What would you cook tonight to feed 8 people?

[Tygertiger]

Hosting a gathering for 8 and I’m bored of cooking chilli which is my usual go-to. What would you do that’s (relatively) easy and tasty for a group? I’m good at cooking and I enjoy it, I’m just lacking inspiration!

Ok you know chilli so why not take the stress out of it and do burritos? You can prep them ahead too. Make your chill (not too wet), roll up in tortillas, into a large dish, passata over top with loads of grated cheese. Whack in oven just before you need them. Serve with potato skins (easy to make your own but frozen ones are perfectly fine if you feel time pressured) and the usual Mexican sauces. Whack some nachos in a bowl if you feel like you need something else

Another quick option I do for a crowd. Massive pack of mince. Mix with an egg, some shop bought breadcrumbs, whatever fresh herbs you fancy and a bit of chopped chilli. Form into meatballs and put in fridge for an hour. Then brown off way ahead of time. Into an oven proof dish with some good quality shop bought pasta sauce of your choice. When you are ready to cook them, top with torn basil and a chopped up mozzarella ball and chuck in oven. Serve with mash, pasta, crusty bread or rice, whichever you prefer. Always a hit here!

Chicken casserole in the slow cooker. Serve with mash, greens and peas.

Top tip - add a few teaspoons of gravy granules towards the end of cooking to make a lovely thick gravy.

yeah I would choose something handsoff once people arrive - maybe lasagne and salad with garlic bread

Curry & Rice with chapati or Naan and possible a tray of curry bits - samosa onion baji etc from say M&S if you don't want to make them all yourself.

PAsta Bake & Garlic bread

some sort of roast served in extra large yorkshires with gravy & Veg etc

Pulled pork a good one - if you like a challenge - bau buns???

Beef or chicken casserole with lovely bread (veg all in the casserole)

8 isn't too many and doesn't need to be buffet style.

My issue these days is I have downsized all my dishes for cooking to 4 !

Like others i'd make a curry and rice and some home made naans.

Curry recipe sounds good. I was going g to suggest this
chicken tagine It's a regular in our house we often have for get together. It's easy and doesn't require a lot of extras. Rice or bread and you are on.

Well I'm out...my option was chilli!

Maybe curry.

thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/nadiya-hussains-chicken-shawarma/

One of our favourite

I actually serve with pilau rice too and rice hummus, some halloumi, salads

If you have a really big roasting pan this is failsafe https://www.recipetineats.com/one-pan-baked-butter-chicken/

I pair with something green, like broccoli, and rice/cauliflower rice. It’s seriously good. In face this blogger has quite the following in Australia. She’s brilliant.

I'm doing pulled pork for a crowd this week.
Just added stuffing and apple sauce to my shopping list thanks to this thread
Serving with jacket potatoes, corn cobs, coleslaw, rolls for kids.

A huge lasagne, with chips and a salad and garlic bread, followed by crumble.

Fajitas with chicken and or beef (or both!) served in a big dish in the middle so people can help themselves. Perhaps some rice and salad on the side.

or like a pp suggested, a nice homemade lasagne with garlic bread and salad.

Curry I think is always a winner or you could do jacket potatoes and have different fillings but curry is always so nice

Jackets (bought loose and picked the biggest ones) cooked in the oven with oil and salt is a meal that some friends raved about.

I think because it’s a quick meal that most of us do in the microwave but it tastes so different done in the oven people really noticed it.

Spanish chicken casserole with tomatoes, peppers and olives, served with rice, simple, delicious and colourful on the plate.
I'd get some Spanish style nibbles from the supermarket to have with drinks beforehand, and do a lemon flavoured pudding, perhaps lemon posset.

Chicken stew with chorizo and chickpeas. All in one pot and crusty bread on the side

realfood.tesco.com/recipes/chicken-chorizo-and-potato-stew.html

Pulled chicken
Baguette
Coleslaw
Tomato salad

Eton mess for desserts

This sounds amazing!

Sorry no help with the OP's actual question (I'd be ordering on!! I don't cook on Saturdays!)

Big old beef stew and dumplings with a pile of jacket Spuds.

I came heee to say chilli 😂

@Crunchymum , it really is - a bit like a baked in the oven risotto- I sometimes add mushrooms too 😊

I would want a tray bake ideally.

How about Nigella's chicken with leeks and peas? Really easy and yummy. Cheap if you buy 2 chickens and joint them yourself. I would just roast some small chunks of potato to accompany, nothing else is needed.

Or a sausage and bean casserole, or Mary Berry has a good sausage tray bake, it needs extra veg though (IMO).

ETA link

Lasagne with salad and garlic bread.
Chicken Chasseur with potatoes, carrots and green veg.
Moussaka.
Chorizo sausage (Lidl) cassoulet.

Greek feast - make some Tsatziki, houmous, roasted vegetables and couscous, Greek salad, halloumi, flatbreads or toasted pitta, olives, chicken skewers.

I love making lasagne. But it is time consuming. In your situation I think I would do two roast chickens and then some sides. I really rate the Aldi potato dauphinois from the chiller cabinet , so maybe 3 of those to cover everyone, or aunt bessies roast potatos plus a whole lot of peas, beans, carrots. I glaze my carrots with a bit of butter, honey and sesame seeds which goes down a treat. Then a big cheese and fruit platter.

I am a bit of a chicken marinade obsessive and my favourites for roast chicken are,

• honey, soy sauce and sesame seeds
• orange juice, honey and cinnamon
• lemon, garlic and rosemary
• sweet paprika, garlic salt, tumeric and cinnamon

edited because for some reason my last sentence came out looking like i was shouting. -