Help me plan a menu

[dancingirl21]

DH and I have family coming from out of town on Friday. There will be 6 people total. Friday night I will make dinner/dessert for all.

Caveats:
*Needs to be fairly easy/quick. We are going OOT tomorrow morning until Friday around 3 and it is likely that they will arrive around 4:30.
*Could be something that I can prep ahead of time, but that would be tonight and not consumed until Friday night so it needs to last until then.
*Last time they all came, I did a taco bar, so that's out.

Any good ideas for a dinner/dessert?

[dexteroni]

I can't think of a dinner that will still be very good when it's two days old. And will you want to whip up dinner for 8 when you've just gotten back into town? I wouldn't. To me this is a pizza-ordering situation. And pick up a cake or some ice cream on your way back into town on Friday.

[6fsn]

My first thought is to grab some meat for the grill, some rice, and fresh green beans to also grill. Another easy meal I do is layer chicken breasts in a baking dish, top with marinara, garlic/red pepper flakes/italian seasoning then provolone cheese. Bake until done- it takes minutes to assemble, but the marinara makes timing very forgiving. Add some tortellini or linguini for a side, garlic bread, and tossed salad. Done.

[simpsongal]

You could braise something like pork shoulder for pulled pork or beef bouginion - that would taste great in 2 days.

[Deleted]

If you have a grill, I think the grilling suggestion is a good one. Good burgers and grilled vegetables makes a great Friday night dinner IMO. Heck, you could even use the grill for dessert - grill some pineapple and peaches and serve with vanilla ice cream.

[dancingirl21]

Thanks for the suggestions! I think I may go the grilling route, or pulled pork, which can be reheated.

[jennistarr1]

I don't consider lasagna easy...I was going to say homemade meatballs/sauce becuase that could sit a few days and then you can make pasta/buy rolls for subs/make a salad the day of.

What about a BLT bar? Baked Potato Bar? Pizza bar?