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

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.

Chicken salad, croissants, crackers and cheese, fruit

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

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

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

Thanks for the great suggestions!

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.

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

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

Panzanella salad.

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

Pasta salad with pesto and chicken

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

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?