I'm feeling lazy....dinner for 10-12

[UTH]

Birthday dinner next weekend, I love cooking and usually would cook from scratch. I'm going to do mash and mac and cheese as sides, but I'm starting to lean towards being lazy and getting the main pre-made.
Considering this, but I guess I'd need 3 of them for 12 people: https://www.donaldrussell.com/beef-wellington-d372...

£150 feels quite punchy, but then I guess feeding 12 people is never going to be cheap.

What would you do?

My non-lazy alternative would probably be cooking some sort of beef-based affair, so still fairly costly I guess anyway.....

[ZedLeg]

Mash and macaroni cheese would suggest some kind of southern food, fried chicken? You can take your time with the prep and the only real faff is coating the chicken and frying it.

[sherman]

ZedLeg said:

Mash and macaroni cheese would suggest some kind of southern food, fried chicken? You can take your time with the prep and the only real faff is coating the chicken and frying it.

KFC 3 12 piece buckets.

Also since when was mac and cheese a side dish?

Just do a big fkoff pot of Mac and cheese and serve with chips

Edited by sherman on Friday 4th November 10:10

[UTH]

ZedLeg said:

Mash and macaroni cheese would suggest some kind of southern food, fried chicken? You can take your time with the prep and the only real faff is coating the chicken and frying it.

Mash and Mac and Cheese are the top side dishes from my usual trip to Hawksmoor, so I think we're fairly set on some sort of beef as a main.

Think Mrs UTH wants us dressing up rather smart as well, which doesn't scream fried chicken lol. Although you're probably thinking it doesn't scream mash and mac and cheese either.

[UTH]

sherman said:

ZedLeg said:

Mash and macaroni cheese would suggest some kind of southern food, fried chicken? You can take your time with the prep and the only real faff is coating the chicken and frying it.

KFC 3 12 piece buckets.

Also since when was mac and cheese a side dish?

Just do a big fkoff pot of Mac and cheese snd sercexwith chips

Honestly, it's a thing at some top steak places:

https://thehawksmoor.com/locations/airstreet/food/...

https://www.goodmanrestaurants.com/location/mayfai...

[Bill]

With those sides I'd do braised short rib or similar. Do it well in advance and reheat in the day.

[ZedLeg]

Bill said:

With those sides I'd do braised short rib or similar. Do it well in advance and reheat in the day.

Aye that or brisket would've been my other suggestion.

[UTH]

Bill said:

With those sides I'd do braised short rib or similar. Do it well in advance and reheat in the day.

Yeah short rib was one of my first thoughts when this dinner party first started to materialise

Would you go the lazy route: https://www.donaldrussell.com/slow-cooked-jacob-s-...

Or from scratch-type affair: https://www.hgwalter.com/collections/beef-roasting...

[ZedLeg]

UTH said:

ZedLeg said:

Mash and macaroni cheese would suggest some kind of southern food, fried chicken? You can take your time with the prep and the only real faff is coating the chicken and frying it.

Mash and Mac and Cheese are the top side dishes from my usual trip to Hawksmoor, so I think we're fairly set on some sort of beef as a main.

Think Mrs UTH wants us dressing up rather smart as well, which doesn't scream fried chicken lol. Although you're probably thinking it doesn't scream mash and mac and cheese either.

I don't know, I'd quite like the idea of sitting down at a nice dinner party and digging into some decent home made soul food

[sherman]

ZedLeg said:

UTH said:

ZedLeg said:

Mash and macaroni cheese would suggest some kind of southern food, fried chicken? You can take your time with the prep and the only real faff is coating the chicken and frying it.

Mash and Mac and Cheese are the top side dishes from my usual trip to Hawksmoor, so I think we're fairly set on some sort of beef as a main.

Think Mrs UTH wants us dressing up rather smart as well, which doesn't scream fried chicken lol. Although you're probably thinking it doesn't scream mash and mac and cheese either.

I don't know, I'd quite like the idea of sitting down at a nice dinner party and digging into some decent home made soul food

All you need is napkins.

[Bill]

UTH said:

Yeah short rib was one of my first thoughts when this dinner party first started to materialise

Would you go the lazy route: https://www.donaldrussell.com/slow-cooked-jacob-s-...

Or from scratch-type affair: https://www.hgwalter.com/collections/beef-roasting...

Depends how much time you have, I'd be happier going from scratch (smoker ftw...). But not with the rib roast. That needs roasties, Yorkshires etc

[UTH]

Bill said:

UTH said:

Yeah short rib was one of my first thoughts when this dinner party first started to materialise

Would you go the lazy route: https://www.donaldrussell.com/slow-cooked-jacob-s-...

Or from scratch-type affair: https://www.hgwalter.com/collections/beef-roasting...

Depends how much time you have, I'd be happier going from scratch (smoker ftw...). But not with the rib roast.

More I think about it, the less time I probably have. Playing hockey that day, plus it's my own birthday, so time actually spent in the kitchen is probably less that I'm telling myself I have.

[pequod]

How about something from Cookfood?

https://www.cookfood.net/products/Moroccan-Spiced-...

They even supply the authentic minted couscous too...

https://www.cookfood.net/products/minted-couscous/

Plus a good selection of puds!

https://www.cookfood.net/menu/puddings/large-puddi...

Have tried a few of their meals and haven't been disappointed particularly with the puds!!!

[Super Sonic]

sherman said:

Just do a big fkoff pot of Mac and cheese and serve with chips

Edited by sherman on Friday 4th November 10:10

Pasta w chips. Reminds me of the '70s when tinned spaghetti and chips was considered a balanced meal.

[ZedLeg]

fish fingers or sausages, macaroni cheese, peas and chips. Classic after school dinner.

[Monkeylegend]

Order a meal for six from our local Chinese, normally more than enough to feed twelve.

[UTH]

pequod said:

How about something from Cookfood?

https://www.cookfood.net/products/Moroccan-Spiced-...

They even supply the authentic minted couscous too...

https://www.cookfood.net/products/minted-couscous/

Plus a good selection of puds!

https://www.cookfood.net/menu/puddings/large-puddi...

Have tried a few of their meals and haven't been disappointed particularly with the puds!!!

That could be a good shout.....I think we even have a giftcard someone gave us recently too!

[arfur]

UTH said:

pequod said:

How about something from Cookfood?

https://www.cookfood.net/products/Moroccan-Spiced-...

They even supply the authentic minted couscous too...

https://www.cookfood.net/products/minted-couscous/

Plus a good selection of puds!

https://www.cookfood.net/menu/puddings/large-puddi...

Have tried a few of their meals and haven't been disappointed particularly with the puds!!!

That could be a good shout.....I think we even have a giftcard someone gave us recently too!

Cook is not bad to be fair - just ignore the "serves 4" bit though - 4 not hungry, just had a kebab, vertically challenged maybe !

Note that their "pies" are dull though - most other bits I've had in the past have been above average