What is your default tea when your little ones have friends round?

[franch]

I'm talking preschoolers here, and the occasional 8yo cousin - so far the most popular have been spag bol; shepherd's pie; mini pizzas; marinated chicken drumsticks. None of these are universally popular though.

Oh and I always have Pizza Express marguerita pizzas in the freezer just in case.

Veg are so tricky, I usually do raw - carrot sticks, cucumber, cherry tomatoes.

Followed by fruit and I usually manage some kind of home made cake or biscuits.

Just wondered if anyone had any magic foolproof formula that works time after time - I keep thinking I've hit it, then the next kid hates it ...

Pasta Pesto with grated parmesan and peas or sweetcorn.

No pudding because they will have eaten lots of fruit and veg (or biscuit!) snacks throughout the afternoon.

pesto pasta here too

the middle class fishfinger and chips

Same here - pesto pasta or fishfingers with a couple of veg (carrots, peas, sweetcorn, cherry toms etc). The pesto is always from a jar.

Franch, for stir fry I just use onion, garlic and soy sauce. I recently bought some noodles which were called 'straight to wok' or something like that, and M&S do a good sized pack of fresh noodles for 99p!

salmon fishcakes with broccoli & corn on the cob got gobbled down by my 2 & 2 visitors this week.

see you tomorrow krabbie!

I have to admit that with 5-6yr olds, I've been surprised by what they will not eat. My DS's fave is cheesy pasta - a number of children will not eat cheese or pasta with sauce (only plain pasta). Pizza is tricky because it combines tomato and cheese! Fish fingers and sausages are generally safe, I don't cook chicken nuggets but suspect they'd also be OK. Plain fish (like salmon) seems beyond the pale. Baked pots also tricky because some kids don't like tuna/cheese/baked beans! And lots of kids don't eat egg (ergo no quiche or omlettes! another fave in this house). Agree that roast chicken or drumsticks also popular but not nec that quick (as in I have to remember to defrost them). So lately I've been doing sausages/fishfingers and chips unless I particularly know a child likes something.

LOL at the implication (from franny's post) that hmc is anything but middle class despite her fishfingers and chips.

I only give fishfingers for lunch. My default tea is sausage and mash and then I ask the guest what veg they like out of what I have in. But I have given guests other things on occasion - homemade fishcakes with potato wedges and veg went down quite well. DS's best friend loves corn on the cob. So he enjoyed Delia's bbq chicken, rice and corn. Although we are currently in the wobbly front tooth stage so not always the best option.

Sweet & sour chicken with rice
meatballs with (or without) gravy, potatoes, veg
home made chicken snitzels with potato and veg, cherry tomaotes
pizza with ham an pineapple
pancakes
cod steaks with mashed pototo and veg gratin, salad with lettuce, tomato and cucumber. snack on raw carrots

Only had a problem once, then I provided the child with wholemeal ham and cheese sandwiches instead

Pudding: strawberries and vanilla icecream, cadbury miniroll, or a bowl of fruit

DD's best friend wolved down chickpea casserole and rice, but I wouldn't give it to a child I didn't know so well.

DD's best friend wolved down chickpea casserole and rice, but I wouldn't give it to a child I didn't know so well.

Have to admit to finding fussy eaters very tedious. Had a child round the other day who didn't even like pasta!

Usually go for -
Macaroni cheese - but some don't like cheese - or pasta!
Sausage and mash/chips and carrots.
fishcakes and potatoes
spag bol - probably the most popular.

Pud usually yogurt, ice cream or fruit.

Once served up caulifower soup as it was already made and the child turned up unexpectedly after football. I made him try one mouthful and we all had to watch him retch at the table. V amusing.

home made pizza, they help to make it, activity and supper in one move

but my dcs are still only little

Really good sausages, potato wedges, home made yorkshires, carrots and broccoli or peas always seems to go down ok here.

Or home made pizza, carrot sticks, red peppers and cucumber, grapes and apple slices.

I know most of the kids really well though so I know they will eat these. If there was a one-off picky child I'd do them a sarnie.

GOing to sit and read this thread with interest. The majority of GS's friends eat healthily and will have anything they are given. However, I have started to collect a friends son from school two days a week whilst she works and I am really strugglinh becasue all he eats is either pizza (only shop bought crappy ones - won't touch home made) or fish fingers and chips.
GS actively dislikes chips - its not something we have in the house and certainly dont buy pizzas. I had a quiet word with his mum to see if she had any other ideas and apparently, that is all the entire family eats - apart from something that he keeps asking for called "Smiley faces" - WTF are Smiley Faces?

Joash - they are processed potato shaped into 'smiley faces'. They're made by McCain, and are found near to hasbrowns and waffles in the freezer section.

OK!!! - thanks for that Laura. I suppose I could get him some. The trouble is, I really dont want GS to see me serving processed food, when he isn't interested in it.
On another note, it's probably time I went exploring - I dont even know where the freezer section is LOL. I don't go to supermarkets (DH does all our shopping and the only thing we buy to go in the freezer is fresh meats (the rest of the space is taken up by stuff we make or prep.

Sainsbury's do a really simple pizza base kit with flour and yeast and you just add water. Or make your own with wholemeal flour. The older child can make dough and roll out bases. Younger children can add toppings from bowls put on table. I find doing this makes me super popular mumm and more importantly the kids actually eat their home made pizza!!!

Joash - they are addictive I think. DS1 used to have them weekly as they were one of the few processed foods that was gluten & dairy free. Then he wanted them all the time. We've completely cut them out now, and he doesn't ever ask for them. Perhaps you could try potato waffles. They're the same texture and taste, but not so child orientated. Perhaps even getting this little boy onto fish goujons (sp?) made with seasoned flour and baked potato wedges would be a start?

joash if he is coming two days a week every week I think you need to stick to your guns, or it could end up having quite a negative impact on your grandson's diet. Have you tried something like sausage and mash? Or toad in the hole? Or homemade meatballs and potato wedges?

Pasta with a tomato based sauce. Generally that goes down well. Did have one lad that didn't like tomatoes but only the one. Alternatively something n'chips. Because it gets eaten. Not put on this earth to Jamie-Oliver other people's kids.

Depends who we are having over - for the less adventurous I do butterbean and potato mash with veggie burgers and steamed broccoli/green beans and carrots. Occasionaly pizzas with soya cheese but that's not too healthy!

For those who will try something different I may do a mild veggie curry with rice or chappatis/ a vegetable and chickpea tagine with cous cous/ stir fries do tend to go down well especially with dry roast nuts added!

Dessert will wither be fruit salad with lots of colours, or a homemade cake like banana bread/ choc fudge.

If they are comingfor lunch, then I tend to do more snack things like pittas with hummus/ assortment of bean dips and spread with salad bits, then get them to help me make a cake!

Joash, stick to YOUR food and what you want to feed your grandson. It is up to you to provide food on the table, it is up to the CHILD to eat it. He will soon get the message. Eat what is served or starve. Not your problem.

LOL I hadn't actually read how many posters had put 'fishfingers' when I posted

raw veg and hummus
then
corn on the cob
then
frankfurters in buns with tomato ketchup
then
fruit and a yogurt

Message withdrawn

Cook pasta. Chuck in a spoonful of cream, sone chipped up ham, some hot cooked peas and a tin of warmed up sweetcorn. Stir. Serve with parmesan, garlic bread and carrot sticks. Follow with a stupendous pudding of some sort - ice cream and lots of pots of different sprinkles and sauces to choose from for example.