Help me plan a menu please!

[Brunelofbrio]

I’m looking forward to having visitors a couple of weeks before Christmas - and I need some inspiration for menus.

I’m an enthusiast cook and pretty competent so happy to be a bit ambitious with the cooking but it will be a large group 6 adults 3 kids and I need to watch the budget closely. Some stuff that I can slow cook or make in advance would help too.

So what would you like to see at a pre Christmas meet up? I dinner and 1 lunch & breakfast and snacks.

TIA

So for breakfasts, I'd recommend buying in some par-baked and/or frozen pastries/bread etc - eg frozen croissants, par-baked rolls etc. Then you can have a selection of spreads, perhaps some cheese or meat (not normal stuff for us but nice at Christmas), fresh fruit. I usually make smoothies (frozen mixed berries, fresh bananas, apple juice, greek yoghurt) when we have guests too. Selection of cereal.

The bread cna be handy for lunches too - and perhaps a better use of cheese/ meat! Add some olives and pickles and a large pot of fresh soup.

snacks - I am not sure I'd be rushing to have snacks at all times but crisps, biscuits etc? Or you could bake something and have in a tin?

Dinner - depends on which night it is - eg is it the day they arrive, or the end of a busy day with lots going on. If the former, I'd go for something ike a slow roasted lamb shoulder. You can do it as a roast but I like that kind of thing with a more mediterranean feeling with salads/ med dips like hummus etc.

If it's while they're there, perhaps a curry or casserole that doesn't involve a lot of prep and can be left in the stove or in the oven? That also keeps cost down by using a cheaper cut of meat.

Quiches and this sausage plait for lunch realfood.tesco.com/recipes/sausage-plait-with-caramelised-onions.html, with green salad. Smoked salmon and a vegetarian option for the quiches.

Slow cooker ham for dinner, either in bread rolls with coleslaw and apple sauce, or with jacket potatoes

www.taste.com.au/recipes/slow-cooker-pulled-maple-christmas-ham-recipe/pfvhmuuz

Beef bourgignon is lovely, with mash and carrots.
Obviously a roast chicken/two with trimmings.
Slow roasted pork, served with Boulangere potatoes and broccoli.
Veggie lasagne.
Lentil daal with spinach, with rice.
Bean chilli, with rice and flatbread.
Make dips like hummus and tzatziki and get plenty of nice bread.
Several cheeses, hard, soft, blue, from different countries.
Smoked salmon with soda bread.
Winter salad with green lentils, shaved sprouts, radicchio/bitter leaves, sliced pears, chestnuts, pancetta and pomegranate seeds. With a little good olive oil and lemon.
Treacle sponge with custard.
Pavlova with winter berries.
Panatone (bought or made)

@BobbyBiscuits now I’m drooling 🤤 Some lovely suggestions. Thank you all!

A giant lasagne. My favourite is Nigella's Lasagne of Love

Venison casserole slow cooked with port, dried and fresh mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, beef stock and chestnuts added enar end (can buy vacuum packed for ease). Mash and greens.

pud brownies, icecream, roasted figs or pears

lunch smoked salmon and prawn spinach roulade or homemade chicken and veg OR soup, crusty bread, cheeseboard, black seedless grapes.

snacks roasted chickpease in olive oil salt and spices

Breakfast
A selection of frozen pastries and cinnamon buns, fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, cranberry juice and non alcoholic Prosecco (or the real stuff)
Oven cooked bacon and scrambled eggs
Large pigs in blankets in rolls

Lunch
Chestnut soup with crispy pancetta and a swirl of cream and rosemary and potato sourdough, and tomato soup with cheese bread for fussy eaters
Raclette with charcuterie and a Christmas ham
A sausage roll wreath, Brie and cranberry parcels,, quiche, and salads

Dinner
Roast chicken with all the sides
Bouef bourgignon and gratin dauphinoise
Coq au vin and piped mash baked in the oven
Gammon and gratin dauphinoise (unless you do raclette for lunch…)

Puddings
Trifle
Yule log
White chocolate iced berries (hot chocolate sauce poured over frozen berries)
Pavlova
Basque burnt cheesecake
Mincemeat strudel
Chocolate fondue

Snacks
Homemade German Christmas cookies/Lebkuchen/gingerbread and some chocolate/chocolate orange plainer cookies for fussy eaters
Mini mince pies
Christmas crisps
Cheese straws
Hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream and Baileys

Apart from the roast and scrambled eggs, those are all things that can be preprepared and bunged in the oven or reheated on the hob in minutes. Enjoy you guests, don’t spend the day in the kitchen! Unless you want to get away to have some space! 😂

If everyone eats fish and budget allows, 2 more easy lunch ideas are:
Poached salmon, potato salad, lentil salad and a green salad is another easy lunch
Smoked salmon and sour cream on potato rosti

@Brunelofbrio you've got a feast with all these suggestions! Venison stew sounds fantastic as well. I've not tried that. I'm getting some inspo now too. I just need guests? 🤣🤣

Oh wow! Hungry now 🤣 Think a venison casserole sounds amazing for the dinner and I might change the plan and do a brunch and a Christmassy afternoon tea.