Your starter for six

Buy a pack of mixed cured meats, some olives, baby mozzarella, little tomatoes. Maybe some ciabatta, depending on how hungry you think they'll all be. All in the middle, everyone helps themselves. No preparation at all.

I would suggest something similar: platter of Parma ham, baby tomatoes, some green stuff including basil leaves, and mozzarella. People help themselves.

Two great ideas ....very similar. Also have you any dipping oils or vinegars? I've some lovely infused olive oils and unusual balsamics such as date, blueberry and raspberry.

I put them in tiny dishes and put out chunks of artisan bread and add those to the kind of starters above.

I'd go with the above too in the circumstances.. yummy and easy to prepare!

Similar would be a Mezze table with stuffed vine leaves/ hoummous/tzatziki/ falafel/ salad bits and flatbreads... all available ready made.

I was going to suggest dips with vegetable batons and bread too. We all seem to be thinking along the same lines!

Italian meats, olives, antipasti out of jars and sliced mozzarella all set out on a platter and garnished with some rocket salad always looks impressive. And even better requires very little effort, that's my sort of entertaining!

Today I made cubed melon and mango for a starter, but perhaps that's more for summer.

I have recently done both of the above recently platter and maze and went down amazing well, of course n equally easy solution is pate, toast and a lovely red onion chutney

Yes, a platter and perhaps include some smoked salmon too, meats, olives,
Lidl do a nice anti-pasti selection of stuffed mushrooms, peppers (hot and not), there is some cheese but not much. Nice bread, olive oil to dip it in?
Very easy and looks nice too.

Mmm, beef Wellington, can I come, I'll wash up!

Hope your little DGS will be fine

Steamed Asparagus spears wrapped in Parma ham with a delicate coating of Hollandaise sauce. Looks lovely and tastes delish.

Smoked mackerel pate, toast and side salad.

I vote for gillybobs suggestion. Sounds like a good match with beef Wellington.

A nice Pate with toast or cracker type biscuits, or a bowl of homemade soup. Mary Berry made a really simple tomato soup using tinned tomatoes on her programme last night.
www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2333242/Mary-Berry-Special-Easy-tomato-soup-pesto.html
Served with some nice bread yum.

Smoked salmon and really good brown bread and butter

Another simple Mary Berry recipe is smoked mackerel pate with lime, only 3 ingredients plus seasoning. Served with nice bread or crackers it would at least be home made.
Mary Berry pate

Wow, you guys are so impressive with food.............I am amazed at how quickly you came back with great ideas.

When we were in Italy recently we often had a salad as a starter, which I really enjoyed

Figs are in season at the moment. Cut it into quarters and wrap parma ham around it. Or melons wrapped with parma ham. Another suggestion is tin of halves peaches topped with cottage cheese then sprinkle with dried parsley.

How about corn on the cob?

Or melon slices, sprinkled with a little powdered ginger. Hope the party goes well and that the little one makes a swift recovery. Your friends will understand that you have coped brilliantly - well done!

How about sliced plum tomato, mozzarella and basil leaves? You could add a little balsamic vinegar or perhaps put it on the table for them to add. Colourful and refreshing, and not too heavy.

I would do a couple of dips - tzatziki is dead easy & perhaps melizanasalats (easier to make than say- it's a greek aubergine puree) and serve with crudities & breadsticks

I bought some M and S sweet chilli calamari and half of my family wouldn't eat the squid rings. I dusted them in flour and dipped them is batter, shallow fried them hot and quickly and served them with slices of lemon and lemon mayo. Everyone nommed them with gusto.

I thought afterwards that they would make a very nice, tasty and impressive starter. You could serve them with lemon wedges and rocket so they looked nice on the plate.

Another benefit is that, because they are hot, they look as if you have taken time and trouble when nothing could be easier. The flour and batter can be prepared beforehand and standing by and then a few seconds in a non-stick pan is all it takes.

Next time I am entertaining, I will be on here for all 3 courses, lol