Best supermarket meals suitable for a dinner party

I put my COOK bourgigon in my slow cooker.

I put the COOK bourgigon in a slow cooker.

If you are lucky enough to live near a Costco, they produce an excellent range of ready cooked meals. They are a little pricey but very well cooked and fresh tasting.

I often buy in a course when I plan a meal. So my next meal for friends next week is Starters - (Mary Berry) leek, salmon and dill tartlets - main - venison and beef in red wine casserole with seasonal veg. Buying in a tiramisu. Was going to poached plums in Sauternes with syllabub, but decided not to over do it. The content of the tartlets and cooked pastry basis can be pre-prepared. The casserole in slow cooker.

I am a fan of Charlie Bigham, but they are not cheap. Rice needs more cooking than it says but delicious. especially their fish pie.

Strangely one of the best boef bourgignon in an instant meal is the Slimming World one.

For a fish main I can recommend lidl up market range Salmon Wellington. There are two varieties. Very well filled with a solid piece of salmon . Serves 4 generous portions.

M and S is best I think. The dine in offer is always good.

The dine-in m&s offers are dreadful if you have any vegetarians.
And anything with aubergine (eg parmigiana) is the worst it seems to me. Always cut too thickly. Never fully cooks. If you cook it long enough for the aubergine it's too dry.

Cook or Charlie Bingham is best I find. I always have an individual portion when my daughters cook curry as I hate curry. Charlie’s fish pie is spectacular

I have recently watched 'Nigel and Adam's Farm Kitchen' on the BBC iplayer. Apart from being an entertaining programme (as long as you are a carnivore!) Nigel Slater cooked several easy meals for larger numbers, mostly casserole type. The recipes are on line.
www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/m0032j5t

Coq au vin from Cook is also very good.

Are you anywhere near a Booths? They have a very good range of frozen meals that look/taste homemade. Pretty pricey but probably worth it for a one off.

25Avalon

Coq au vin from Cook is also very good.

My mother-in-law used this for entertaining.
The family who ate it (the meat-eaters) were very pleased with it and one has ordered it for themselves afterwards. The other thing that went down well was a pie - maybe Chicken and Mushroom?

I like their vegetarian chick pea tagine which I've had at her house too.

They do some lovely puddings.
Everyone knew it would be a "ready meal" main as my mother-in-law was 101 and wanted to do it all herself.

I think you need to consider how they look on the table for a "dinner party" vibe. The coq au vin can go in one larger dish to cook/present at table. Not sure you can do that with some dishes.

I'd want it to look good as well as taste good.

I do think Cook Food is one of the better offerings though.
I would look at their meals.

Guilty as charged. I’ve served Charlie Bingham Fish pies (3 decanted into a nice ovenproof dish) sprinkled with extra cheese and a mix of fresh veg. It went down a treat all round. Nobody asked if it was home made and I didn’t mention it. I have also served Lidl frozen lamb shanks to somebody who is a an excellent cook and she raved about it.

Good for you lilypollen I haven’t used them, but others recommend COOK and on their website you choose how many you are catering for.

I know some have posted ‘easy’ meals to cook, but I get that’s not what you’re asking.

Best of luck, have a lovely evening.

I am not up for three home prepared courses for a dinner party these days unless I can do something beforehand which will keep for the day.

I usually do a Boeuf Bourguignon or a venison casserole in a slow cooker and freeze it.

Starters would be gravadlax or smoked salmon or Madagascan prawns (all bought) and served with lime, lemon and lemon mayo.

A dessert might be a Pavlova, nothing easier to make and assemble.

But the above suggestions seem excellent. The only caveat might be that Charlie Bigham's meals are really tiny and you would have to up the quantity to feed your guests and that wouldn't be cheap.