Feeding the five thousand....

I can usually get 3-4 meals for three people out of one chicken so I suppose it's possible to get 8 portions for one meal.

Pad out the meat with cheap side dishes like stuffing and/or yorkshire puds. You could cook chipolatas to serve with the meat, wrapped in cheap streaky bacon if you like.

Pour plenty of gravy so they can't see what's underneath

Alternatively, bulk out the meal with cheap starters or puddings. Home made vegetable soup for starter would take the edge off appetites so they don't notice the lack of a big dinner, or you could cook a cheap filling pud like apple crumble.

I reckon so long as the food is tasty and filling they won't quibble about having a small serving of meat.

Do you have smaller plates? Deceiving the eye will confuse the stomach and they won't notice thay've eaten less, until after they've left your house

Or slice it all in the kitchen before presenting it to the diners, and arrange on a large platter with the trimmings around it. How about some frozen yorkshire puds to fill up space on the plates - I gather these are not only for roast beef nowadays?

Major on the vegetables - a big bowl of mash or boiled spuds plus roasties, and a big dish of mixed veg. Tip - the bags of cauli/broccoli/carrot etc florets (okay not carrot florets but you get my drift) bulk out more in a serving dish than the smaller peas/sweetcorn/carrot frozen packs. (Only suggesting frozen as it is so much easier when you have guests - that's the one time I splurge out a bit!).

Hi Frankie

I sometimes rarely & stupidly invite hubbys sister & family round for sunday roast. They are 5 large adults with huge appetites (piggies basically :eek: ). There is also 3 of us.

I normally just do a large chicken and completely strip it and distribute the chicken on the plates. I also cook up about 16 piggies in blankets (sausage with bacon wrapped around) and put 1-2 on each plate so it looks like aload of meat on the plate and pretty cheap if your able to get the sausages on BOGOF etc. I do only use decent sausages but only buy when on special.

I then always cook loads of roasties and do mash as well. Normally carrots, cabbage & peas which are all cheap veg. Home made yorkshires and stuffing. Always do roast parsnips & a huge amount of gravy using some of the chicken stock.

So my normal cheapie HUGE roast for 7 Big Adults & 1 Child is:

Large Chicken (3.00)
16 Sausages & Bacon Wraps (1.25)
Roast Potatoes & Mash Potatoes Loads(1.25)
Carrots, Cabbage, Peas (1.25)
HM Yorkshires (0.50)
Roast Parsnips(0.50)
Stuffing(0.44)
Gravy (0.25)

Pudding is normally cheap and filling:

HM Peach/Fruit Crumble & Custard
HM Rice Pudding

I dont know if you have store cuboard items, but I normally have flour, gravy, stuffing, frozen peas, milk, oil, eggs etc to hand. so yorkies, stuffing and gravy is already sorted. I think the main roast comes to about £8.50 for 8 good sized dinners and normally some left.

Maybe about 20 mins or so before dinner, offer a cold drink-maybe squash, water, lemonade etc and this should fill them up before they eat :T Dont offer wine/beer etc just soft drinks or tea and coffee etc. Alcohol can be expensive so dont offer.

I hope it goes well for you, but im sure they will be happy with whatever you give them.

I think its lovely that your offering especially when you dont have alot of money yourselves. There should be more people like you showing more humility.

Penny-Pincher!!
XX

Don't forget bread sauce! Cheap - and great plate filler.

(and delish :drool: )