cooking for a crowd for a weekend

housemouse100

morning
I wonder if any one has any suggestions, I have 6 friends coming to stay for the weekend, I don't know what on earth to feed them all. So far thought of veggie curry with lots of rice and pompadoms, veggie pizza possibly nut roast for Sunday lunch!.
Any suggestions for cheap breakfasts & lunches

thank you
housemouse

parsonswife8

housemouse100 wrote: »

morning
I wonder if any one has any suggestions, I have 6 friends coming to stay for the weekend, I don't know what on earth to feed them all. So far thought of veggie curry with lots of rice and pompadoms, veggie pizza possibly nut roast for Sunday lunch!.
Any suggestions for cheap breakfasts & lunches

thank you
housemouse

________________________________________

If you are all vegetarians, then porridge or eggs and toast for breakfast and maybe, veggie burgers or veggie sausage hotdogs for lunch.
Or some kind of veg soup and crusty bread.
Cheese toasties and salad.
Baked potatoes topped with baked beans or sour cream and chives.
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

VfM4meplse

Stock up on fruit, there is some great seasonal produce around at the moment inc Victoria plums, pomegranates and fresh figs and I saw some lychees the other day. Find a good fruit stall and it shouldn't be too expensive. Also a cheeseboard with crackers is a good idea as part of a buffet lunch. Soup is cheap, and v. quick and easy to make from scratch too...

spaghetti_monster

Recently had a few friends staying for a long weekend (not as many as you though).
If you don't mind not having a cooked breakfast ; I just laid the table for breakfast - bread/marmite/jam/butter/cheese/honey/yoghurt (also nuts/raisins to go with)/fruit. Everybody helps toasting bread, making tea and coffee.
This was much more relaxed than cooking something - also cos everyone got up at different times!

I think other things i made included big pot of veggie/bean soup, pasta with salad.

got-it-spend-it

I ditto the above- for breakfasts I'd just get a couple of different types of cereal (either what you usually have in or value ones decanted into glass jars would look dead posh). Also do lots of toast with jams, butter and marmite.

Lunch I would do lentil soup one day and a roasted vegetable one another day. Serve with crusty bread (hm is cheaper if you'll have the time) and a couple of different cheese, maybe some croutons.

I think a curry is a great idea for dinner, and sunday roast is a nice idea too. A lentil loaf would probably be cheaper than a nut roast- Rose Elliott has a great recipe for one.

Good luck with it, I'm sure it will be great fun.

floyd

I have done this a few times with as many as 11 coming to stay some vegan, some carnivore (friends bands on tour etc) and find the easiest was is the 'dig in' method

Brekkie: Keep toasting white and brown bread and have butter/pure spread, jam, marmalade, honey and a bowl of hot baked beans on the table so everyone can create their own and its a cheap way of getting full bellies. Eggs, bacon etc are only for 4 or less in our house as we buy posh meat

Lunch: Soup and bread every time, its a very cheap filler and can be adapted to various tastes. I made the Good Food lentil yesterday and its marvellous http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4768/spiced-lentil-soup you could always put some cooked chopped bacon in a bowl for meat eaters to add to theirs. The bake at home rolls are fab if you don't make your own (I don't).

Pasta with pesto is quick for lunch and fairly cheap as well, serve up with some parmesan and toasted pine nuts.

My absolute favourite is tofu laksa, I just adapt this recipe to suit veggies http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5796/prawn-laksa

The key is not to stress yourself too much as it takes away from the fun of having a housefull. Soup can be made well in advance and nuked in the micro last minute

Caterina

Great big pan of baked beans, grated cheese, baked potatoes, chopped lettuce and cucumbers for side salads, big bowl of nice crispy apples, there's a meal everybody likes and does not take too much time/effort/expense!

Caterina

procrastinator

Hi
I had 25 for dinner beg of Sept, I made 2 large veggie lasagnes and served with crusty bread and salad. Continental bfast is nice, croissants, cream cheese, cheese slices, jams maybe pan of boiled eggs. Soup is always a winner for lunch, you can make a big batch in the slow cooker and leave it cooking. Pasta bakes are easy to make for large numbers. I have also done sausage beans and mash for 20.
Good luck hope you have fun.

Teria

I've never had to cook for a large amount of people, (except when I worked in a residential home, but I was following a menu there), but at home, if I've made too much veggie casserole, next day I usually fish out the veg, wrap them in puff pastry, and we have "cornish pasties", it's really quick and easy (good for packed lunches too)
Breakfast, I don't think you can go wrong with scrambled eggs (or scrambled tofu, in my case!), beans and toast. The "vegetarian's choice" sausages are quite good value, 5 for a pound.
I like the idea of veggie pizzas, it's good fun to get everyone to muck in and do their own toppings too.

VfM4meplse

I tried some fresh tomato & aubergine soup from Morrisons today - a bargain a just 74p for 2 servings! - but couldn't help but think it might make a better pasta sauce. Now that really is a cheap and easy veggie meal