Oh FFS sake, please help me ... I actully have to cook something edible... for real people!

[Disenchanted]

On a budget too

Its DHs birthday on Monday, FIL left a message on the phone asking if we wanted to go to his... I didn't so blurted out to DH I thought I would cook here for DH and his brother and family ... now he has gone and invited FIL and girlfriend plus a few other too

arghhh!!

What the hell do I cook?

I was thinking just casual food outside rather than a 'meal' as we dont have a dining room, but have dining set outside iykwim.

Am feel a bit intimidated actully

what can you cook

get thee to marks and sparks first thing on monday morning, lady, and avail yourself of a couple of ten pound deals.

I'm an OK cook, I like cooking for my little family, DH me and 2 toddlers but never cooked for more than that.

Can cook most things but not feeling confident with the big number of people coming.

How many people?

I don't think I can afford that Will be 10 adults so would cost £50 of M&S meals plus kids food too.

10 adults and 4 toddlers.

what about sausages and pesto mash or mustard mash with onion gravy?

red wine

cheesecake or fruit platter

do a larger quantity of the meal you feel most confident in and buy a nice dessert.
if you find cooking a larger amount too daunting, batch cook a meal you can prepare ahead ikswim

if you don't like cooking, do easy stuff.

So do a pud you can do in advance. Can you manage a pavlova? REALLY, surprisingly easy and you can do it in advance and shove in the fridge (or buy a lemon tart from somewhere and serve it with ice cream).

What do you like doing for mains? Salmon is easy?

Do a big salad too.

I think sticking to something simple and stylish is the best idea and everyone can eat sausage and mash - even the children.

do a nice roast. They are a piece of piss and a lot can be done the day before. Always look impressive on the plate.

or have a barbeque

Ok do you like sausages? I was thinking maybe a nice cassoulet? Very hearty and casual, have with jacket spuds and cheap too.

Don't crucify me if its not authentic...

3/4 nice sausages per person
2 tins chopped toms
1 carton passata
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
big handful of mushrooms
1/2 pint of veg stock
Thyme
Rosemary
If you are feeling flush 1 chicken leg or thigh each, if feeling posh indeed a duck leg each!

Ok tomato amounts not set in stone,but fry onions and brown the meat. Put in large casserole dish with everything else and put in a moderatley hot oven for an hour and a half.

Serve with your spuds and maybe some nice garlicky green beans. Cheap, filling and tasty.

For afters just pull out a small box of chocs and a pot of coffee. And don't apologise for anything! They're getting cooked for which is a treat x

Could ask everyone to bring something and then have a buffet.

am thinking burgers with big baps and big ornate salad.

or sausage casserole - bang it into a pan - leAVE it

Well you want it to look like you have made a bit of an effort so I would go for poaching a couple of side of salmon and serving them cold with lots of bread and salads and lots of jersey royals tossed in mint butter.

Awww bless you all suggesting sausages .. but I hate them, I don't ever eat them and Im pregnant and they make me ill so can't even face preparing them for anyone else as I hate them so much

what about a big fat mexican feast?

you know, nachos starters with salsa, sour cream and guacamole, then for main chilli and rice and something fruity for dessert. pineappley fruit salad maybe, with ice cream? (i didn't realise it was so many people, sorry). that's easy and everyone likes that kind of food imo and ime and the chilli needn't be hot, you can spice it with cloves etc.

Buy six blocks of vanilla ice cream and stick them together to make a big square and then decorate them with whipped cream and sweeties and stick some candles in it and that can be dessert and birthday cake.

Veggie lasagne, meat lasagne, huge bowls of salad and nice bread?

Followed by icecream with maltesers for the littlies and icecream with coffee poured over for the biggies?

Easy peasy.

Or a sort of middle eastern picky thing would work well outside: olives, taboulleh etc - with baklava and fresh fruit to follow.

Lasagne and salad and garlic bread

if you're eating outside, get sparklers. they're so exciting that no one will care what's on the table...

weather forecast is not good for monday!!

OOh I like the mexican feast idea ...

could do nachos, enchilladas, mmmmmmm

also like the lasagne idea tooo ...

will ask DH and see which he prefers.

Oh dammit!

You're right, heavy rain forecast here.

I can't have everyone in the house, its tiny Theres no room, no table ... its just not going to work.

If Its raining i'll have to tell him to cancel