Easy meal for DD11 (and me!) to cook for Mothers Day for 8

[FusionChefGeoff]

I enjoy cooking and will have the morning free with DD to prep something for a main meal lunch for 8 on Mother’s Day. However, I’d like to keep it fun and stress free - and don’t want to do a roast.

Happy to buy a load of pre prepped stuff so was maybe thinking of a quiche / nice bread / cheese and meat spread - but that maybe feels too much the other way and too boring!

Any suggestions for a good centrepiece perhaps that I can then add some shop or homemade sides to??

I'd make 'Marry Me Chicken ' and buy all the sides to make it easier. I don't know anyone who didn't think this dish was delicious.

Ok can definitely google a recipe for that - what’s good with it?

@FusionChefGeoff I think it's best with mash or new potatoes and green veg.

Spag bol - easy to do a pan with meat and sauce and a pan with spaghetti?

What is her favorite food? What does she have if you go to a restaurant ?

I know you said no roast but baking a salmon in the oven ( can be fillets or a side or two) is super easy, serve with baby potaoes, dill yoghurt, grain mustard, lemons and some veg - maybe sweetheart cabbage and peas or a salad 0r make tatziki or buy some and serve the slamon with couscous and greek style salad.

If you buy in all premade stuff inside you could make a cake or dessert with your daughter instead

Gnocchi pasta bake with green salad and garlic bread

A big lasagne you can make the day before, and then on the day just pop it in the oven and serve with salad and garlic bread. Or a big chilli (again, make the day before) served with rice, salad, taco shells, sour cream, cheese, salsa, and jalapeños- that always goes down well.

I usually do this if we’ve got people coming but the problem is our Saturday is really busy so we’ve only got Sunday morning and chilli is definitely nicer with a long slow cook and i like lasagne that’s had time to settle!

She loves bolognaise - but I’m over thinking that it’s too basic for a family lunch?? And we eat it a lot 😆

Definitely like the idea of buying more and maybe focussing on making a lovely dessert.

Pork in the slow cooker for pulled pork?
just make a salad, get some rolls, not much effort at all.

We don’t really have time for a slow cooker either! Wont get anything ready to go in until 10ish and we want to eat around 2

Beef, mushrooms and red wine casserole . Make it on the Friday it will be well marinated and even nicer by Sunday serve with green veg and new potatoes
or a lamb casserole made on Friday

Ok I obviously didn’t explain myself very well - I enjoy cooking and I love spending time with DD in the kitchen. She gets so excited and proud when she’s cooked something it gives me a real
kick. So I don’t need something that’s make ahead or shove in the slow cooker.

Im after something that can done reasonably easily in around 4 hours from start to clear up. Possibly with a couple of sides / extras to jazz it up that we can buy OR if we’re feeling brave attempt to make ourselves.

I think greek food would serve you well. A spanakopita with lemon potatoes and a Greek salad.

There are a couple of other cretan dishes i make too.

One is rolled aubergines. Fry the aubergines in long strips. Once cool get a small chunk of feta and wrap in an aubergine slice. Fill a casserole dish with the little rolls. Top with a tomato sauce. I usually make one with left over bits of the aubergine. Crumble any left over feta on top and bake.

The other is dakos. Buy krisp rolls (the Swedish ones in the bag). And big ripe tomatoes.

Grate the tomato and season. Dip the krisp rolls in iced water to soften. Pile on the grated tomato. Finish with feta crumbs. You can add garlic, oregano, or anything else you fancy to the tomatoes. Really delicious.

Spaghetti and meatballs with a nice salad and some homemade garlic bread? Similar to Bolognese but she might enjoy making the meatballs herself.

Taming twins https://www.tamingtwins.com/chicken-kiev-pasta/ really tasty, simple, serve with salad or green veg and garlic bread .

Lemon chicken - chicken thighs (or breast if you prefer) baked in the oven with a little stock, garlic, herbs, lemon juice and fresh lemon slices. Look at The Modern Nonna recipe. It's delicious!
Serve with rice and a green salad.

Dessert - taste tatin is fairly easy. Buy a tin of caramel, and the pastry. Prep apples, add a little cinnamon, serve with whipped cream and/or ice cream.

Have a lovely day!

Throw a leg or shoulder of lamb into the oven, parboil waxy potatoes (crumble less) toss in oil and dried oregano and roast, roast a tray of Mediterranean veggies (peppers, courgettes, aubergine and onion for instance) which is perfect for your dd to help prepare. Make a Greek salad, again perfect for your dd to help with just don’t add the olive oil until about to serve, make tzatziki (cheat version is Greek yogurt with a spoon of mint sauce, kind for lamb, stirred in and add chopped cucumber) then buy olives, crusty bread if you don’t fancy making some, perhaps other antipasti if they take your fancy. It’s home made mostly made simple fresh food but high impact and very doable in the time frame you have

For dessert I opt for Roly poly myself, I use Jamie Oliver’s recipe cooked over a rack in the oven but if you only have one oven you could do a steamed lemon and dried fruit pudding which has the right vibes for a Greek meal

If you want a marry me chicken recipe, I cooked this earlier in the week and it was a hit. She can also watch the youtube video in the link within the recipe. 😋

www.recipetineats.com/chicken-with-creamy-sun-dried-tomato-sauce/

This is just not a special effort meal.
a weekday easy meal.
I would try something much better op. A good curry or two, some homemade naan breads, a lovely salad, raita.
Thats a proper meal to me for hosting and can so easily be done in 4 hours.

@Isthateveryonethen rude. It might not be a culinary masterpiece but it was a suggestion for a meal for an 11 year old to cook with her mum, and it can be as special or as simple as you make it.
Many people also have curry on a week night....I know I do.

My best Mother's Day meal was homemade pasta handkerchiefs with homemade pesto , it was delicious

Made with lau chicken stir fry tastes amazing and is quick https://www.madewithlau.com/recipes/chicken-stir-fry?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHXH0d0ouyY7HYCtKIImRpCbKApc7NDPpKdKTFAonR2duDmRDGvMEVRywlA_aem_AePeESuMHQkP4FykVdk3_Q7VwnT4phrka-WyE_SyRj_wQJT1Kvd-T82UTIAkyWAYoL4