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Best supermarket meals suitable for a dinner party

(7 Posts)
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lilypollen Wed 07-Oct-26 18:40:18

Hands up, I used to love entertaining and cooking now it is a chore. I want to do a dinner party for 6/8 (owe the hospitality) but that will be stressful for me. Light bulb moment at 3a.m - mega thinking time. Buy in the starters and mains. Desserts easy, fresh fruit and cheeseboard. Question. Who can you recommend? It would be casserole style, Beef Bourguignon, Coq au vin type mains. I would use, M and S (Ocado) COOK! online or Waitrose 10 minutes from me. Thanks, I don't have a clue how to select the quality I would want.

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Cossy Wed 07-Oct-26 18:54:22

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

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Cossy Wed 07-Oct-26 18:55:02

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

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TillyTrotter Wed 07-Oct-26 19:13:16
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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.

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Nanny27 Thu 08-Oct-26 15:26:20

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.

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Stillness Thu 08-Oct-26 16:46:05

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….

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Cossy Thu 08-Oct-26 17:00:46

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!!!

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