help! need really easy recipe for inlaws coming on Sun

[mummypig]

I love cooking but it has to be easy both to cook and serve as I'll have all my boys distracting me . It has to serve six hungry adults plus two and a half boys (ds3 still quite little). Ideally it would be cheap too but that's not the main consideration. And I did chilli con carne last time so can't really do it again.

Simple casserole?
Lasagne?
Fish pie?

All can be served out of one big dish at the table with a veg and crusty bread. Fish pie and lasagne can be made the night before and the casserole prepared the night before and left to cook before the arrive (nice smell in the house too).

You could make a soup too (again day or two before) and serve the casserole with heaps of rice. That way your portions don't need to be too massive.

My favourite casserole is a Jamie Oliver on, take a wee peek at his website.

why no just stick a big chicken/turkey roast beef on ?

prepare ur veg the night before , means all u have to do is stick it all on, and if u have a extra table you can do like a buffet style they can help themselves to what they want.

Do they like (mild) curry, cooked a gorgeous prawn and tomato curry last night from a sainsburys value recipe. if you want it I will post it tonight. It's a one pan jobby which you can serve with cous-cous which is very easy.

[snigger]

It sounds like you want to cook your inlaws...

Oh here it is:
www.sainsburys.co.uk/food/foodandfeatures/sainsburys_food_ranges/basics/why_buy_basics/prawn_tomato_ curry.htm

I cooked it with all the value ingredients from Tesco.

Ooh--I'd like to see your recipe, LibrasJustice!

I like a pork and apple casserole, me. Pork, potatoes, onions, white cabbage (or some other inoffensive vegetable), eating apples, apple juice, sage, and corn flour to thicken. I use one huge cast iron pot. First seal the pork on the stove. Then take it out of the pan and soften the onions. Put everything in the pot, using enough apple juice to nearly cover your stuff. Mix the corn flour with a little apple juice and then mix it into the big pot. Stick it in the oven at 180 for an hour and a half. Serve with crusty bread.

Thanks for all your ideas.

I'll probably do a roast as I know I can manage that no problem and the boys will eat it. But I will keep the casserole and curry ideas in mind for another time. That curry looks great LibrasJustice. Which is your favourite one frumpygrumpy? I like the look of the cumberland sausage one, although I'm sure dp would provide a bad example for the boys and pick out all the beans.

I didn't even think of preparing the veg the night before! I remember my dad used to do that at Christmas (fresh from his allotment too, very healthy and tasty). But currently I tend to fall asleep when I put the kids to bed so I'll probably just have to get up early to do them.

SoupDragon sometimes I find them very annoying but I'm not sure I would go that far .

ooh pork and apple casserole sounds lovely too. I'm saving up lots of ideas for the next times they come round