House guest this week- lunch ideas please

[justaweeone]

Hi
Entertaining in laws and extended family ( 8 in total) this weekend and stuck for lunch ideas for the Saturday
Fri night- Mexican
Sat breakfast - continental
Lunch??
Dinner- Greek
Sun - brunch
Often do soup for lunch but want something a bit different
Though about sandwiches but carb overload
Any ideas welcome please

I'm a big fan of a big wedge of room-temp cheese, really nice bread (foccacia/sourdough), properly ripe fruit and a big fresh green salad with interesting leaves (lambs lettuce, mizuna, butter lettuce etc), avocado, cucumber, walnuts, dill, mint, maybe some feta cheese....

You can add a plate of charcuterie or smoked salmon if you feel the need as well. Or put fried smoked bacon bits in the salad.

I buy whole meal grain wraps and cook crispy chicken Goujans, add some salad and done.

Alternatively make pizzas with the wraps.

Jacket potatoes also yum!

With that number of people I'd put out cheese/crackers/charcuterie/fruit for people to pick at

@Xiaoxiong

I'm a big fan of a big wedge of room-temp cheese, really nice bread (foccacia/sourdough), properly ripe fruit and a big fresh green salad with interesting leaves (lambs lettuce, mizuna, butter lettuce etc), avocado, cucumber, walnuts, dill, mint, maybe some feta cheese....

You can add a plate of charcuterie or smoked salmon if you feel the need as well. Or put fried smoked bacon bits in the salad.

I'm drooling at this!

Smoked salmon salad www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/hot-smoked-salmon-salad-chilli-lemon-dressing
Or a choice of quiches with a green salad

A mezze of sorts
Falafel, salads, nice breads, dips

@Xiaoxiong

I'm a big fan of a big wedge of room-temp cheese, really nice bread (foccacia/sourdough), properly ripe fruit and a big fresh green salad with interesting leaves (lambs lettuce, mizuna, butter lettuce etc), avocado, cucumber, walnuts, dill, mint, maybe some feta cheese....

You can add a plate of charcuterie or smoked salmon if you feel the need as well. Or put fried smoked bacon bits in the salad.

A version of this, definitely. You're cooking a lot already, you don't want to be faffing around with anything else. And people can sort of help themselves with this one. If the weather is really crap, a pot of soup on the stove for those who want it can be nice, but not essential.

You can't go wrong with @Xiaoxiong's suggestion, I reckon. I'd do a big wedge of brie, maybe with pears and dates, some chutney, really crusty fresh bread, cherry toms, a green (but interesting) salad and perhaps a simple potato salad with mint and olive oil?

Frittata and assorted salads plus picky bits
Savoury muffins, crustless quiche, charcuterie plates, crackers etc
Chilled soups, savoury flapjacks
Fruit platters

This is very lovely and simple, easy to make in advance. I made it as per recipe doubled only also added red lentils, a couple of potatoes, peppers and carrots. Very tasty, didn't even eat bread with it. 😋

Oh, my coriander had past best so I added the stalks,and loads of dried coriander leaf.

This also makes a good lunch and can be made in advance. cookbookcooks.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/madhur-jaffreys-easy-vegetarian-mulligatawny-soup/

Both reheat and freeze perfectly. Think I. Add carrots to that soup

Thanks for the ideas
I did soup and a cheese board!!

we have house guests this week.

I have a strong line in cold chicken and hams with pre-prepared salads from M&S. Plus baguettes and real butter. It is going down a treat and means little cooking from me.

I chose this because one of our guests is incredibly critical of things. So i am not going out of my way to cook.

Bagels, salmon, scrambled egg and chives always a winner here. Also toasted sourdough, avocado, feta, poached egg and chilli oil drizzled over the top.

If you're cooking both evenings suggest a simple lunch with minimal prep, as PPs have said, with cheeses, meat, bread etc you can also add in leftovers from the previous night if anything lends itself tonight.
This isn't just to reduce work for you, it's also to stop guests being over faced . We tend to make more food if entertaining, which is fine for one meal but not for 3.