What is your favorite company meal?

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Coconut curry chicken. It freezes beautifully.

Meatloaf - I bake it and cut it into peices and put them in foil and then reheat them directly in the oven and done

Lasagne - Prepare all the ingredients ahead of time. Use those ready to bake sheets and it never fails

Dal - Simple to boil and freeze ahead of time. I just do the tadka (tempering) with spices at the last minute and make some basmati rice and papads and done

Enchilada type casserole - Can be made ahead of time and reheats beautifully

Rice pilafs - Easy to make with frozen veggies and goes well with a raita which is also a breeze to put together. In no time I have a meal.

Spicy Potatoes - My absolute favorite and have made it several times in a pinch and it's quick and always a crowd pleaser.
 
Spicy Potatoes - My absolute favorite and have made it several times in a pinch and it's quick and always a crowd pleaser.

I have a horrible time with potatoes, for some reason. Will you please share?
 
If we know ahead of time we do Italian Beef. This is not the sandwich from Chicago but a low and slow oven dish. Take a chuck roast, put a packet of Good Season Italian Dressing mix (dry) and 1/2 cup water. Need to have an enameled cast iron dutch over (does not work well in stainless -- need the mass I believe) and into a 200 degree oven all day -- will need 8 hours at this temp or you can push it at the end by increasing the temp. Pull the meat out and shred with a fork, discarding any remaining fat. Put back in the pot with the juices. Serve on dollar rolls or . . .?????? Easy and loved by my whole family and then some.

Mike
 
I, too, do Italian a lot for crowds. Spaghetti and lasagna were my mom's favorite for crowds when I was young. Lasagna less so, because it was expensive to make, comparatively (all that cheese wasn't cheap). But both were guaranteed to bring in compliments.
 
If it's truly short-notice, I'll cheeseball out with the frozen (but excellent) mushroom ravioli that I always keep in my freezer. A little brown butter sage sauce, some truffle oil, shaved pecorino, some sauteed crimini or pan-roasted maitake on top, and voila. Easy dinner for a group, and not expensive.

If I have some more time I'll do a roast or fricassee. My dumbed-down Coq Au Vin is a favorite.
 
Pulled Pork BBQ (smoke it myself)
Cole Slaw
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Hush Puppies

or

Taco Salad (pre-mixed with Fritos & Russian Dressing)
 
If we know ahead of time we do Italian Beef. This is not the sandwich from Chicago but a low and slow oven dish. Take a chuck roast, put a packet of Good Season Italian Dressing mix (dry) and 1/2 cup water. Need to have an enameled cast iron dutch over (does not work well in stainless -- need the mass I believe) and into a 200 degree oven all day -- will need 8 hours at this temp or you can push it at the end by increasing the temp. Pull the meat out and shred with a fork, discarding any remaining fat. Put back in the pot with the juices. Serve on dollar rolls or . . .?????? Easy and loved by my whole family and then some.

Mike

Mike, I make my Italian Beef the same way, except I add a can of beer instead of the water and do it in the crock pot. That's a great meal for guests because it will hang out in the pot until everyone's ready to eat.
If I'm feeling industrious, I make potato salad to go with.

One of my favorite dishes for company is Frogmore Stew...Shrimp, corn on the cob, smoked sausages, new potatoes, butter and halved lemons, boiled together with Old Bays or Zatarains, and served with crusty bread. Spread newspapers out on the table and hand out terry dish towels for bibs/napkins.

In warm weather, Kim usually fires up the smoker and cooks a variety of meats, and I make baked beans, slaw and potato salad.

Deep-fried turkey and baked whole ham are always big favorites, too.
 
I use my pressure cooker all the time and have some really good and quick things I make with that. One is a turkish dish called Tas Kebap. Very moist and tender meat. The other is baby back ribs. My next door neighbors say the ribs are the best they've ever eaten. Apply rub, 20 minutes in the pressure cooker and they are nearly falling off the bone. I grill them and add the sauce and they taste like they've been cooking all day. For casseroles I like to do Turkey/Chicken Tetrazinni. For brunch I like to do quiches.
 
Fried chicken with steamed veggies and a salad, or beef stew are my favorites to serve. I don't usually have tons of people here, but if it more than 2 or 3, those are easy to do.
 
For large groups I prefer anything that allows me to spend more time with my guests than in the kitchen. For me this means Chilis; Baked Enchiladas; pasta dishes like Lasagna; Paella; Coq au Vin; grilling in the summer, etc., etc.

I save dishes that require more last-minute work for small groups of close friends who I don't mind visiting with me in the kitchen.
 
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