Food to make for a group of guests when you don't want to be trapped in the kitchen for the whole night cooking for them?

Question :

Usually when I have friends over I'll make a big Mexican spread or fry up some chicken with French fries, line up some burgers, etc. But I spend a ton of time in the kitchen while they just hang out in the living room and I miss out whole also feeling (self-imposed of course) like a bit of a maid.

What are some really yummy spreads (particularly comfort food) that you can mostly prepare beforehand and cook kind of passively?

Answers

1- Lasagna!
2- I’m always looking for ideas like this. One of the best ones we do every Christmas Eve. We make a ton of meatballs a few days in advance. We bake them off and refrigerate. On the day of, we make a tomato sauce and then, an hour or so before guests arrive, we drop the meatballs in. Depending on # of guests we use the crockpot or a big soup chafer.

Alongside the meatballs we put out crusty bread, cold salads, antipasto, cheeses, tapenade, etc.

It’s super easy and always a big hit.

3- My biggest crowd pleaser is crockpot pulled pork sandwiches and baked mac & cheese. maybe some coleslaw. Very easy to prep in advance and just let people take whatever they feel like.

4- Whenever I do a Mexican spread I usually make and prep everything in advance. It'll just be a matter of reheating and last minute stuff. It's much easier than making everything fresh.