Dinner party

Lunchtime between Christmas and New Year.
Sausage rolls-Greggs
Mini quiches etc- Iceland
Salad
Coleslaw.
French sticks.
Cheese board.
Chicken legs.
Cheesecake -Iceland
Shortbread- you are bound to be give n some for Christmas from somebody.
Yorkshire Tea.
Sorted.

I invite people to "family supper". I say "I'd love to have you over for dinner as we so enjoyed your company - but just do family meals these days, I hope you don't mind".
They never do.
The the scene is set and you can cook whatever you're comfortable cooking.

Just make sure there's plenty of easy food and enjoy yourself!

I am no great cook, not interested but do enjoy having people round. I have found just wanting and enjoying their company overshadows any food served. If a guest gets a warm welcome that paved the way for a lovely evening. As has been said be honest and serve what you are comfortable with even if it is a drink and nibbles type thing. No need to go full on candlelight supper x

I'd remind myself that I'm valued for my company, not for my prowess or otherwise in the kitchen.
To make things less stressful I'd stick to simple recipes and prepare things in advance. Soup for starter, salmon with potatoes and salad for the main course and fruit fool for pudding.
Ask about allergies and likes or dislikes beforehand.

Go retro for fun. 1980s: prawn cocktails, roast chicken with roast potatoes and parsnips with any other veg. And, of course, for pudding, Black Forest Gateau if you can find it; or sherry trifle if you can't

Buy your nibbles
Something like cheese straws flavoured crisps nothing much

If you are having a starter.. Buy it waitrose m and s
Same pudding unless you like making one before.. Or fresh fruit salad and cream.. Though that can be pricy
Main meal.. Favourite round here is chicken based
tagine casserole coq au vin etc
All easy and cook ahead.. And that's what to aim for
Rice green salad easy

Good luck and enjoy your new relationship
Moving certainly made me slightly up my game
But don't compete
Don't apologise
That is a hiding to nothing
Just try to enjoy your self.. Second one is easy.

If you invite many people, chances are someone will be-
Vegan
Vegetarian
Flexitarian
Lactose intolerant
Gluten intolerant
Averse to carbs
Dairy free

I could go on.....

I totally agree with those who advocate honesty. Explain that cooking is not your forte, then cook something you'e comfortable with for main course and buy nibbles and pud. I am a gardener rather than cook but I do a couple of dishes well. I once went to the trouble of making a beautiful raspberry creation from scratch and everyone was too full up to eat it. I believe they thought I bought it. Choose good wine, keep it flowing and all will be well.

I will never forget hosting a dinner party for the neighbours,and decided on duck,well being young and not very good at cooking,I bought the duck,and proceeded to cook it,,oven temp too high!!I checked it and it turned out overdone,and it had shrunk! So I sent hubby on a tour round the Chinese restaurants buying any thing "duck" on the menu,made a quick sherry/orange sauce and served it in a casserole dish ,as if I had been spending hours preparing it,no one knew,and all complimented my cooking !!

I’m sure your new neighbours won’t be judging you on your cooking abilities. Just cook something homely and enjoyable - don’t try to compete, and certainly don’t apologise if you think it’s not up to their standard.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201912/medium-562272-69116c8b-09a7-4329-b65b-ee6ad2ffcaa4.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201912/medium-386964-26f48233-d17e-414a-bff5-efcb55a3ef06.jpeg

Some fantastic ideas on Pinterest that look amazing but are so simple ......

Sorry....apologies.
Didn’t realise your posting name was ‘Mrs Mopp!’

Any thing easy that you feel comfortable doing but do reciprocate if you enjoyed their company. Nothing worse than putting out hand of friendship and no response.

I agree its not a competition, we have the opposite problem. Because my husband is a chef people other than close friends are reluctant to invite us for a meal. He really enjoys being asked out to eat so that he doesn't have to cook and doesn't criticise his hosts at all.
MrsMopp cook something easy you are comfortable with and buy in the other bits. It's about friendship and having a convivial evening so relax and enjoy it.

4 skinless chicken breasts
Half jar of mayonnaise
Half jar of mango chutney
Mix chutney and mayonnaise together, put on top of chicken. Bake 170 for 30 minutes. Serve with boiled rice.
Job done.
Starter and sweet from M&S!

One of he posters conflated enjoying cooking with ‘Mrs Mopp’?
That’s just ridiculous.
If you don’t want to cook at home and turn the whole thing into a competition, then suggest you meet at the pub and have a drink and a meal...the question is whether you like this couple enough to see them again, or are you just reciprocating out of politeness?

I agree, it's not a competition so stick with what you know and feel confident with. Slow cooked beef casserole with lots of red wine in it, shallots, baby carrots; serve with colcannon mash and fresh greens would be my "go to" stress free favourite. When I cook it I buy a roasting joint, cut it up and casserole that rather than diced stewing beef or braising steak.

As others have suggested, Lasagne is also a good choice and I would have a few choices of different breads to start with dipping oils etc.

I beautifully laid table can make all the difference too.

You have to feel comfortable in whatever you decide to serve, that way you can relax and enjoy the company. Good luck and have fun!

I've just had my son and his new girlfriend stay for the weekend and beforehand I worried myself sick about what meals to give them. It wasn't that I wanted to impress his girlfriend but that I didn't want to let my son down. Anyway, I ended up doing a lasagne, salad and jacket potatoes for lunch and it went down well. Then it was a buffet for the evening with a little bit of this and a bit of that.

Next day I bottled it and took them to the local pub for a roast dinner. By the way, she was lovely and I had a really nice weekend.

Three options

1. Honesty. “You did the most wonderful spread, it was a lovely treat for us. Unfortunately I don’t share your talent! I would love to have you over but please moderate your expectations!”

2. Marks / Waitrose

3 ask their favourite take away. Explain you’re an uninspiring cook but would love to have them over to indulge in their favourite take away with them.

We have friends who are into fine dining and wow us with homemade everything and Ottolenghi recipes-we reciprocate with fizz and nibbles to start - veggie curries or chilli with rice or Greek style meze with lots of simple dishes lots of wine. Simple desserts like fresh fruit, cheese, chocs. No complaints and lots of compliments. It’s the company that’s important.

I’m a nervous not very good cook and food stresses me out so when I invite people it’s always roasted chicken, potatoes, red onions , parsnips, carrots and steamed broccoli. Can’t go wrong just look in the window and when it looks roasted it’s done. It’s almost a family joke. Last year I decided to surprise my DD and her DH with something different . They looked a bit disappointed and I said well I wanted to do something special ! They said oh but on the flight over from America ( 7 hrs) all they could think about was mums special roast !

Don't invite them to 'dinner', invite them to a pot luck 'supper' with food you share, casual and fun.

Your neighbour probably really enjoys cooking and the opportunity to entertain.
I’m sure they’re not sitting there thinking ‘let’s see if mrs mopp can match that?’
Just cook what you’d normally eat.
You can always make it more attractive with a display of nice flowers and pretty napkins etc. Focus on being good company and being friendly.
I cook and occasionally entertain. One of my friends cooks very plain old fashioned almost, meat and 2 veg type food. It tastes good and homemade. Best of all is they’re great company. We laugh loads when we get together. I’d be horrified if I thought she was putting off seeing us because she was worried about trying to keep up in some way.

Aldi do fab puddings. Profiteroles, raspberry Pana Cotta. Yupmmy.
There was a programme of the TV recently where they took some obviously rich students who only bought branded goods and they did blind trials with them with Aldi and Lidl, Crisps, dinks and food.
The students picked the cheap food as being best, over and over again. Waitrose is lovely but it really isn’t that much different from cheap food....except the price.
You can plan a whole dinner party with their food. I love their Sloe Gin mince pies and ready made custard.

We used to do dinner parties, can't be bothered with all that palava anymore, as you say Mrs Mopp all a bit '80s. I find it's easier to reciprocate with a Sunday roast, there are always vegetarian alternatives, plus interesting vegetable accompaniments, or howabout an alfresco lunch, summer of course, cold salmon, umpteen salads, get the barby out, cold puddings......possibilities are endless. Alternatively, an afternoon tea, plus a glass of Prosecco, loads of scope there, cakes, sandwiches, tarts, quite easy and if you don't feel like knocking it up yourself, well as others have said..........there's always Marks and Waitrose I'm lucky on that score I've got loads of my late mother-in-law's lovely bone china tea service, including tiered cake stand, which I don't have a lot of opportunity to use otherwise, unless I do a tea, which we do occasionally.

Food for thought Good luck with whatever you decide OP.