Best supermarket meals suitable for a dinner party

We use M&S meals and Charlie Bingham.

My suggestion would be to buy in the starters, easy peasy, ready prepared seafood starters are great, do you have any vegans or allergies amongst your guests?

For mains, if you really want to buy in ready made food, id choose fish pie or casseroles, but tbh, if you have a slow cooker or a very large casserole dish its so easy to do one pot meals and a few vegs, just buy in the starters and puds?

Anyway good luck xx

If you do go for main cook mains, make sure you buy in one meal per person!

Re: Dessert “
Waitrose No.1” Tiramisu looks homemade and is delicious, if you think your guests would like that.
Buy it, freeze it until the day. £14 and feeds 6.

I would suggest a halfway compromise. Make your casserole etc in the slow cooker (or casserole dish) and use one of those expensive sauce mixes to flavour it. Jamie Oliver or other makes. They come in sachets either dried or ready to go. The results are quite impressive.

I buy beef bourguignon from COOK and I think it’s very acceptable. I add potatoes and vegetables. I also buy cheesecakes from them that I love! None of it’s cheap though….

Nanny27

I would suggest a halfway compromise. Make your casserole etc in the slow cooker (or casserole dish) and use one of those expensive sauce mixes to flavour it. Jamie Oliver or other makes. They come in sachets either dried or ready to go. The results are quite impressive.

Yes!!!

Thank you all. Reassured that I can do it. Hadn't thought of using my trusty slow cooker (Tower, inherited from my brother when he divorced 36 years ago!).

What about Cook! frozen meals. They deliver to most areas if you don't have one of their shops nearby.

You can get dinner party sizes and there's no strange additives.
(I don't work for them!)

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I buy COOK meals, defrost them and then decant them into my cookware before cooking for about half the time as 'from frozen'. (Note - you can't do this with pastry meals though).

The Lasagne (meat and veggie) are favourites. (Just remember to let rest for 10-minutes before serving so the juices settle and it serves more tidily!).

Service with a mixed Caesar Salad bowl from Costco or Tesco (throw in some Flame Raisins and cashews).

If no-one asks for a recipe then I just acknowledge their praise with a grateful and coy "thank you".

(I always order two extra helpings to cover for greedy diners and, hopefully, feed me the next day)
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I would say that all 3 options are of a similar, high standard. Have used Cook frozen meals for Christmas when it has just been the 2 of us (started during Covid) and was impressed with the quality and quantity. Have fun and enjoy a stess-free gathering.

Cook meals do special party meals and are reliable and tasty. I and many of my friends have gone off cooking! We are completely up front about using Cook and everyone is freed up to enjoy the evening guilt free!

A beef or pork casserole is always improved by a very large dollop of Heinz Classic (smoky) Barbecue Sauce.

I recently had a buffet lunch for the neighbours (ladies only) - from Sainsbury’s. …. it was a roaring success - all delivered about 12 noon, in lovely covered straight-to-table trays . I provided the Prosecco - all for under £150.
It was a lovely chatter lunch.

Sorry, just realised you wanted ideas for a hot meal 😂

Charlie Bingham's Boeuf Bourginon comes with dauphinois potatoes and is yummy! Waitrose. Add some green veg.

You really can’t go wrong with Cook. My, now elderly, mum uses food from there a lot now. She used to cook everything from scratch. We have never had a bad meal.

I particularly like the pear and almond tart! 😋

I always choose from the M&S Gastro pub Dine in selection if I don't feel up to cooking.

My favourite combination is the Chicken Forestiere which I serve with Potatoes Dauphinoise and mixed green veg. It really is delicious!

In fact I love it so much we had it four times last year on special occasions, rather than eating out! It's £15 for two people and you get a main, a side and a starter or dessert. All the desserts are delicious but I usually go for cheesecake or lemon tart.

You do have to go early on a Saturday though - especially if you're buying enough for 4 or 6 people!

Hope that helps
Xx

Another vote for Charlie Bigham ready meals. Most of the major supermarkets stock them. Not cheap but excellent quality.

I was entertained with a Charlie Bingham meal - Fish Pie, absolutely delicious. Imagine others in the range would be equally as good.

The Co-op near us sells a range of ready meals called By Ruby. We have tried their Beef Bourguignon, Coq Au Vin, Tarragon Chicken and a Chicken, Bacon and Leek Pie. All delicious. They do versions for 1 person or 2 people. Simlar prices to Charlie Bighams.

Stillness

I buy beef bourguignon from COOK and I think it’s very acceptable. I add potatoes and vegetables. I also buy cheesecakes from them that I love! None of it’s cheap though….

I agree I often buy the Cooks beef bourguignon and add extra wine and a Knorr red wine stock cube it makes it very luxury. I serve with new potatoes and baby carrots or Waitrose red cabbage. Cook also do lovely crumble puddings. I hate cooking and Cook are my favourite go to.

I make a tasty casserole in my slow cooker the day before so I can check seasoning etc and it just has to be reheated, creamy mashed potatoes can be made the day before and reheated, so I only have to cook veg or make a salad on the actual day. An easy starter is blini's with smoked salmon and cream cheese served with welcome drinks and I nearly always buy the pud from Cooks. My favourite is a chocolate and almond torte served with fresh raspberries and some double cream, it's also good with tinned mandarin oranges when decent fresh fruit is out of season. I've tried the Cooks main meals and my favourite is the lamb tagine which I serve with cous cous plus roasted veg and/or chopped herbs and pistachios. I find having friends to supper is a breeze as most of the prep needed is done the day before.

M&S Gastropub meals are yummy. You get a main, a side and either a starter or dessert for 2 people for £15. Plenty to choose from. Just choose your dishes and multiply by the number of couples you're entertaining. Simples! Plenty of time to set the table and make yourself beautiful

Well done you! I throughly recommend the COOK Boeuf Bourgignon, if you let it defrost put it in your own dish nobody will be the wiser. From one has done that! Enjoy your evening. Smoked salmon for starters or even a simple charcuterie board with olives and a jar of artichokes, job done