Entertaining neighbours

Great advice above -anok
We always do this “help yourself” with visitors - friends & family. Set the table the day before, make the main dish in advance & reheat on the day. Nice nibbles with drinks. Buy a good quality dessert- lemon tarts are good- add a few raspberries
Do suggest to friends that going forward that you “ share the catering” - one couple provide nibbles or starter, host house makes or provides the main course, & the other couple - dessert or cheese course. We’ve done this for years. Takes the major expense and stress off the hosts as each course is served /cleared away by whoever supplied it. We don’t confer pre meal at all- just see what turns up- all part of the fun!
Always a privilege to be guests in someone’s home- we like it much better than always going out!
Forgot to say each couple brings a bottle of wine & a small gift for the hostess.

I’d go for the buffet, just add in something you’ve cooked yourself - maybe little roast potatoes and some sausages glazed with mustard and balsamic
Always works for me on my family Boxing Day buffet!
Keep us updated on what you decide and how it goes, but the company and conversation is the main thing

I'm not making light of your problem - I'd be exactly the same, but my mind keeps straying to imagine "entertaining the neighbours" as a couple coming put after dinner, and performing magic, wearing sparkly clothes, with an ending where the husband saws the wife in half.

What kind of meals did your two neighbours provide? A simple
Chicken casserole and a tray of roast potatoes which you can oven cook at the same time, with some veg you can microwave followed by a bought pudding and cream would be easy enough to do.

You could always invite one couple at a time, so just four at the table?

I don't cook.
When we entertain my husband does the cooking (I hover and set the table )
Why is it a given that women should be the main cook?
I do DIY and garden though.

Salmon is easy. Either one large piece or six small….you can cook them in the oven and do new potatoes and salad or vegs. Or if you’d rather prepare before, shepherds pie and just heat up on the day.

First of all, sorry to disappoint or mislead some of you with my heading of Entertaining Neighbours! 🤣 Thanks for your suggestions of what food to serve. I know that I’m overthinking this, but I’m not a natural hostess and I don’t want my nerves to show. That’s probably my greatest worry about it. It would make everyone very uncomfortable if I showed that I was stressed &/or nervous. The more time-consuming the food preparation, the worse I’ll be so I realise that I have to keep it fairly simple. I have always thought that it would be a cop-out to buy ready-prepared foods from Cook, M&S, Waitrose etc, but maybe that is the way to go. I had considered a buffet so I may do that, but KEEP IT SIMPLE! I won’t be cooking a Sunday lunch type meal, like I’ve had at the neighbours houses, I really couldn’t cope with that. I’m getting nervous just thinking about it and I’d like to just forget the whole thing. They are lovely, easy-going neighbours of around our age, chatty and friendly. By the way, DH doesn’t cook (apart from scrambled eggs!). Someone close to me once said a few years ago that it was obvious I was very tense on the occasions I’ve had people over for even a buffet and that remark has stayed with me and made me even more nervous now. Drinks and a bowl of crisps is what I fancy serving up, but I obviously can’t do that as more would be expected of me. I don’t mind throwing money at it, but it’s my fear of judgment if the food’s not right. I’ll keep you posted - it probably won’t be for a few weeks yet!

MissAdventure your comments at 19.49 had me shaking with laughter!

At least they'd probably forget what they've eaten.

Be yourself, honeyrose.

Invite them at a time that coffee or a glass of wine, with either cake (get a bakers to make you a real cream Victoria sponge.....in the first or nibbles (most posh available ).... in the second early evening with wine, is a way to go?

Lots of lovely flowers around, comfy chairs not the dining room table.

They have come to see you both, and maybe a peek at your living room. Food isnt, imo, that important

I was going to say cook! But I notice others have already suggested it.
Not that it helps this time but for future suggest either a ‘safari’ dinner and take it in turns starter at one house move on to next house for main ending up at last house for dessert is fun if you are close neighbours, we used to do this when I lived in USA the other thing we did was having main course at a different house each time but one person would bring a starter and the other the dessert.
No one person has to do it all!

I’ve noticed you said you don’t mind throwing money at it in your second posting if so Cook sell the actual dishes that their meals like shepherds pie actually slot straight into and look lovely on the table. So you can always reuse them
They even do delivery so you don’t have the stress of shopping

Shepherd’s Pie for 6 with 1 dish of greens. Eton Mess or Pavlova for pudding.

Might you find it easier to invite one couple at a time?

That way you would only be cooking for four people.

If you choose this option invite both couples at the same time, but for different dates and do explain to both that you are doing this because cooking for six is too much for you.

I think if I disliked cooking or found it tiring, I would order a meal of some kind.

I do understand how you feel about entertaining the cooking/hosting etc. I am not a cook and my DH was always the one to do the cooking if people were invited, he was also very good as the host and I'm not.
Lots of good ideas on here, personally love the idea of the fish and chip supper or a high tea but you know these people best and what would be acceptable to them. Not so keen on the buffet idea as sometimes difficult to perch on a chair with a plate on your knees. Best of luck, let us know how it goes.

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I use Cook food regularly when entertaining but I always decant into my own cooking dishes whilst they're syill frozen - and get rid of all the packaging!!

Both the meat and and veggie lasagne are favourites as are Chicken Alexander and Chicken Dijon.

All just need a big bowl of mixed salad and some garlic bread.

And they do great puds too.

Easy peasy and you don't have to say anything other than "thank you" when they say how delicious it all is!

Thankfully I've never had anyone ask for a recipe!!

Tip - leave either lasagne for 10-minutes after you take it out of the oven so it 'sets' - makes it easier to serve.
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How about a one pan recipe followed by a bought pudding. A buffet meal needs room to arrange and sit down or you might be happy for people to stand. If cooking— have a dummy run first. But do invite them— it’s the invitation that counts.

If you are in the UK I’d recommend buying readily prepared meals from a company called Cook, yes as such it’s a ready meal (& not cheap, but not too expensive as a one off either and you can buy a pottery dish from them to cook it in so it looks homemade from the oven. I did this for the first time I had my French daughter in law to dinner in case her cooking was better than mine
www.cookfood.net

id be happier with a buffet more relaxed but if you want to do a meal then why not go to somewhere like Marks and Spencer or Waitrose get lots of cheat items like ready cooked veg? if you don't have room on your table can you put up a small side table to put things on so people can pass things then put them out of the way btw i mean push the tables together

JoyBloggs

Ooh, honeyrose, I'm so pleased to 'meet' you! It is great to know there's someone else out there who shares my lack of enthusiasm for cooking meals for people... I was beginning to think I was the only person in the world! I will follow this thread with interest and wish you the very best of luck!

I am exactly the same.
I hate cooking for people.

Buffets are nice but they can be fiddly and most people do far too much.

Are any of your guests veggies or vegans? You could do a large cottage pie with mince and a smaller one for veggies. Dead easy. Or large and small lasagnes. Simple too served with a nice salad.

There are some lovely shop bought cheesecakes in most supermarkets.

Joy Bloggs, honeyrose, Estrellita, May I join your club please? I’d be an excellent member.

I dislike being a guest at buffets - going back for more feels greedy but actually helping myself first time round could also seem greedy.
My vote would definitely go to to the slow-cooker/casserole/lasagne suggestions. And maybe get DH to supply the desserts. Enjoy.

A buffet is the perfect answer. Relax and enjoy