What's an easy dish to prepare for guests coming after a long trip tonight?

[AlanJohnsonsBeamer]

We have some friends coming over from Australia tonight but I don't know the exact time they will arrive. I wanted something ready for when they get here, perhaps something light. I won't be able to cook when they are here as DS will be asleep and it's very loud in the house when our oven is on.

So, something that can be eaten cold or something I can hold in the slower cooker perhaps? I won't make pasta as guest is Italian and I won't be able to make anything that can compare to her pasta. She's the best at it 😆

Any thoughts? I have brain fog and I've been looking up recipes but I'm feeling uninspired.

Quiche, served with salad. Cook ahead and then it can be eaten either warm or cold depending what time they arrive.

Same would be true of any other kind of tart, onion, tomato...

I'd do a roast chicken so they can have it cold with salad, bread etc plus cheese and crackers. Also leave out some fruit and treats like muffins, brownies, cake

I'd have some soups, breads, cheese, cold meat, salad items & fruit available. That way, they can eat as much or as little as they want, eat what they like from it and it also doesn't have the formality of sitting down to a proper meal and having to make polite conversation if you're horribly jet-lagged, hungry and exhausted.

I'd also let them know they can help themselves to that if they wake up super early and are hungry.

I second soup, bread, bits to make sandwiches up. Cups of tea and crumpets for just before bed.

I really struggle to eat anything too heavy and rich after a long flight.

Yes, cold salad stuff. Cold saysage/hams , boiled eggs, potato salad, couscous, houmous, feta, flatbread, tomatoes, olives , dressing etc etc. They can help themselves as they may be very hungry or not or too let lagged.

Thanks so much everyone. I actually think it's a really good idea having picky bits. It's such a long journey for them and I wanted something nicer than the plane food they've but absolutely not a sit down meal. I'll pop to Tesco and get a variety of bits like roasted chicken, quiche, soups and stuff. That'll really take the pressure off me as well.

The last time I made that flight I remember being a walking zombie for a few days

Tea and crumpets is a great idea. I was thinking of making some blackberry jam today as I'm inundated with them in the garden.

And a fruit platter.

If I'd flown from Australia and was offered quiche I'd sit down and cry.

I think they get 3 meals on the plane so not sure they will want a lot and may just want to sleep. I would get something like cheeses, grapes, crackers, Parma ham, chutney, maybe nice bread if you can find it. And some nice drinks in. But they may just want a bed.

I forgot to update.

So I ended up serving a variety of picky bits. Salad, chicken, quiche, breads, Italian meats, houmous, cakes, olives, cheeses etc...
It was basically like a buffet and they had two huge plates each then went to bed. Success!

Thanks again everyone

Haha. I'm not a quiche fan personally 😆