lunch for 11 I can make in advance (inc veggie & fussy teens!)

[lechatnoir]

My dbro and family are coming for lunch on Sunday to celebrate dd's birthday and I've just realised we are at sporting matches all morning so need to get prepped and ready tomorrow but no idea what to cook. If it's raining so we need to be able to eat on our laps as our dining table isn't big enough for all of us, sil is veggie and their kids are quite fussy Any ideas:

needs to serve 11 adults (dc are all teens)
Two main dishes - 1 veggie 1 not
Easy sides - leaf salad, breads etc
Fine to prep in advance - something like lasagne but not as I'm the only one that likes it in my family
Nothing mince based

Any ideas?

Coronation chicken and an onion tart as mains.
Homemade coleslaw, potato salad, green salad and maybe a tomato salad.
Brown/white bread. Preferably homemade.

few ideas:

Quiche

Risotto (can cook it 3/4 in advance and finish off with more liquid last minute)

Aubergine parmigiana (though if they don’t like lasagne…)

I'd do different pizzas, salad, garlic bread, or a curry, one vege one not, with some rice, salad and Indian sides.

Or jacket potatoes, with loads of fillings to choose from. But I'm very much no frills when cooking for large numbers.

Lasagne meat and veggie!

Sorry I should RTFT! 😩

Tut, tut. NO mince. Otherwise I would have suggested spag bol, obvs.

Jacket potatoes with toppings eg vege chili, bacon, tuna in Mayo. Cooked onions
Then salads

Soup
Quiche Lorraine and a caramelised onion tart for the veges.
Would curry be too much for the fussy ones?
Cold meat and salads with soup for the veges?

Build your own fajitas? Chicken ones and portobello mushroom ones. You could even cook and serve the peppers and onions separately if the fussy ones aren't keen.

Salsa, guacamole and grated cheese with a side of nachos or even just bowls of tortilla chips.

Why no mince?

I would have suggested a chilli made with Quorn so no buggering about with separate dishes for vegetarians and meat eaters. Or maybe a three bean chilli with rice and/or tortillas (like Doritos) and a side salad.

If I'm catering for a group and there are vegetarians, I usually just do a vegetarian dish.

If I'm catering for a group and there are vegetarians, I usually just do a vegetarian dish.

Very sensible because “vegetarian” food is just food that’s suitable for vegetarians, rather than food that only vegetarians can eat.

I'd definitely go with baked potatoes and different fillings

Curry, one veggie one meaty. Can be cooked in advance.
Rice, naan breads, mango chutney, onion bhajis, samosas, raita and poppadoms all shop bought.

Or tapas style, charcuterie board, cheese board, different kinds of bread, falafel, houmous and dips, crudités, fried almonds, garlic prawns, chickpea salad, mini chorizo sausages cooked in red wine. Almost everything is shop bought and minimal preparation.

I'd do a couple of large puff pastry tarts with sheets of bought pastry, eg one Mediterranean flavours and one onion & goat cheese, depending on what likes & dislikes were involved.
A large frittata, home made or bought, and a vegetable and halloumi tray bake.
A green salad, a potato salad, a mixed bean salad with tinned beans & chickpeas, and a bowl of flavoured couscous with French dressing.

The BBC News Food section is great for timings and ideas for flavour combinations.

Macaroni cheese and chicken parmigiana with green salad and garlic bread

@Fivemoreminutes1

Macaroni cheese and chicken parmigiana with green salad and garlic bread

I wouldn’t do double carbs (pasta and bread) for the vegetarians. It may suit a ravenous teenager but it’s a pretty underwhelming meal for anyone else.

I’d do tray pies - one meat and potato and one cheese and onion. To serve, mushy peas, glazed carrots, red cabbage, onion gravy. Use bowls instead of plates so they won’t spill the gravy!!

I'd make a big spanakopita (feta and spinach with red onion and maybe sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts in filo pastry. That is for veggies. And then a big chicken and mushroom pie with leeks and fresh herbs. Add a butternut and red pepper rice dish and some salad.

Pavlova or birthday cake for pudding or buy some ready made cheesecakes or fruit tarts from Waitrose or M&S.

I think either of these would be easiest

A huge curry with naan, spiced salad, yoghurt etc. A big daal would be nice.

Fajitas, spiced chicken (seperate), onions and peppers, guacamole, salsa, cheese, chillis, wraps

Jacket potatoes..
veggie and meat sausages
Big bowl of grated cheese
Bowl of tuna and mayo
Bowl of baked beans
Then all the usual fixings on the side
Coleslaw, sweetcorn, pickles chopped onion etc..

I do a fake Nando's for occasions like this. Incredibly easy, but also enjoyable and can cater for fussy kids, veggies and more adventurous adults.

Home made chicken nuggets (high quality chicken cut into pieces, dunked in egg, then breadcrumbs)
Home made halloumi nuggets (same principle)
Chicken breasts in a Nando's bag (£1 for the bag at Sainsbury's at the moment)
Corn on the cob
Uncle Ben's Mexican rice (think they do a piri piri one but I like the Mexican one!)
Sweet potato fries
Normal fries
I also do padron peppers (not very Nando's, but goes well and ups the veg count)

Served in those plastic trays you get at diners.

I also do a mean Barburitto rip off 😂 but that works less well for fussy eaters!

I wouldn't bother with 2 mains and would probably do curry egg chick pea and spinach with breads, yoghurt, chutneys, and a couple of sides