Salad Nicoise (use tuna canned in olive oil) and some nice bread. Put the different components down the middle of the table on platters, so everyone can assemble their own. Similar with chicken Caesar, cobb or goats cheese and roasted veg salads.
salmon or chicken veg parcels, done in the oven and served warm w potato salad.
Or a frittata as a cheaper option.
cold fillet of beef, if you feel like you want to get involved with your bank account. Roast med veg with it.
at the cheap end, Tuscan bean stew with bread. Serve warm w a bit of a chilli kick
Mezze - feta, humous, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, tzatziki, maybe some little lamb sausages, flat bread lightly toasted. My favourite thing.. and you can just buy it
Go trad Brit with a ploughman’s - if you are doing charcuterie one evening, maybe have a pork pie but otherwise focus on some good cheeses, slaw, beetroot salad, potato salad
any kind of tray bake sticky chicken thighs and veg in the oven (Google)