dinner suggestion for 1st ever dinner party with US family and total of 5 kids please please please

[ErnestTheBavarian]

SO we are new in town, and dh, normally a total recluse has agreed to try to be more sociable. I have invited a family round - and they agreed! And dh has agreed

So, it's dh's 1st attempt at being sociable en famille, and my 1st ever "dinner party". The family are from the US, and have an 11 yr old dd and almost 3 yr old ds, Plus there'll be our 3 dss.

it's going to be early start & end cos of kids, so 6 till 9.

I am in panic, as no idea what to make. I think no starters, given number of kids, SO main course & dessert. Needs to be simple, as I hate cooking (but I am not crap, just don't like it but can do it iyswim), and not really cooked for 9 before, plus kids can be fussy and difficult. otoh, don't want it too basic like shepherds pie.

Oh God, I'm so nervous. What do I make for these people?

Thankyouthankyouthankyou if you can help, even better if you can pop round and actually do it for me

The clingfilm won't melt no. Have you never microwaved food with clingfilm on top? It shrivels up when you remove it from the heat, but it does not melt while it is over the heat. Fear not!

Where are you btw? I get the impression you are not in Britain.

ctd, i like the skin too, but not in lumps in me trifle MAybe I can make double and scoff it myself.

Is a roast dinner not too boring? (worried) but otherwise great in terms of separate bits, so if don't like 1 bit whole meal isn't ruined.

But - isn't a roast dinner loads of hands-on work at last minute (fearing sweaty & stressed, not clam & serene)

can you make yorkshire puddings ahead of time & if so, how to reheat? (In a rented house with evil, stipid shit & teeny teeny oven

2 Chickens, veg, yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, trifle for desert (even though I sont like it) that should go down a treat. I do have a recipe for a potato gratin thing that you make day before and when cold slice it then put in oven to warm for 30 mins next day its lovely and best of all it stays together in the slices! If you want recipe let me know will dig it out for you

Do yorkshire mix earlier in day BUT use fizzy water as they rise a lot better, just bung them in when you take chickens out to rest.

DG - new in Germany. still not clear what I can & can't get, but lamb and ready made custard are no no.

Pork and dumplings de rigeur. So want to avoid pork.

I would go with the lasagne idea with a big green salad and lots of french bread, not sure about other people but it's deffo not an everyday staple in my family as it's quite time-consuming to make from scratch BUT the beauty of it is you can make it the day before when you have time and then just bung it in the oven.

If you are asking this question
"But - isn't a roast dinner loads of hands-on work at last minute (fearing sweaty & stressed, not clam & serene)"
then I wouldn't presonally recommend it to you for a dinner party.

Yep if you have a small oven and are getting stressed at the thought then definately steer clear of a roast dinner. It does require a large oven and lots of seperate trays to make enough for 9 people.

The 5hr lamb shanks sounds really good.

Good idea to make a pudding that won't require the oven either. If not trifle how abot chocolate mousse? (egg free variety) melted dark chocolate, whipped up double cream, combine the two, portion into individual ramekins or fluted glasses, chill for at least 4 hrs.

Yes, lots of last minute stuff and needs lots of oven space, so a roast dinner is probably not a good idea!

Delia does a lovely roast vegetable lasagne - I think it's in her summer book (which I haven't got). Friends have made this several times when we've been round and it's lovely, and a bit different from a meat lasagne.

What about an apple crumble for pudding? Again very easy to make and you can make it the night before and then bung it in the oven to cook whilst you have your main course.

Doh! Just noticed your name. The Bavarian bit might have given your location away!

If you have a small shit oven, the roast might not be such a good idea. I would do a hearty casserole in that case, but still serve separate vegetables so the children can pick and choose.

I have a lovely recipe somewhere from Valentina Harris, which is chunks of pork that you cut a slit into and stuff with a mixture of garlic and lemon rind, then casserole with a lovely sauce (completely forget all the other ingredients!). Very easy and very yummy. You serve with mash or wide noodles if I remember rightly.

I'll post the recipe if you're interested!

ooh, apple crumble perfect idea, esp as all 3 boys ultimate appl e monsters atm, brilliant

dithering over main. lasagne good, but worried. hot pot? dh says shepherd's pie, but worried too boring, and at least 1 of my ds anti-mash

plates of big pasta with sauce & cheese, bread on the side, cheeses, salad & apple crumble with ice cream

Why you worried about the lasagne? Too everyday?

You can do all sorts of lasagne variations, like the roasted vegetables, mushrooms,spinach and pinenut (maybe not for kids though) really good parmesan cheese on top, green lasage etc etc

I think, if it is made well, everyone will like it.

(A lot of my customers order my lasagnes when they have parties and dinner parties, and they always go down a storm)

How about lamb casserole? I have a lovely recipe (with whole small onions, carrots and tomatoes in it - just telling you so you can tell me straight out if it would not suit). It is a Mrs Beatton recipe so absolutely classic. Very easy.

dg, I'd love it - lamb is the only meat I actively really like .... but so far I haven't seen it on sale here. It's pig-tastic. So I wouldn't be able to use it tomorrow, but I could save it up for whenever lamb comes in. have you posted it in the recipe section? I added bircher museli t'other day, and very proud I was too Bet no one's even seen it (shameless plug)

I guess it's between shepherd's pie & lasagne. both dangerous if someone doesn't like it.

main course shep pie or lasagne

dessert trifle or apple crumble.

votes pls?

hmm for ease I would say shep pie and apple crumble.

Ahem. My recipe suggestion was pork!

BecauseImAWitch, soory m'dear - I really didn't even see your post cos I was posting at exactly the same time, then just read from there, soory. I'd love your recipe - but again, I'll keep it for another night, as it really is all pork here, so anypork recips would be great.

Am pretty much decided on lasagne with big salad and crusty bread, followed by apply crumble with either custard or ice cream - sound ok? not too boring, esp for americans - do they eat lasagne all the time?

(feel like my dh old nan, who was both alarmed and burning with curiosity when he shared a house with Nigerian and Jamaican friends and asked " what do they eat???" and offered to bring over a tin of pineapple chunks

omdb - you in catering then? make note to buy parmesan if I can find it.

Sorry, have been out shopping, but I see you said you could not do this recipe for tomorrow anyway, so I hope you forgive me.

No, not posted this in the recipe section, I am posting it here for you only

MRS BEATON'S NAVARIN OF LAMB (Serves 4-5 according to her)

2lb neck of lamb fillet
1 tin of tomatoes
15 small onions
5 carrots
1 tbsp flour
seasoning
garlic
parsley
bouquet garni (I just use whatever herbs I think might go - thyme usually)
8 - 10 small potatoes (optional and I always leave them out and do baked potatoes)

Fry lamb sufficient to brown outside. Place in casserole.

Place flour, parsley, seasoning and tin of tomatoes in to a blender and blend

Pour tomatoes etc into the frying pan and warm them up and extract all the nice brown meat bits from the pan

Partially boil carrots (5 mins) I don't bother with this bit, just make quite thin chips with the carrots and put them raw into the casserole.

Put everything into the casserole including onions (raw) garlic, herbs and potatoes if desired.

Cook in a pre-heated oven (350 F or 175 C) for one and a half to two hours (the longer time if you have the potatoes in there).

This is a very ancient, much used recipe in my family. I hope it makes sense to you.

yes I'm in catering

But not for much monger, have just put the business up for sale

yum - next time I see lamb, I'm doing that. thanks dg.

OK, so thought I'd finish off the story by letting yo all know -

did shepherd's pie in the end as wanted something british. I couldn't decide, so did trifle and apple crumble Have to say, my trifle was the best one ever, and I'm sure it was thanks to the cling film trick, so thank you very much becausei'mawitch for your top tip. very pleased as I made extra cream and double the custard for the trifle, and used the left-overs to serve with the crumble.

Roast would've been much nicer, but our oven is too rubbish