Meal idea

[OliveLion]

We are having friends over for drinks on Saturday afternoon. Will do pizza and veg for the kids but was looking for food inspiration for adults. There will only be four of us, and they will leave by 7/8 to put kids in bed but wanted to throw something easy / picky on the table at around 5. Any ideas?

A cheese board with crackers, grapes, chutney, olives, pates, deli meat etc...

A couple of curries, naan, popadoms, mango chutney, raita

Fondue? With sourdough for dipping, also potatoes and other vegetables (including cornichons, they go really well!)

If you’re putting pizza out for the kids I guarantee that the adults will want a slice. So I’d just do more pizza but perhaps some more “grown up” toppings.

Yeah, I'd be inclined to do a more sophisticated pizza option for adults. I'm a big believer in making the better quality supermarket pizzas even better. I usually buy the ones with lots of veg, then pimp them up. The trick is to add extra cheese (cheddar is actually totally fine) as well as whatever you like. So I usually do at least one with something like bacon/pancetta and some extra garlic oil. Then perhaps something a bit spicier so a good chorizo or salami, with some fresh chilli or chilli oil. Some feta works really well here too. Then perhaps one veggie pizza with just extra goats cheese.

I agree. You smell pizza at any age, you want pizza! Also noting the idea of garlic oil, chilli oil, truffle oil, and now I want a pizza too!

I don't want to toot my own horn too much... ... but I'm actually quite famous for making pizza taste significantly better than if you just slap it straight into the oven from the packaging. And yes, using some flavoured oil (even on a bog standard normal pizza, a drizzle of olive oil really makes a difference) is ONE of my tricks. Extra cheese (cheddar) is another. Feta - there's not enough feta on pizzas in this country and when there is, it's stingy.

Also higher quality meat than what comes, even on the "nicer" pizzas. I'll always choose to buy my dried/smoked meats separately and add it to myself. Generously.

A little sprinkle of dried oregano can make a difference too.

Thank you all ❤️