Parents arriving on a weeknight, need a "help yourself" easy dinner plan!

[Anonymous]

My parents are flying into town from the West Coast on Tuesday and since they'll arrive before I can get home--and they'll no doubt be hungry after a long flight--I'd like to prepare something that they can casually eat with their grandchildren until DH and I can get there (and that then we can eat). Since it's also meant to be warm this week, I'm thinking of something light as well as easy, such as a large platter of either sliced cheeses and fruits or a Salad Nicoise, along with good bread, sparkling water, and wine. Other ideas?

[Anonymous]

Maybe too informal for you, but I've had great success with make-your-own burrito fixings. Warm up and done.

[Anonymous]

Pasta salad with pesto and chicken

[Anonymous]

Cold roast/rotisserie chicke, cheese and good bread, pasta or potato salad, carrots and guacamole, fruit salad,

[Anonymous]

Bagels with cream cheese and lox, with a tomato/caper salad (too brunchy??)

Mezze sampler -- hummus, feta, labneh, tabbouleh, domades, some pita.

Panzanella salad.

[Anonymous]

Don't do salads nicoise as it will not keep for hours in the fridge. I Concur with the above - cheese and charcuterie, a big regular salad (undressed, they add dressing as they serve themselves). Alternatively a cold chicken or roast beef prime rib would be amazing getting off a long flight. Some French bread. Shrimp salad also keeps well and is delicious.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the great suggestions!

[Anonymous]

I would love a small platter of shrimp cocktail with sliced lemon too

[Anonymous]

I would put out a platter of thinly sliced fresh chicken breast that's either been roasted or turkey or roast beef fresh rolls maybe a cold pasta salad and then add a little plate of shredded lettuce sliced tomatoes- satisfying easy and works perfectly for room temperature

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cold roast/rotisserie chicke, cheese and good bread, pasta or potato salad, carrots and guacamole, fruit salad,

Goodbread as opposed to what bad bread? Lol

[Anonymous]

Chicken salad, croissants, crackers and cheese, fruit

[Anonymous]

good bread -- in my house, "bread" is what we use for sandwiches, morning toast, etc. It comes sliced from the supermarket and costs $3.50 - $4.00 a loaf. "Good bread" comes from a bakery, unsliced, baked that day, costs $5-8 per loaf.

[Anonymous]

Chili is always better the next day. Chili and cornbread,