The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never had a meal of bread and meat brought together for him at lunch or dinner except in the company of many people sharing it.
حدثنا عفان حدثنا أبان بن يزيد حدثنا قتادة
أن رسول الله ﷺ لم يجتمع له غداء ولا عشاء من خبز ولحم إلا على ضفف
Its isnad is sahih. Haythami also said, 5/20, "Its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih." The hadith was narrated by Abu Yaala, 5/420, no. 3108, via Zuhayr from Affan, and by Tirmidhi in al-Shamail, no. 138, via Affan from him with the same wording, and by Abu Shaykh in Akhlaq al-Nabi ﷺ, p. 78, through another route from Qatada from him with the same wording.As for his saying "except with need," it has two possible meanings, and both are plausible. Some said that need here means scarcity, and others said it means the gathering of people, that is, he did not eat it except in the company of others, whether he invited someone or someone invited him.