Inspire me! What party dishes work well as either meat or veggie?

[MissNowt]

Am hosting a pal’s leaving party in a few weeks - 20 people +/-. I’d love to do the same main dish - one veggie, one not, & everyone share the sides. What’s out there other than lasagne, veggie lasagne? Chili & veggie chili? Curry & veggie curry?
I want to make something a bit more exciting. I wondered about paella & roast veg paella or mushroom paella? I love the coconutty Brazilian spicy chicken. Has anyone tried a veggie version of it? I could do pizzas but that’s a bit full on & I like to do as much prep as possible in advance. I can seat 14 but envisage most people will just eat with a plate & a fork. Would really appreciate some inspiration! 🙏

Everyone loves curry. How about Thai Green curry with tofu for the veggies and chicken for the meat eaters.

Vegetable Biryani and then a Chicken Biryani?

If you like spicy Brazilian chicken how about using squash and chickpea or beans for a veggie one. It’s definitely more original than the other ideas so a change for everyone. You could do lamb or chicken tagine and squash or sweet potato tagine with lovely sides for all like fruity couscous or bulghar wheat with lots of fresh herbs, lemon and tomato.
Or do a huge chicken and ham crusty pie or veggie pie with sides of salads or veg.
Or go Greek with lamb pepper and tomato marinaded kebabs or veggie kebabs and serve with tzatziki, flatbreads, babaganoush etc.
What a lovely colleague you are OP. Good luck.

Tacos? I’ve got mushrooms roasting in the oven right now for mushroom tacos. Recipe is from Ottolenghi ‘flavour’ - can probably find it online. They are delicious.

Curry, Indian or Far Eastern,
Tacos or chilli or any Mexican-ish spread
pies, beef, chicken, or cheese and leak
Somosas or pasties
lasagne, salads, breads
poke bowls
burgers; beef or bean with all the toppings,
noodles, or fried rice
suet pudding (veg suet makes better crust) mushroom or meat
baked potatoes and mixed toppings

I've made paella for >20, just needs a bit of planning.
It's possible to cook a lot of the ingredients in advance, store correctly & then assemble & add finishing touches. I swapped my usual chicken stock for veggie, & fried some tofu to add protein for non-carnivores.

A selection of tapas & salads would go well, & possibly a gallon glass of rioja per head.

Wow thank you everyone! Some great ideas on here!

Tagine - either chicken or lamb for the meat, and a chickpea or lentil variant for the veggie. Serve with couscous, flatbreads and yogurt. Tagine work well for entertaining because they’re best prepared in advance so the flavours can develop.

What a lovely thing to do.

I think there are easier dishes to prepare for 20 than paella. I’d also avoid lasagne if not everyone can sit as it can be difficult to eat with a fork.

What about moussaka? Puy lentils and mushrooms could replace the lamb mince for veggies. (tip: brush the aubergine slices with oil and bake in the oven, much less time consuming than cooking in batches in a pan)
Optionally serve with Greek salad.

if you wanted nibbles to start, homemade hummus using tinned chickpeas is quick and easy, serve with homemade pitta chips. Instead of Greek salad as a side, you could ‘deconstruct’ and serve bowls olives , cherry tomatoes and Marinated cubes of feta as nibbles.