quick starter and desert ideas

[hatterselfamerrymerrychristmas]

We've got 8 people for dinner tonight. Turkey and ham pie for main (no prizes for originality). What else? Minimu effort required, especially at the serving stage - can't be doing with faffing when people are here. Was thinking about poached pears. Any other ideas? Can you buy haggis from Waitrose and if so how do you cook it?

We've also got 8 for dinner, and i'm very originally doing smoked salmon and prawns for starters - just buy it, arrange on a plate with thin buttered bread, lemon, dill and cracked pepper. Pudding, i cheated and ordered waitrose entertaining raspberry creme brulee cheescakes as i can't cook puddings. Cheesecakes are easy, so is chocolate mousse. hth

Oh, and yes, you can get haggis in waitrose. Ive seen it many times and toyed with it, then not bought it.

Love poached pears - with a blob of really good ice cream and choc sauce !

Ice cream and Melted Mars Bars

Just melt the mars bars in a splash of milk and pour over vanilla ice-cream .. yummy

We are entertaining too. We are having ciabatta with olives and warm olive oil for dipping, followed by tomato, avacado and mozzerella salad with basil leaves, then a prvencal chicken thing with linguini. I've settled on profitteroles for dessert but I nearly bought a lemon tart instead. I also thought about baked apples with minemeat inside (that might fit in with the post Christmas theme).

Hope you have a lovely time.

thanks guys. a friend just offered to do a starter so I think it'll be poached pears. DH has already done the pie