Can you cooking whizzes suggest some easy-to-sling-together recipes that can sit in the oven until we need it

[castille]

Friends coming for dinner with their kids. The blokes are going off to a show and they have no idea how long they will be.

The children will eat before us so I think I need something I can dip into for them and leave on a low heat in the oven (say) for the grown ups, without it drying up. Unless I feed them something different entirely. Visiting kids are picky eaters.

Need inspiration please!

Why don't you pre make some lasagne or cottage pie if you do it in two dishes, you can cook the kids one earlier, then when you know the blokes are on their way, you can sling the other one in the oven?

Lasagne - love it, but it's not very quick to make and time is not on my side today!
Cottage pie would be great, but we had it the night before last or I'd have def done that.

Leafing through recipe books but nothing is leaping out at me.

spag bol?

Sausage casserole and mash.
Mild chilli & pitta breads and/or rice.
Tomato pasta bake.
Baked potatoes with beans/cheese/whatever.
Macaroni cheese.

Make a pasta sauce. Cook pasta shapes for the dc's early. Then fancy it up with linguine, parmesan and a green salad for the adults.

Slow cooked lamb shanks with butter beans and apricots only get better the longer you cook it for too.

What about a big pot of chilli. Serve with rice for the kids and then reheat with tacos, salsa, guacamole, sour cream etc for you later?

Like the sound of lamb shanks. And chilli. And spag bol in fact. Sausage casserole would be great if the sausages here (france) weren't so fatty and vile.

Will list your suggestions to DH, see what he best likes the sound of, as my brain is apparently incapable of making a decision today

Thanks all.