What to cook for brother and family...

[Ewemoo]

My brother is coming to visit next weekend with his gf, and two dcs (4yo & 9mo) and we are me, dh, dd1 (4yo), dd2 & dd3 (11wo). What can I cook that will appeal to everyone and not take too long to cook as dts are very whingy at the moment!

spag bol?

Beef stew and crusty bread?

Chilli and rice?

All of the above can be stuck in the slow cooker and forgotten about!

Casserole is good - it can be made during the week - when you have time.....lol - and frozen, then slowly reheated in oven on the day.

Or what about pot roast or slow-cooked joint of belly pork?

You obviously need choice of veg or salad and some sort of carbs to appeal to everyone. I know people poopoo frozen food but it can be a godsend when you are in this sort of situation so maybe go for frozen roast pots, frozen yorkshire puds, veg, frozen puds etc - anything to make your life easier so you enjoy seeing your brother and his family rather than stressing out over food. Be kind to yourself !

Lasagne? You can make the sauce in advance, and then make the white sauce and put it together on the day./night before. Add a layer or two of spinach and it will be amazing.

I love cooking this for large amounts of people as most of it can be done in advance.

or

take-away?

I would also think about a stew or casserole, which you can make a day or two in advance, chill and reheat on the day. It will even improve with resting.

So what about beef stew with jacket potatoes and oven roasted root vegetables - you just turn the oven on a an hour and a half before lunch, bung it all in and forget about it.

Or again if you have time beforehand to prepare a lasagne is lovely.

If you don't want to be cooking beforehand, why don't you buy some nice ham, paté, salads, bread, cheese and fruit.

You could also serve up some soup plus cheese and bread plus nice fruit salad.

I have cooked this beef stew a few times and it has always gone down well: www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/meat-recipes/jools-s-favourite-beef-stew

The mediterranean braised lamb with couscous is lovely too and actually easier.

Both recipes good for cooking in bulk.