OP, you forgot your kid friendly option.

Have you thought about a stew? Throw it in the crock pot in the morning and you can eat any time. Here's an old family recipe of mine that I've updated:

Labskaus (Norwegian sailor's stew)

This recipe serves 6, but the quantities are really easy to adjust.

1.5 lbs. beef for stewing - cut into appx. 1" cubes
6 potatoes, also cubed
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup peas (frozen are fine, add at end)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 Tbsp. butter
appx 3 cups dark beer (I used Guinness)
appx 3 cups prepared beef stock/bouillon (I like Better Than Bouillon paste)
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4-1 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and black pepper to taste (lots of pepper - its supposed to be peppery)

You can brown the beef with the butter, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion first, but you don't have to. Throw everything but the peas in the crock pot, and set on high for 4 hours. Switch it to low after the 4 hours (rather than letting it switch to warm), and keep it at low until you're ready to serve. At least 5 hours total is a good measure. Add the peas 30 min before dinnertime. Check spices and adjust if necessary at that time. Just beore serving, if you like a thinker stew, mix 1 Tbsp cornstarch with a little cold water, then stir it into the stew. Enjoy!

OP again. Hm, now I'm thinking some more. The pasta salad is a not really a salad - it's pasta with squash and chicken sausage and a butter sauce. I thought the rice-lentil salad would be a nice, filling veg option. The green salad will have mushrooms and goat cheese. Is my menu too light? Dinner will be on the early side (6:30/7) to accommodate the kids.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all of the thoughts! I think I've decided on a lentil-rice salad, a green salad and a pasta salad. Lots of salads, but I think they're all different enough to please the crowd.

You said this was for a dinner. I think you need to add some kind of heartier dish. Just having three salads for dinner seems a little light.

How about baked mac and cheese, a salad, and some kind of roast or barbecued meat or chicken? your menu sounds more like a luncheon.

OP here. Thanks for all of the thoughts! I think I've decided on a lentil-rice salad, a green salad and a pasta salad. Lots of salads, but I think they're all different enough to please the crowd.

I recently saw a recipe for a brown & wild rice dish with butternut squash. Sounded delicious and very seasonal:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wild-and-Brown-Rice-Pilaf-with-Butternut-Squash-and-Dried-Cranberries-107275

I've been doing a yearly holiday party for years. I do a large casserole of mac n cheese or chicken pot pie, both are hits with kids. I always do a spinach lasagna. Both of these options freeze well.

Last weekend we had a casual halloween party (kids + parents and I had to accommodate 1 vegan, 1 lactose free, and 2 gluten free guests. I was nervous at first because we're total omnivores here, but then I decided on build-your-own tacos and I calmed down. Desert was dairy free pumpkin pudding and crust-free pumpkin pie. 2 moms brought specialty deserts for their special needs (plus gluten free beer- something I would have never thought of!) Not saying it's best for you- just sayin' i was fussed at first too, but I made it work.

Chili? Can be vegetarian or not, with tomatoes or not, could be in the crock pot or not...

Or butternut squash lasagna might be a good veg pasta option.

I love Giada's Chicken Tetrazini. Makes a ton and reheats well. Lots of garlic bread -- most kids love it. For the salad I'd do a heartier salad -- panzanella or something with more protein like chickpeas. If you keep it italian, all kids love just noodles with butter. Another salad option is a cold tortellini salad (you can make vegetarian or add salami, pepperoni, etc.).

Thanks! Keep the ideas coming, please

How about a white lasagna that can be made ahead of time? Here is an example:


http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broccoli-lasagna/detail.aspx

Shepherd's pie or pot pie? They both reheat well in the oven.

I'm planning a birthday dinner that will involve feeding our guests dinner so I'm planning on a buffet menu. I'd love some ideas on foods to prepare - I love to cook so pretty much anything goes, but here are my considerations:

1. vegetarian option available
2. kid friendly option available
3. make ahead (either crock pot or baked to reheat)
4. no tomato sauce, no nuts

For my non-veg option, I was thinking about an autumn pasta dish with a brown butter sauce, but I don't think it re-heats well, which is a total bummer. Definitely planning to serve a green simple salad for the adults so perhaps 2 dishes? 1 crock pot, 1 pasta dish? Other ideas? I want to keep it simple (nothing involving assembly for the guests), delicious and filling so that I can focus on entertaining rather than doing stuff last minute. Any and all ideas welcome!