What shall I serve with this (sort of) cassoulet?

[TinfoilTwat]

I have 12 people coming for dinner on Saturday. It needs to be fancy-ish?? (Can't just throw pizza at them) I have absolutely no time this week. The meal has to be vegetarian and gluten free.

I was thinking I could do a large vegetarian sort of cassoulet thing with gf veggie sausages (I know of a really nice brand) and lots of beans and rich tomato. And serve it with garlic bread (not GF I know but the GF person can easily skip that bit and won't mind).

Should I do rice? Polenta? Roast potatoes? Salad? Green beans? I think I need something else on the table.

What shall I do for nibbles? Or a starter?

Pudding?

I'd love green veg with that if you have space to steam green beans and broccoli or cavelo nero.

We have non-VG cassoulet fairly frequently, and the bread and green beans sound perfect. That's basically what we have with it a lot of the time (or we swap the bread for roast potatoes 🤤).

Canapés for nibbles. Buy blinis and put pate on, smoked salmon mouse, cheese and pickle. Easy to eat whilst people are milling around, they can help themselves and you can make them earlier in the day.

Yes, green veg - lightly sautéed in garlic probably. Good idea.

Unfortunately blinis and pate are neither gluten free or vegetarian, but I'm sure they'd be popular at a different dinner.

Turn it more north african, add some spices and chickpeas and serve with couscous? Can also then add in lots of carrots and parsnips for bulk

If you want to get a gf sub for garlic bread most supermarkets do garlic and coriander nan breads (2 per pack about £2) that are lovely toasted with butter. They sell out though so you might have a problem getting them. They are one of my fave gf baked products.

Couscous isn't gluten free.
Millet or quinoa make good gf subs for couscous.

Lots of green veg, crusty bread and wine with it sounds delicious

I serve with crusty bread or focaccia. I serve either merenguez sausages for meat or Linda McCartney chorizo sausages.

Baked potato or mash
Green veg
Couscous
Salad
Anything really, I'd just have the crusty bread but that's not very gluten free

Roast potatoes is the correct answer

I might do roast parsnips as well. Just because one of the people coming absolutely adores roast parsnips.

Nibbles: ?? Maybe something from the freezer heated up? I'm working online until 20 minutes before people arrive.

Main: Cassoulet, garlic bread, green veg, roast snips

Pud: ??? Crumble probably? And custard.

Lots of wine. Chocolates and coffee afterwards.

Oh so sorry, I didn't register the gluten free part

Mash is great with cassoulet.
Nibbles- falafel with dip
Melon Prosciutto Skewers are fab easy and pre prepped.
Blinks could be swapped for a slice of cucumber as the base for salmon and cream cheese with dill top
Croquettes
Baked brie
Rice paper veg rolls
Charcuterie & Cheese Board

Are oatcakes gluten free? If so, you could put ready-made vegetarian pate, tapenade or hummus on mini oatcakes.

Would your crumble and custard be gluten free? A very quick and easy pudding would be a classic chocolate mousse, which is all the better for being made well in advance. www.thekitchengardensomerset.com/amp/the-perfect-chocolate-mousse (Elizabeth David's recipe - very simple and doesn't take long to make if you are confident with melting chocolate and whipping egg whites)

I do sausage and bean casserole with twice baked potatoes

Cassoulet is our traditional Boxing Day dinner (really don't know how it came about!) - I always serve with a green leafy salad and crusty bread.

I think the kale sounds lovely - might have to steal this idea for Boxing Day!