Week of food for Christmas for MIL and FIL visit

[LondonFox]

Long post alert!
Need to provide background.

We are having MIL and FIL for a week staying over Christmas. We have baby (10m) and toddler 2.5y.
Inlaws are quite specific about food regime as they start with first breakfast at 6am and eat every 3h until lunch at 1. They just snack around for the rest of the day. No medical issues, just the way they are used to.

Children have lunch at 12 and during summer inlaws agreed to "eat early" as it is a nightmare to have starving toddlers. However, it was just once a week lunch visit.
Now I need a full week strategy.

We normally have light lunch (soup/sandwich type/salad) and normal dinner when DH is done with work. This is kinda clashing as inlaws eat starter+main+pudding for lunch and not much after. Although FIL eats untill midnight if he likes what is around.

So I need at least five lunches and dinners that are substantial meals but not overly bizzare combos - I cannot imagine cooking pasta bolognese for lunch and stew for dinner as these holidays are last before I return to work and children go to nursery so I'd prefer spending some time with them and DH.
Delivery is out of budget and MIL does not cook.

Any food ideas for lunch and dinner combos for a day are wellcome. I need five days total.
Christmas will be big brunch and turkey for dinner as I am in no scenario roasting it for 12. Boxing Day will be leftovers.

Honestly, just stick with soup and or with lunch with a substantial shop bought pud.

If mil doesn’t cook what do they normally eat?

Your house. Your food rules.

if you previously did once a week visit then why are you having them stay for a whole week??? they will drive you absolutely demented! tell them "when in rome you eat when the romans eat!" I couldnt put up with that shit. are they expecting you to do all the cooking and clearing up for them too?????? a whole week????????????????????????/

6am breakfast? Nah mate - point them to the cereal. Is your DH shouldering some of this? I would do easy traybakes, chippy tea one night, slow cookers and some packets of digestives and custard creams.

So you are saying they demand breakfast at 6am, second breakfast at 9am, then a three course meal at 1pm and then nothing for the rest of the day?

Wow... OK thats a new one on me and I have a family of strange eating habits!

If MIL doesn't cook what do they eat at home? If the answer is ready meals then I'd do that.. tbh I'd do that anyway for them. Cheap plastic tray ready meals in the fridge/freezer that they can eat when they want, and then I'd carry on as you normally would. No way I'd be catering full dinner at lunchtime as well as an evening meal!

MIL does not like cooking with british food.
It's a lot of complaints about quality (all meat is tough, cheese is too strong etc.), questions on how long it would take to do something (like roast a chicken). We tried but when she cooked lunch was an hour + late.
Tbh it is much easier for me to do food than listen to all that drama, complaints and hungry children screeching.
I just don't have an idea what to make for them without slaving away all holidays.

Who cooks at home? I think you need to be clear with them before they arrive. They need to fit in with you and your family in your home. Tell them the times and kind of food you do at each meal.

ask them what they usually eat make a bunch of strait to oven food for them not much prep .I usually get a bunch of those easy bake party food,i would also get them some ready meals or for example fry beef mince add jar of pasta sauce mix with pasta.Or curry sauce chicken microwave sachets .Cook proper food for your family but them if they are going to be demanding cut corners .

Personally I think the easiest solution is you cook your dinner and eat it and keep their portions to be reheated st lunchtime the next day. Tgst way you’re not cooking twice!

Thank god children sleep at 6am so they have to fend for themselves and do their own oats.
At 8 I'd just offer them some fruits and whatever children have and around 10-11 I am out with children so they eat toast and whatever they find in fridge.
I drew the line at one breakfast I offer as I cannot cater for food every three hours for anyone who is not NICU newborn.

You do what you normally do OP. If they're going to stay with you for a full week (uninvited if they're anything like my PILs) then they can fit it with your eating habits and routines. If they don't like it I'm sure they can find somewhere else to stay.

Op, a big pot of soup loaded with chicken or meat and plentiful veg. Make enough to last a few days. Something like a Welsh cawl. Bread to go with it that can also be eaten with salad and roast chicken from the super market if you want to do a vegetable soup only. Desert could even be a ready made one from the supermarket.

You could even do a big tray bake that people help themselves to from the fridge, something with rice as a side.

If they have their first breakfast at 6 the next one would be due at 9 then again at 12. I’m confused by your mention of 8 and 11.

I'm so confused as to why this is a massive issue, unless it's very specific food they expect.

Leave breakfast bits out for them to have at 6 am. Then they can eat again when you have breakfast or point them towards toast at 9.

Then surely it's lunch A - swap your big meal from evening to midday and leave a portion for DH.

Have a lighter supper with leftovers from lunch for those who want more.

Does that work?

The other alternative is you cook fresh in the evening in a big enough batch for there to be leftovers for their lunch the following day... e.g. lasagne etc. You could always double the lunch batch if you don't want to do the big cook the next evening.

Not supposed to read lunch A- just lunch

Wtf

You have two tiny children and they expect some bespoke menu?!?

Surely when they are visitors in your house they eat what you have cooked, at times which suit you?

Also their eating habits aren't that strange.

They wake early and eat at 6. Then they eat a snack at 9. Then they eat a full lunch at 1pm and have a light supper.

It's not that odd to be honest.

The suggestion of your own dinner leftovers for their main/ lunch the next day is great.

Make a bigger than normal pot of whatever you and DH are eating. Put it deep at the back of the fridge so FIL won't find it as he snacks through the night.

Stock up on soup - minestrone, chicken noodle, etc.

Buy packets of biscuits or ice cream for dessert at midday.

Buy extra bread and cold cuts, cheese, etc for sandwiches.

I'd be breaking out in hives if I were you. Your H needs to pitch in in a major way.

We batch cook chilli & put in microwave containers then bung in freezer until needed.
Get part baked rolls & naan bread.
Packs of wraps. Fill with chicken or ham & salad.
Jacket spuds topped with chilli or cheese etc.
Fry off diced chicked & bacon. Cool & mix with mayo & mustard. Put on baked spud or in a part baked roll with lettuce.
Get some jars of korma sauce for chicken korma & some rice to go with it.
Pasta bakes.
Cottage pie & veg.
Lasagne & garlic bread.
Mini pork pies, cheese, ham, salad, pickles for a few ploughmans lunches.
Few loaves of bread in freezer. Toast & jam. Toasted sandwiches.
Baked beans.
Frozen battered fish/fish fingers.
breaded chicken, serve in rolls with lettuce, tomato & mayo
Get plenty of eggs. Poached or scrambled on toast.
Full english with eggs, sausages, bacon, toast or fried bread & beans. Can be lunch, not just breakfast.
Sausage casserole/any casserole.
Few tubs of ice cream & cream.
Buy ready made strudels/crumbles/fruit pies
Make mini jellies. Serve with ice cream.
Yoghurt
Selection of cereal.

Good luck!

personally I would buy tubs of humus/taramasalata, blocks of cheese, cold meets, ready prepped salads, nice fruits and nice bread - maybe those part baked baguettes that can be put in the oven. every day you lay out the bits, cut some fruit and cucumber/Tom's etc. and adults can assemble their own sandwiches. if they want a hot meal, just offer left overs from dinner the day before. no way can you be cooking two hot meals a day for a whole week. perhaps also buy some quiches that can be baked easily and some gourmet pies? then dinner you can do a mix of some more special items a couple days like a nice ragu/lasagne, shepherd's pie, homemade pizza and then also try some one tray meals like a salmon and pest bake or a chicken tray bake.

just have a plan, your plan, not dictated by them and stick to it.

Why is this your problem to solve?

Obviously do some 'hosting' but they shouldn't be sitting around expecting to be waited on, especially as you have two LOs to care for.

If they won't eat the type of food you are used to cooking and have the time/energy for, they either cook for themselves, buy in or DH cooks for them.

What will happen if you just say 'we're having soup, help yourselves'? Maybe bulked up with bread and a bought pudding?

Who normally cooks for them and what type of food do they eat? Do you like their food and are you confident making it?