Dinner party

Waitrose entertaining!

I would buy the dessert and spend a happy few evenings browsing recipe sites/blogs for something delicious but quite easy for a main course. Anything you can do most of the prep ahead (lasagne, curry) is helpful and takes stress off.

But I would 100% buy in the dessert. No pastry chef am I.

The neighbours will be delighted to be invited. I am sure they value your friendship more than the food. Just go for it and do your best! It will be fine!

M&S party food.

Move house!

It’s not a competition, don’t turn it into one. Just cook something that you know you do well. Get a starter and a dessert from Waitrose or Sainsbury’s and serve it with love and friendship, and enjoy the evening.

Brilliant time of year to do it - Waitrose, M & S, Aldi - they all have delicious canapes that can be the first course and as everyone says buy a pud - Gu are delicious and then something simple for a main course - lasagne is great because you can make it in advance or if you really don't have any confidence buy something from Cook - they have great frozen stuff. Add a bit of salad and some cheese for a real feast! Good luck - it's your company, not the food that's important.

Spag bol
Crusty garlic bread
Wine
Cheese and biscuits
coffee and mint chocs
Dress up
Don't compete
Enjoy
Never waitrose m&s asda ...
Everyone tecognises shop brought !

Just go for it, even if you're a bit hesitant. Have a great time whatever you cook will be lovely.

I have those sorts of anxieties when folk come to stay and have learned to stick with something I usually cook and enjoy. Vegetarian lasagne, chilli or a curry would all be good options. They can all be prepared in advance. Totally agree, buy the starter and pudding, add cheese, relax and enjoy. I suspect your neighbours just love to cook and feed people, they will enjoy your company and won’t be giving you marks for your food. Let us know how it goes.

This time of year, casseroles all the way! Just add veg and spuds (or even rice). Cook ahead and chill or freeze to save work on the day. Mary Berry’s “Cook Now, Eat Later” book has some good tips. The Beef and Venison Casserole is excellent. I gave it to guests and it was well received. It really is about the company, not Masterchef so just relax and enjoy.

I would do what I do well and has gone down successfully with others. It's people we're about, not stuff. Try to relax and enjoy. It's potential long term friendship in the offing so competition is foolish. Good luck.

I'm in a similar situation. I've reciprocated once with my tried and tested stifado, Greek salad etc. We've since been back to theirs for another meal but was totally put off inviting them back when they said they made their own pasta!

I’m with those who say cook something you are confident with and good at. If it’s plain food, it will still go down well. We used to be part of a dinner party circle of eight good friends, where one couple, when it was “their turn” always served up an excellent roast beef dinner. You knew what you were getting, you knew it would be really good and everyone looked forward to it. Buy the starter, and a pud or two.

Well it’s not a cooking competition but I do understand what you mean, so as I don’t enjoy cooking it would be a visit to M&S and I would let them know I did, I wouldn’t make out I’d made any of it, just be honest, it’s about the good company as well as the meal

Invite them round, tell them you're not a great cook, plain food only, but would love to return the invitation and get to know them better. Then buy a starter and dessert and cook something you're used to doing for the main course. They will be happy to be invited back and meet friendly people.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 !

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.

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.

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.