Handling unexpected mealtime guests
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Anonymous
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Looking for ideas for the sudden addition to the dinner table or 1-2 of my child's friends.
My family doesn't really eat left overs, so I pretty much only buy exactly what I need to feed my family of 5. As my kids are getting older (HS), it seems more and more common that someone will be at the house and it is dinner time and I have been caught a couple of times without enough chicken or steak so I just feed the kids and have a pbj, which I don't mind What do other people do? Do you keep certain things in the house that easily allow you to unexpectedly expand the meal? Also looking for what to keep in stock for sudden, unplanned get togethers at my house. I have loaded up on drinks, but not sure about food. |
Anonymous
| I cut chicken and steak pieces in half. And I will add a pasta side dish, like Mac and cheese to what I already made. I keep lots of pasta on hand -- throw whatever type of cheese I have in it or just buttered pasta. |
Anonymous
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We cook for more people. A pan of baked ziti with salad and garlic bread, two whole chickens, a sheet pan of veggies and a bunch of baked potatoes.
Pasta and meatsauce can always be punched up. Also start eating leftovers. |
Anonymous
| I add extra bread, boil some more pasta, add a can of black beans, or roast more vegetables and divide the protein among more people. If it’s soup, I add more water and bake some more bread. I have in the past, just eaten less myself so others don’t go without. |
Anonymous
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I try to have a few homemade freezer meals on hand for unexpected changes to our dinner plans. They usually only take an hour to heat up, depending on the dish. I also usually have frozen dinner rolls a couple bagged salads which are easy ways to add a side to the table.
Keep frozen pizzas and other frozen appetizer type things (taquitos, bagel bites, etc) on hand for heartier snacks. |
Anonymous
Add a side dish - a quick pasta based thing, or veggies. |
Anonymous
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I always try to keep some baguette in the freezer (buy at Costco and cut to fit in a large ziploc).
Also try to keep cheese, hummus and crudites, all of which can stretch a meal. Good for you for keeping an open door/welcome to dinner policy, though. It matters. |
Anonymous
| Are you Swedish? |
Anonymous
This happens a lot to us, but I welcome it and always buy extra. We also eat leftovers  Like others, we keep extra frozen pizzas in fridge for these moments. I always have green salad on hand too - romaine, spinach etc. so that's an easy side dish. Love all the pasta suggestions too - that's an easy quick one.
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Anonymous
| Teach your family to hold back when there are guests. If it’s your kid’s friend, they should offer the friend the meat and eat a pb/j. Or split the meal and the sandwich with the friend. |
Anonymous
| Just order takeout the nights that you have unexpected guests. |
Anonymous
| I just can’t imagine only having the perfect amount for each family member. Don’t people appetites change? |
Anonymous
Haha! |
Anonymous
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We just cut the meat pieces in half and then I add in a more filling side dish like a box mac & cheese.
I also try to put some kind of app out first for them to munch on... cheese & crackers, hummus & veggies, chips & salsa/guac. |
Anonymous
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I do not think you have to accomodate every kid every time they are at your house at dinner time with no advanced notice.
For a once in a while thing, I will put my plan aside and order pizza for all if the plan would not accomodate guests. |