If you were on Come Dine With Me?

I certainly wouldn’t be trying out something I’d never made before, and I’m sure I’ve seen people having prepared starters and/or puddings in advance. I’d probably go for a home made paté, then lamb of some kind, followed by a meringue or chocolate pudding.
And isn’t it funny how you never see them have coffee after the meal?

I'd go for Prawn Cocktail for starter (properly made they are delicious) then Lamb en croute with seasonal vegetables followed by an Apple Tart with cream/ice cream or custard - but I'd probably get someone with allergies to seafood and/or a person who didn't eat meat! Do they tell you if your guests have restrictions on what they eat??

Oh that really made me giggle ...thanks

In the TV programme they deliberately mix up people who dislike/hate/are allergic to/want to be controversial etc.
So ANY menu you choose will be doomed to fail for at least one other diner.
If its true about all the camera shots and so on, I would not have the time to make my main course of moussaka (a favourite in my family).
Pudding would be something chocolatey...can't go wrong there.
Starters ..homemade soup...again, the menfolk always love soup.
Entertainment ...I will check out the Argybargy for ideas!

The winners seem to be curry for main and a chocolate desert
Not what I would go for.
I would like a fish/ seafood starter Coquille saint Jacques.
Spicy chicken main and raspberry pavlova for desert
Entertainment well something to get it all stirred up. Like guess the age/ work/ draw to person opposite.

Home made broth. Steak, kidney @ sausage pie with multifarious veg. Chocolate mousse. First and last can be prepared in advance and middle partially. My 'entertainment' would also be some sort of loosening up quiz. Nothing heavy. All pleasant but...... I suspect that's not what the producers would appreciate. Controversy seems to be the aim of the game.

Teetime ???

If I had to have some of those people to dinner I would be using the Lucrezia Borgia Cookbook.

It's all in the preparation, why do they often leave everything until the last minute.

Thats fine if youre up first, but as the week goes on contestants are kept up till well past midnight...then if the director wants 10 takes of you in your local butchers you're not home to start prepping until late afternoon.

I usually prep a lot the day/night before which they can't do

It's all in the preparation, why do they often leave everything until the last minute.
I could never be on the programme as I am such a picky eater. No pasta, no mushrooms no plates of white food - need I go on.
As for presentation, some contestants slap large amounts of food on the plate without any thought. There is always one woman who has her chest very visibly on display each evening. I quite enjoy watching though especially when there is some friction.

Curry with LOADS of sides is a winner imo

The curry nights tend to go down well all round unless the hosts wrongly assume that their guests like less spice

I know what I wouldn’t have - all the things that most people look askance at (offal of any sort, fish with bones, seafood apart from prawns, anything with eyes, anything too spicy, any rare fruit or veg nobody’s heard of). Anything I’d never tried before, or too complicated so that the guests were sitting there griping for an hour while I tried to salvage stuff in the kitchen. As for entertainment, I wouldn’t make them do anything embarrassing.

What I would do will take more thought.

There was a woman on it who did something similar. You get an ingredients allowance so she bought cheapo food (cant remember what, like jelly & icecream sorta thin) and pocketed the ingredients money

Apparently its tedious, loads of time consuming set up shots. The "taxis" are just one taxi and everyone hangs around till everyone had been filmed in it etc.

A friend of a friend won one. I didnt think she was particularly edited she came across how she is in real life

I would start with Tricolore salad - tomato, avocado and mozzarella with an oil and balsamic dressing and homemade flatbreads

Then we'd have beef bourguignon with crispy saute potatoes and lots of green vegetables.

I'd finish with creme brulee

My entertainment would be the Yes/No game which we played at Christmas. It caused lots of laughter. (Quick fire questions but 'yes' or 'no' cannot be used in reply.) I would delight in pressing the buzzer.

I'd do my world famous scottish menu( well world famous in my circle of friends)
We would start with Cock a leekie
go onto beautiful Scotch Lamb with cabbage and leeks and potatoes
them a trio of scottish desserts,Cranachan,clootie dumpling and butterscotch flan finish with scottish cheeses and oatcakes
Entertainment? Can we afford Paolo Nutini?