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.

Vegetarian meal ideas?

Question:

My girlfriend is vegetarian (well, pescatarian) and we always cook vegetarian meals when she is round but, as a meat eater, my vegetarian repertoire is quite small and I'd like to cook something interesting with her.

We have cooked mushroom pastas and risottos, paneer curries, some fish paellas and pasta dishes but I'd appreciate some new ideas from veggies on

Answer :-

1- When I last made Ratatouille, the sauce from fresh tomatos and all, I could have fooled myself that It was a meat dish, but there's no meat to be found.

2- Recommend Tamara’s Ratatouille from Ottolenghi. Hands down one of my favorite winter recipes.

3- There’s a book called Thug Kitchen that can help you with all your problems.

4- That food is amazing! All vegan too, so feel free to add cheese if you think it would be good with it. Strongly recommend the burritos with Spanish rice and peach salsa