Meal idea needed

[Grumpynan]

Im in need of inspiration please please help.

theres a family type festival in town this weekend and I have family/friends who are planning to go watch the festival then come back to me for a meal.

I like casual no fuss eating, not a sit down meal, there will be 8 adults 1 child and 1 vegetarian, one of the adults is a nursing mum hence the casual meal to work around feeding etc.

I’m not sure what time they will be arriving anywhere from 5 - 6 ish. They might well almost certainly with this weather, be cold and hungry. So I need something I can serve half an hour or so after they arrive, but is flexible, I will be staying at home so will be able to prep/cook while they are out but would like something fuss free once they arrive ( I need baby cuddles)

Last time I did a leg of lamb and a chicken which I served with taco/wraps/dips/salads etc. it went down so well but has set a bar which I at least need to meet !

The best I can come up with is jacket or hasselback potatoes with perhaps a lamb or chicken tagine, or a leg of pork and honey roast veg . Don’t know about the little one eating that though.

That’s it, I’m otherwise stuck.

There’s no real budget, but I need to be realistic!

I like casual no fuss eating, not a sit down meal

You can have casual eating and sit down - do you mean people need to be able to eat off their laps/with one hand? Will they eg serve themselves from pans/dishes in the kitchen and then find somewhere to sit or stand?

If one hand then a tagine or curry with couscous/rice would be great as can eat one-handed with a fork (naan a bit trickier)

Curry? One meat, one vegetarian, keep warm in slow cookers?

Pulled pork. Jackfruit for the vegetarian?

I really mean to help yourself and eat where you like sort of thing. I have open plan kitchen and tend to lay everything out along the sides and kitchen table and people can either wonder through to the living room or sit at the kitchen table or go through to the dining room. These visitors often eat here and I find mostly we hang around the kitchen and some eat at the table and some milling around ( normally the men doing the milling as they are great foodies and love to help cook/serve as well as constantly help themselves to the food !

it’s just the taco bar with the leg of lamb went down so well, and I’m known for my cooking, I’ve just blanked this time on ideas.

DH suggested pizza - everyone assemble their own type of thing, but that just doesn’t appeal to me, that’s more a summer thing in my mind

Chilli- one meat, one sweet potato. Then have a selection of jacket potatoes, rice, nachos, salad, sour cream, guacamole etc that people can serve with it in whatever way they want. All can be prepped in advance and just heated up when everyone arrives!

I'd go for a Fireworks night vibe given the weather, so second chillies - one meat, one veggie. I'd do a tray of wedges rather than baked spuds because I don't think a baked pot is special. Lots of toppings, rice, wraps. Make your own tortilla chips from cut up wraps (OMG, so good!). Make the meat chilli from slow-cooked brisket rather than mince if you want to feel fancy.

Im beginning to head down the chilli route, but have also wondered about Moroccan, lamb and apricot tagine / chicken and lemon couscous/flatbreads

my new concern is the feeding mum, can she eat slightly spicy food ?. I know I could ask her, but she loves her food and hates making a fuss, I feel she will go with whatever I cook and suffer or go without, I’m probably over thinking this, I normally do !

Re the feeding mum I think it would be nice and not weird if you asked her if there's anything she'd particularly like to avoid (or particularly like to see). It doesn't have to be a fuss.

I’d go Greek, if you’re worried about the spice. Slices of spanakopita, a bowl of gigantes plaki, pitta bread, tzatziki, chicken souvlaki and maybe a bowl of stifido.

A tray of lasagne and one of macaroni cheese? Garlic bread, salad.
Fish Pie add vegetable cottage pie with green veg.
Chicken curry, veg curry, naan, popodoms, chutney, raita
Sausage/veggie sausage casserole with mash and green veg.

If last time was a success- do something similar?
Greek style pulled pork, substantial salads, couscous or tabouleh. roasted veg, lentils, lots of dips, crudités and filo feta stuff.
North African style- any slow cooked meat either pulled or as tagine, and similar sides to above. I'm hungry now!

Curry with rice and sides is nice and I think your tagline idea would also go down well.

If you want to stick with something similar but different to what you did last time what about something like a slow cooked pork belly, some lovely wraps (proper wraps/flat breads rather than tortilla wraps), and lots of things to add - sort of pork souvlaki style - so some picked veggies, some sauces like tzatziki, garlic sauce, hummus, crispy onions etc. Add lots of falafel = perhaps different types - so there's also options for the vegetarian and people can add the falafel to their flatbreads if they prefer.

If you don't mind cooking as you go - hamburgers? Prepare things like fried bacon, mushrooms, onions, salad, tomato, avocado etc and then just cook the patties soon after everyone arrives?

Today I found this recipe https://aniasvibrantkitchen.com/chicken-parmesan-recipe-by-natashas-kitchen/ I think it is amazing and simple. My daughter try to cook it with me now

My go-to is boeuf bourguignon, with mash/rice and some steamed greens as a side, maybe roasted carrots too.

The beef benefits from being made ahead and is very tolerant of being kept warm (unlike chicken/pork that dries out too easily).

Very hearty for this weather.

I suggested this a few times on here recently and one OP made it and liked it. I was so chuffed.

Parboil chunks of pumpkin. Make your favourite Italian tomato sauce.
Slice the pumpkin chunks and layer them with the sauce like lasagne. Add bacon bits or crumble Greek feta in for a salt hit.
Breadcrumbs and cheese on top and into a mod oven until golden.

Filling and forgiving.

Menu planned, just got to cook it now and hope they like it as much as the taco bar. The leg of lamb is a favourite for everyone so doing another.

jamie Oliver Moroccan roast leg of lamb

chicken and apricot tagine

falafel and chickpea tagine ( vegetarian option )

moroccan style chicken tray bake ( basically chicken fillets on a bed of peppers/butternut/tomato/onion with a little harrisa to give it the Moroccan vibe

couscous and rice

flatbreads

olives / hummus / tzatziki with dippy things

dessert - a fruit platter (pineapple/melon/mango/grapes/kiwi
Profiterole

Crème brûlée

I hope they like it

That sounds delicious!

I love a greek / Mediterranean / middle eastern mezze - a mix of hot and cold

cold - all vegi too

bean salad
dolmades
tomato salad
baba ganoush
yoghurt dip(s)
hummus

Add some baby cucumber slices and lemon wedges to garnish and for squeezing over food.

Hot / warm

meatballs
kebabs (chicken/ lamb / kofta)
pita bread
baked feta cheese
falafel
cous cous
greek style filo parcels - spinach and cheese
chargrilled peppers / mediterranean veg

You can make most of it ahead of time, or buy it. You can serve it all at once or take things out of the oven as they are cooked.

OOps I should have read the fill thread.