Can I get away with it?

I’m sure you will. I’d take all the ready components and put them into my own dishes before cooking.
If it’s something like Lasagna, then add some extra cheese on top, to brown in a home made fashion!
If soups on the menu, sprinkle some herbs or Home made croutons on the top.
Tricks learnt from my mother, who was an awful cook. She bought everything and passed it off as her own.

Don't worry, we all do it sometime or another. We were settling down at home one week end, fire lit, wine opened when there was a phone call from friends: 'Where are you? has there been a delay?' We were meant to have been going to stay with them for the weekend and had completely forgotten.

Our very lame excuse was that both of us had been away from home for most of the week due to (different) work commitments and it was a month end. We hadn't turned over the calendar. the weekend was the 1-2 of the month. I still squirm with embarrassment even thinking about it

I was planning on making lasagne for a lunch for 10. When it came to the day before I simply had such a lot on. Called with our excellent butcher who does fabulous (only slightly lesser than my own) 'ready meals' and bought 3 family sized lasagnes. Put them into a really large lasagne dish and pressed them gently, guiding them to shape and fill the dish. One jar of Ragu White Sauce over the top and to fill any little joins - and loads of extra grated cheese. When all golden and bubbling and ready to serve I gave it a dressing of some coriander and ordinary parsely.

It looked fabulous, and have indeed done it again on occasion.

Several of us arrived at book group a couple of months ago to be greeted by our host saying ‘Oh! Is it tonight?’
At least your memory was prodded a few hours before the event Lynda
I would have to confess about the ready meal as I’m no good at lying

I would confess and not even feel bad about it . It could happen to any of us.

Absolutely, I have no hesitation in admitting a ready meal if it is good enough. Think ingenuity

Thank goodness she texted you LyndaW!

Imagine if you had decided to stay in town for something to eat

Make sure you put it into your own dishes first and be ready with the answer when they ask for the recipe!

ps a bit of grated nutmeg in the white sauce always adds a bit of je-ne-sais-quoi!

Why be afraid to admit you’ve bought in? Just say “ you’ll never guess what, I was so busy, I didn’t have time to cook, so I’ve cheated and am trying this meal from xxxx. I hope you don’t mind, “ have a glass of fizz and some nibbles when they arrive,add some nice bread and salads, keep the wine flowing and no one will mind. Maybe do a simple dessert, some chocs, good coffee , keep chatting. They’ve come for the company, not the haute cuisine! !

Fess up.

It’s not only good for the soul but could add to the joy of the evening sharing similar stories with your friend.

How did it go?
Bet you had a good evening.

We have a branch of Cook near us who do great meals that taste home made and I have no compunction in buying from them if entertaining and I'm too busy to cook. I also 'fess up to having bought, better than the guilt!

My mum used to get fed up being asked to bake things for the church. She started buying shortbread and putting icing or chocolate on it herself. Nobody guessed she hadn't made the shortbread herself.

I have had a few culinary mishaps,either forgetting some visitors arriving,or the planned meal turning out wrong...nowadays i would confess,and get a takeaway,but I remember once years ago,when we recently moved to a new town we invited Ssome neighbours round for a meal...duck ,only to find that the said Bird had shriveled to nothing,so I got hubby to keep the drinks flowing and entertain them whilst I quickly scooted to the chinese,and bought some duck,put it in Pyrex dishes and thinly sliced orange over it,but my now best friend saw through it and we had a good laugh,and laughed even more when my chocolate pear upside down pud,looked brilliant until I took it to the table to serve it,then as I cut it the middle oozed out uncooked!,we all had ice cream instead,I think the abundance of wine made it funnier.

I have a friend who loves dinner parties but hates cooking. She invites people round boasting that it’s an M&S party. Last one we went to her husband toasted bread for the pate starter, but she was still able to say she had cooked nothing. The food was delicious and we all had a fab time. The hosts weren’t all flustered and tired from the preparation. It taught me that ready made can be just as good, so don’t worry about it!

Say something like 'I'm serving ready made tonight so that we can have more time to chat instead of spending time cooking. After all chatting and keeping up are much more importent'. Just wing it.

I wouldn’t say anything. A good friend will just eat the food.

The food is literally second to me. It's the chat that is important. My 'proper' friends and I used to do massive dinner parties. It was good at the time but now we don't bother and mostly rely on ready made.

I have done that, tipped stewed steak into my cast iron casserole, ready prepared mashed potato and shop's own Yorkshire puddings, served with fresh vegetables. It was dinner for ten and by the time you do a starter and pudding you would be in the kitchen the entire day.

I have regularly bought dauphinois and macaroni cheese, decanted into my own dishes and perhaps added some blue cheese, mustard into Mac cheese then topped with cheddar and passed off as my own. Have owned up now tho.
Seriously don’t even worry about serving brought in food or even perhaps call your local Indian/Chinese takeaway. We all love that.

You can easily tell a shop bought ready meal - the just taste completely different (maybe it's the packaging they've sat in not sure). I think you'll just have to apologise and say life has been horribly hectic lately (do NOT admit you forgot because that could be hurtful)

I've never managed to pull off a shop meal. I was caught out once with soup of all things. I got a box or 2 of stilton and broccoli soup for my guests starter. I thought I had pulled it off but the next day one of my guests turned up with broccoli and stilton asking if i would show her how to make it! Oops ... I had to confess.

It is the company that counts not the food!

I'm loving the lasagne idea Coolgran. I might have to steal it