Give me your best 'friends for dinner, bung it in the middle' dishes

[messybessie]

That's it really.

Something I can make in advance preferably, but no last minute faffing.

Beef in beer (best made the day before) topped with a garlic bread crust.

Curries....
Thai Green Chicken
Tomato/Chilli Prawn
Veg
Rice

In a Nigel Slater fast food book there is a recipe that you mix together various tins ofbutter and haricot type beans, tomato passata some mustard and tomatoes and cook it with good sausages on top. Its great one pot and simple, also 2 fat ladies did a similar thing with a shoulder of lamb but that needs some carving. Easy peasy

A raclette? Prep in advance and then everyone does their own cooking?

Fajitas

Fish pie

Lamb hotpot

BBC good food one pot recipes

Steak chilli with nachos/tortilla

I've got a great Spanish Chicken recipe if you want it. I serve it on the table in the dish it cooked in with a green salad and tortilla (ofen bought!)

That one pot recipes site is fab!

And yes please to Spanish chicken

Spanish Chicken with Multi-coloured Peppers

Prepare: 15 minutes
Cook 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves 6

6 chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks
2 tbsp olive oil
70g cubetti di pancetta
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
200g pack mixed Romano peppers (or any peppers, red, yellow or orange), deseeded and sliced
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme
150ml dry white wine
Chopped parsley for garnishing

Pre-heat the oven to 190C, gas mark 5
Season all the chicken pieces
Heat the oil in a flame-proof casserole dish and cook the chicken on all sides until golden (I grilled the chicken as a low-fat alternative!)
Drain on kitchen paper
Add the pancetta to the pan and cook for 1 minute, then add the onion, garlic and peppers
Stir over a medium heat for minutes until starting to brown
Then add the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, wine and seasoning to the pan
Return the chicken pieces to the pan and bring to the boil
Cover and transfer to the oven for an hour or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly with no pink meat
Serve with new potatoes and watercress salad (I served with boiled rice and steamed broccoli)

We're mostly veggie, so I tend to do either a couple of veggie curries with rice, pickles etc, or a vege and chickpea tagine with cous cous and salads.

I have been known to do a veggie chilli and a meat one, with rice, guacamole, soured cream etc.

When I say 'mostly' I mean that 3 of us are and one of us plus most of our usual guests are carnivores - rather than that we are veggie most of the time!

Chilli,wraps,sour cream.big bowls of cheese salsa and guacamole and green salad Bottles of water and red wine and lots of napkins!

This is nice, Moroccan Baked Chicken. I only use 1 lemon as I find 2 can make it a bit too 'lemony'. I also use tinned chickpeas.

Bake a big brie or camenbert in the oven drizzled with honey and fresh herbs and have French bread to scoop it up!

Lovely starter whilst you are getting the main ready.

Oh gosh yes to baked camembert - I put a splash of white wine, some garlic and some thyme on mine. Have it with nice bread, celery and radishes - tiny roasted carrots with a spot of honey are v good with it too.

Chicken thing

Fry chicken breasts in butter and lots of paprika. I mean lots.

Then put chicken in casserole dish with a tub of creme fraiche.

Stir

Put in oven for 40 minutes.

Stick in middle of table with rice (we use the "wild" rice with bits in to make it look more posh).

Never fails and people seem to love it.

Couldnt be more simple!!

A tagine. In the oven for ages beforehand, then just put on table.