Having friends round for dinner... what to feed them!

[SuperTed127]

We've recently moved and have a new group of friends. They are all very good at inviting 2-3 families round for dinner at the weekends - kids have something like pizza or pasta and then go off and play and then the adults eat.

After a couple of years of covid, I feel like we've lost all sense of how to entertain and it'll soon be our turn to return the invites.

So please could you hit me up with a few nice relaxed dinner party style dinners that would feed 6-8 adults that won't cause me to have a massive anxiety attack during the process!

Stuff that can be prepped in advance would be good, or foolproof simple yet more "impressive" than just usual mid-week type dinners!

Thank you :)

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie it's a recipe from the company The Spicery. They have cookbooks with recipes for their specific blends. Photo attached. Without the blends I'd use dried ancho chillies (I've seen them in Waitrose), chipotle chilli flakes (I've seen those in Sainsburys and Waitrose). For the oregano blend I'd use a mix of oregano, cumin, and dried coriander. If your spices aren't particularly fresh I'd use a tsp of each to replace the oregano blend as it's very very fragrant. I make it in advance until the penultimate step then reheat and get the crispy caramelised bits. It's a big hit with both veggies and carnivores. I have to make the corn esquites to pad out options for the veggies during Mexican nights

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/creamy-tarragon-chicken-casserole/

I find this dish very tasty, and more the type of dish for a dinner party idea for cooking ahead, easy to produce and also as there is already new potato in the dish serve with 2 or 3 green vegetables etc

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/tarte-aux-pommes/

finish with a posh apple pie

Curries are good because can be made ahead & reheated, always taste better the day after cooking too!

[quote FloBot7]@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie it's a recipe from the company The Spicery. They have cookbooks with recipes for their specific blends. Photo attached. Without the blends I'd use dried ancho chillies (I've seen them in Waitrose), chipotle chilli flakes (I've seen those in Sainsburys and Waitrose). For the oregano blend I'd use a mix of oregano, cumin, and dried coriander. If your spices aren't particularly fresh I'd use a tsp of each to replace the oregano blend as it's very very fragrant. I make it in advance until the penultimate step then reheat and get the crispy caramelised bits. It's a big hit with both veggies and carnivores. I have to make the corn esquites to pad out options for the veggies during Mexican nights

[/quote]
It sounds really good. Thank you.

Mediocre food. Nice enough that they like it, but not delicious enough that they'll be running back too soon.

Goulash
Cock-a-leekie
Cassoulet
Moussaka
Chicken chasseur

What kind of meals have you had at theirs? Do the children always eat something different?
For 3-4 families, I usually go for a centrepiece that can be cooked in the oven along with one side dish on the hob and a fresh salad. My favourite is slow roasted lamb shoulder that can be served with roasted veg, roasted new potatoes, rice (with saffron on the hob), leafy green salad. Pulled together with lovely fresh herb sauces and garnishes like pomegranate seeds. It looks impressive but with minimal effort. I’m not a fan of curries, lasagnes which don’t plate up very ‘prettily.’ I also like a communal experience like a Chinese hotpot or Korean grilling meal where everyone cooks and eats together. You prep all the fresh ingredients and lay it all out and everyone picks what they like to cook. That’s great fun! Also a chocolate fountain to end things will go down well with both children and adults!

@duvetdayforeveryone

Mediocre food. Nice enough that they like it, but not delicious enough that they'll be running back too soon.

That's.....bleak

The kids usually have dinner first because of table space / so they can go and play.

At theirs, we’ve had risotto with lamb chops, tapas, chili, posh soup with a crusty top, but then also quite impressive bbq type stuff with fancy home made dips (easier in the summer of course).

I’m thinking tagines or, as you say, things like fondue….

I agree that plating up lasagne or pie can be a bit tricky.

Matters are complicated by the fact that I live abroad with no m&s, waitrose or Cook!

@SuperTed127

The kids usually have dinner first because of table space / so they can go and play.

At theirs, we’ve had risotto with lamb chops, tapas, chili, posh soup with a crusty top, but then also quite impressive bbq type stuff with fancy home made dips (easier in the summer of course).

I’m thinking tagines or, as you say, things like fondue….

I agree that plating up lasagne or pie can be a bit tricky.

Matters are complicated by the fact that I live abroad with no m&s, waitrose or Cook!

The key to plating lasagna up is do the layers in opposite directions. So horizontal for the first layer then vertical for the second layer and then just keep repeating the process. Also leaving it to stand for 15 or so mins once you've taken it out of the oven helps it to set more before slicing

I’ve had friends round several times recently (enjoying socialising again!) and made:

Lasagne, salad & garlic bread + brownies, raspberries & ice cream

Cottage pie, broccoli and cabbage + pineapple upside down cake & custard

Beef casserole (with lots of red wine) & cauliflower cheese, vanilla panacotta with raspberries & raspberry sauce

Nothing fancy, all easy and mainly made in advance but homey, delicious and enjoyed by everyone!

I agree with lasagna - and what makes it even easier is it is always best to make a lasagna the day before to let the flavours develop.

Serve with a lovely green salad (I love to put lots of blanched green veggies in my salads) and boiled minted potatoes. You can make the salad before anyone arrives, pop the lasagna in the oven (tip - pour over cream on the top and some extra cheese), and get the water boiling.

You'll barely spend any time in the kitchen.

Some lovely recipes here!

Jamie O chicken cacciatore www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/hunter-s-chicken-stew-pollo-alla-cacciatora/

Sometimes I make chicken breasts stuffed with Boursin wrapped in Parma ham. Always goes down well.

You can prep them ready to just go in the oven.

I also do new potatoes boiled then roasted in the oven

@Fire19

Tartiflette, it is fairly easy, tasty and can be prepped in advanced. It is also not something people have everyday.

This sounds gorgeous. Do you have a tried and tested recipe you use that you would share please?

I'd like to make this at the weekend before I cut carbs on Monday. It would be my last hurrah for a few weeks.

@HopingForMyRainbowBaby

That is a good tip about the lasagne I will try that next time! Thank you 😊

A big pan of fancy chilli con carne with slow cooked beef shin or shoulder cooked for ages with a bit of dark chocolate at the end.
Serve with rice, bowls of salsa, sour cream, cheese and some sliced chilli, lime and coriander for people to add if they want. All made ahead.
I'd do Mexican nibbles with drinks first, tortilla chips and those giant corn crunchy things in the nut section.
I'm starving now

@thebellsesmereldathebells

Last time we did this (feels like a looooong time ago) we did three different curries, one chicken, one veggie and one lamb. Homemade poppadums, naans and basmati rice with cloves/star anise/cardamom. Side dishes of saag aloo, mushroom bhaji, tarka daal, raita, kachumber salad. Laid it all out buffet style and people helped themselves, it was delicious.

We did homemade ice creams and sorbets for pudding, again all laid out buffet style with topping and sauces, and people made their own sundaes.

In what way is this an easy dinner?

I have try-hard friends like this. It's quite wearing.

When I go out to a casual dinner I'd just like something other than pizza or pasta please. If there's salad or vegetables to go with, then that's very welcome.

If there's pudding then that's a bonus!

Delia Smith has a couple of one pot bake in the oven rice dishes with chicken.

Chicken Basque has lovely gutsy Mediterranean flavours with chorizo, sun dried tomatoes, olives, oranges....

Then another similar idea but with Moroccan flavours.

Serve with a big green salad and garlic bread.

Then a light pudding

It takes a bit of prep. But then just bakes in the oven and takes care of itself. And is really easy to serve. Nothing really to do just before so great if you have guests arriving.

I experimented with doing the same idea but with Indian spices as a kind of biryani and that was v good too.

The other thing I like to do is have a nice cheese board of several varied cheeses, and build round it with grapes, nice bread, cold meats such as Spanish / Italian cured meats, perhaps a Greek Salad. Or a salade nicoise or Caesar salad. Maybe some houmous. That kind of tapas type thing. But a really nice cheese board always seems to go down well and is really easy.

But it depends on the group - some people love that kind of eating, others want a "proper" meal, and might see it as a bit of a cop out...

I just find it a lot more relaxed and enjoyable if the emphasis is more on wine and chat than "dinner party" -

I used to run a Book Club that morphed into an 'everyone bring a dish and a bottle' Chat Group - and we used to agree a theme (Greek / American / etc) and all bring a dish to fit the theme. It was great fun (always ate far too much though!)

Cassoulet with merenguez sausages, does for both adults and kids. Serve with homemade bread.

I'm a big fan of a roast of some sort but not in the form of a traditional roast dinner eg recently we did two roast chickens, garlic bread, new potatoes, a big pile of fresh greens (with a tahini/yoghurt/lemon dressing to jazz it up a bit) and some carrots (which I meant to fancy up but forgot!). I've also done roast chicken served with some sort of fancier rice - a risotto or pilaf - and a side salad. Always goes down well.

Or I'll do a big leg of lamb, served with sides like baba ganouche, a couscous and roasted vegetable salad or chargrilled vegetables (cooked with a dressing of garlic, honey, lemon) and wraps/bread.

Or rib of beef served with fat chips, mushroom sauce and greens/salad.