves...
Jacket potatoes with a range of salads / fillings
A couple of different quiches with new potatoes, salad

Lasagne, chicken traybake, maybe a barbecue one day?

12 days is a long stint - good luck! I wonder how your dp feed themselves at home if one is very traditional and the other a fussy vegetarian. Do they eat 2 separate meals?

Whatever you do just don't serve someone Quorn without telling them. Some people are violently ill if they eat it (speaking from experience here).

Do a roast maybe gammon so you have left over meat for sandwiches, salads, omelette fillings, etc that can be eaten for lunch.
Veggie and meat chilli with rice and all the sides and again have leftovers that could go on jacket potatoes or in the tacos for a substantial lunch.
Big fritata one meat one veg
Veggie pasta bake
Puff pastry tart

I have a similar dynamic & generally do things in big pots with lots of sides so people can help themselves to the bits they like without fuss.

Chilli (beef & veggie versions), rice, lots of salads, refried beans, etc.

Bolognese (beef, but also provide a small pan of plain tomato sauce &/or jar of pesto for the veggie), pasta, salads, garlic bread.

Curry - say a chicken curry, dhal, vegetable curry. Rice, salad, naan bread.

Barbecue (or cook in oven depending on weather) - chicken legs, burgers, veggie burgers, couscous salad, lots of other salad...

Random buffet - sundry quiches & other bought in stuff that you can heat in oven. Salads. Bread.

Rinse & repeat. Basically stick everything on the table & let people fill up on the bits they like. You can't produce one thing everyone will like - don't try!

Thanks for the suggestions. Pasta is always popular and I have bolognese in the freezer.
Tagine is good. Quiche is great, I also have one in the freezer.

I know you want to prepare in advance but I thoroughly recommend tray bakes when entertaining family. Very easy to prepare! Mary Berry has some good ones!