Help me with dinner for 16 please...

[tootiredtothink]

Can't do just a buffet as people have come to expect hot food (tis my turn to host).

Not enough room here to sit down at table so it'll all have to be eaten on laps with forks.

Usually on offer are pots of curry, chilli, lasagne.

Is there anything different I could do?

Preparable in advance (or at least the morning of get together), but still with a bit of the wow factor?

Also need to have some nibbles/starters for arrival and desserts.

if it were me i would probably opt for something like enchilladas with wedges and salad or saying that fajitas with all the bits for people to help themselves
casseroles are always good esp.if you have a slow cooker too
for pudding either something chocolatey like delia's truffle torte which is so rich it can easily feed 16 or tarte tatin served with cremefraiche or clotted cream
will have a think re:starters but might be inclined to have an assortment of canapes
or just some nice pate and melba toast

beef bourgignon or coq au vin with dauphinoise potatoes?

My brother recently did a gorgeous Gordon Ramsey shepherds pie, and accompanied it with some freshly cooked carrots. It was amazing, and certainly easy to make the day before!

haven't got receipe though - sure it's on line....

Jamie's fish pie always goes down well here with a load of green veg.

Fish pie with great big fat prawns - yummy and easy but suitably 'posh'.

Re nibbles I always follow Nigella's idea of mini bruschettas: chicken liver/pea and prawn/aubergine and mozerella.

Puddings would do a lemon meringue pie or pavalova - very easy, can been done the day before (and are always better for doing so) and there is something about billowy meringue that entrances and amazes in equal measures.

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas.

Loving the idea of doing something with dauphinoise potatoes (only cos it's the one thing I know how to cook).

And also the pavlova - although last one I made seemed 'empty' in the middle iykwim? How to make a good one? But yes, they seem to have that 'wow' factor I'm after.

There are at least 3 people who won't eat fish so can't do that for my main course sadly.

I have made a lovely lamb and aubergine tagine style thing served with cous cous, was really lovely. Topped with feta cheese.
Could serve Greek salad alongside.
(Mouth watering!)

Even better made the day before and reheated which make it even easier on the day

Ok so no fish - Jamies morrocan lamb would be great then with blametheparents sides.

It too is best cooked the day before and reheated.

Pavalova is also (conveniently!) best made the day before and then add cream and fruit just before serving. To ensure that yours isn't empty make sure your egg whites are sufficiently whipped so you can really pile the mixture high and then cook at a very low temp.

If I use 8 egg whites (which makes an enormous pavalova) I would cook for about 2.5 - 3 hours at 50c. My oven wont actually get this low so I have to put it on its min temp and jam a spoon in the door.

Wonderful - tagine it is .

Now, where will I find a relatively cheap tagine dish so it looks impressive when served?

nancy thank you for knowing what I meant about my 'empty' pavlova - I thought I was going mad!

I'll do a practice run next weekend.

do you put cornflour and vinegar in your pavlova mixture? That is what gives it the mallowy effect in my experience (as well as ensuring that the egg whites are very well beaten like nancy says).

For a group this size I have had great success with cassoulet - one pot, absolutely scrummy, suitably impressive, serve with crusty fresh bread.

I didn't put cornflour and vinegar in - my recipe didn't tell me to . I'd best google a recipe which has those in.

Also off to google a cassoulet

i did lunch for 16 recently. we had venison daube, with beans and jacket pots. followed by sticky toffee pudding. as it was the day after boxing day I did both the daube and the pudding (but not the sauce) several days in adevance, and froze them. you could do them the day before and reheat. i once did daube followed by apple crumble for 30.

for 16 i wouldn't just do one main, at least 2 as there is always at least one pernickety knickers.

i'd go jamie's fish pie which can be done except for the mash the day before and nigella's beef casserole which is good made 2 days ahead.

then i'd do frozen berries with hot white choc sauce. sauce takes 10 mins to make. looks fab, elegant etc. i did for group of 12 - 3 generations all licked bowls clean.

snibbly bits at the beginning def instead of starters esp if u have lots of small kids not so much sitting still at table then

I love my Good Housekeeping recipe book for classic recipes like pavlova I've looked online and this looks like it here
My Mum makes meringues and they are usually hollow inside whereas I prefer pavlova when it's all lovely and crisp outside and mallowy inside mmmmm. Mum doesn't put vinegar or cornflour in her meringue mixture so I think it really does make a difference.