Light lunch for beige food loving in-laws

[Stickystitch]

The in-laws are coming over on Saturday afternoon before a big family get together meal at a restaurant near us in the evening.

We've invited them for a light lunch here but honestly don't know what to make. They're super fussy and only like beige processed foods - sausage rolls, ham, white bread. I'm vegetarian and they don't do vegetables at all, except basic salad. Any ideas for something nicer than a sausage roll or a ham sandwich?! (Would be open to prepping something involving meat as they don't consider it a proper meal unless there's meat...)

I like the sound of this👍.

Quiche
Lovely fresh baguettes and butter
Meat and cheese board so they can make their own sandwiches
Coleslaw - homemade or bought always goes down well, cheesy coleslaw is even better
If you want slightly "fancier" breaded stuff maybe tempura prawns and chilli dip?
Chicken drumsticks
Posh sausage rolls with stuffing / chutney / etc in
Mini tartlets?

I have similar visitors regularly, our biggest success has been hot dogs, which aren't actually hot dogs but sausages in part baked baguettes, I served some caramelised onions, coleslaw and a big green salad on the side. They like burgers and pizza too 🙄. They always moan I don't make them proper chips to go with it 😂.

But I really do think some nice sandwiches and picky bits would be best in your circumstances if you're have a big evening meal.

Ham cheese Nice bread pickles

^ This. Ideal for a Saturday lunch.

Whenever we do this we get in fancy sausage rolls that you bake in the oven and make ham sandwiches using nice ham and crusty bread and it’s always a winner!

Quiche is an excellent idea thanks, I know they like ham/bacon quiche. What to serve with it?

Soup would also be great but usually involves vegetables..

@WHEREEL Note taken. Using the word 'fussy' wasn't intended as a slight on them, rather describing that they are very particular about what they eat. They believe any food that hasn't come out of a packet is weird. They aren't that old (early 60s) and they don't have dietary requirements or digestive issues, except from chronic constipation from an exclusively meat and pastry based diet... And that's totally fine! It's just not the kind of food I'd usually eat or serve to guests, and just want to make sure they are happy and catered for. Also in context they have been quite rude in the past about me being a vegetarian (MIL has made 'urgh gross' comments many times at food I've had in the fridge, or when I've been making pretty standard meals eg. veggie lasagne or greek salad) so I'm not going to worry too much about how I describe their eating habits.

quiche, croissants, fruit salad.

if you don’t mind serving meat, you could buy some chicken salad instead of the quiche.

TBH I'm surprised at the suggestions for big meals (the chicken schnitzel and chips sounds delicious BTW) given that they are going out for a big meal later. I wouldn't want to go out for dinner if I had eaten a large lunch, and I'm not a competitive undereater by any means.

Soup and rolls definitely. Don’t cook when you’re going out for dinner anyway!

Fish finger butties?

Ham sandwich and soup. Sandwiches and salad for you. Don’t make it harder than it is and they won’t want anything big if going out later.

Just get what they like, if that's Asda's sausage roll and wager thin ham on Hovis white then so be it.

You're making a deal out of nothing (and some of the replies.... Dear me!)

*wafer

M & S chicken pie, a few boiled potatoes and salad.

Do you really need help with this? You’ve been to a supermarket in your time I assume. You know what’s there.

I would go for M&S sausage rolls, bread and ham. they’ve got some fancier versions of everything.
Would your in-laws comment on food? If yes, I would just go for something they usually eat to avoid tension.
I know my parents would be very reluctant to eat something different even if it’s a different version of their usual food and would comment which would upset me and affect the day.

Hate the phrase but agree with picky bits! Big tiger loaf, lurpak, cooked rotisserie chicken, posh ham and (I’d have to do a basic salad for my own mental well-being 😅)

A big tiger loaf and stuff for everyone to help themselves to - ham, cheese, hummus, crudites, crisps etc

I'd go with bread, ham, cheese, sausage rolls, salad bits etc and just lay it out on the table for everyone to help themselves.

Go to supermarket, buy a selection of beige packet food. Done.