Simple, quick lunch needed for school friend reunion

[jenthehen]

Have offered to host reunion for 4 school friends with babies and toddlers. Thought I would do something simple but hopefully stylish so I don't look completely incapable as I flap around after my baby and toddler. Our meal times are usually chaotic b ut I would love to appear calm and in control tomorrow. As we're approaching the festive season I thought I'd try a Panetone and mincemeat dessert I've seen in Nigel Slaters book but I've no idea what to do for the main meal. Any ideas? Even sandwiches would be ok but I'd like ideas for something a bit more exciting than cheese and pickle?

You just can't go wrong with a lasagne. Prepare it in advance, buy a salad bag and garlic bread, then when it's time to eat, you can glide around the kitchen in a domestic-goddess way.

I cheat to make lasagne though, so you might want to use a proper recipe

colditzcolditzcold, what is your lasagne cheat?

buy a sainsburys lasagna there huge serve 4 and only £2.99 abd there lush

Home made lentil soup gives a completely misleading impression of domestic goddessery. I've misled people this way for years, and recently found out that Claudia Roden has an even easier version (I was told this by one of the best cooks I know, in fact). Chop an onion or two (and in my case some garlic as well), cook up with red lentils in water/stock (I use that Marigold powder stuff), after about 10 minutes add some ground cumin (buy a packet of ready-ground if you don't have a grinder and can't be arsed to fuss with bashing it up) and some frozen chopped spinach (those weird spinach nuggets are fine for this), finish cooking (when the lentils are soft), add as much lemon juice as you feel like (or decent vinegar will do at a pinch) and if you feel like it blend it (if that's too challenging, don't bother, it'll still be fab).

Howzat?

If you really want to appear calm, cheat the whole thing and splurge on ready mades. You can get some excellent ones in Waitrose.

Otherwise cook something you can do in advance and just pull out of the oven, like lasagne - after all everone does it because they love it.

I just use a jar of dolmio, and a jar of cheese-ish sauce. Then when you've put it all together, sprinkle cheese on the top. Even if they can tell you have cheated, they won't care because it tastes nice

Thanks everyone I completely cheated and did the lasagne and garlic bread with a green salad. followed with stollen and coffee. Nobody cared that it was shop bought, like me they all just seemed grateful that they could sit and relax for a while. Thanks again1