# Simple dinner for a group of guys?



## Saoirse (Jul 12, 2010)

Since I like to cook, but hardly ever get the chance I offered to make dinner for my friend and his roommates this week. The only trouble is, I dont know what to make!

Im not sure how many people will be there as one of the roommates is away, another roommate is never home and friends are always stopping by. Im gonna go ahead and guess 3-6 people.

Im thinking since there might be a lot of people there and the boys love to eat, it needs to be filling, but easy to prepare! A friend suggested lasagna or spaghetti, but I dont think I want to do pasta.

I was thinking meatloaf and mashed taters, but I dont know if Ill be able to make enough. Chicken pot pie was another thought.

Any suggestions? I do have a couple cookbooks that havent been opened in a few years. Maybe I need to go through them. :doh:


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## MisticalMisty (Jul 12, 2010)

If it wasn't so hot out, I would suggest a big pot of Chili.

My first thought was lasagna..but meatloaf would probably be good as well.


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## spiritangel (Jul 12, 2010)

I would suggest a roast but if its super hot that is way to hot to prepare what about a bbq? or home made pizza?


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## toni (Jul 12, 2010)

Hashbrown Casserole

*It is fun and easy. I would love it!*


1 lb. ground beef
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (24 oz.) pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
2 c. French fried onions
1 med. onion, chopped

Cook beef, breaking up into pieces. Add chopped onion; drain fat. Combine remaining ingredients except French fried onions. Place in casserole. Top with French fried onions. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.


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## TraciJo67 (Jul 12, 2010)

www.thepioneerwomancooks.com and then click on the "cowboy food" link. 

Almost every recipe is very simple to make, and all have step-by-step fail-proof instructions. 

Her current front page recipe is for beef & bean burritos. And they look quite tasty.


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## Christov (Jul 12, 2010)

Raw meat, BBQ sauce. The manliest meal there is. 

And for pudding? *BULLETS*.


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## Weeze (Jul 12, 2010)

TraciJo67 said:


> www.thepioneerwomancooks.com and then click on the "cowboy food" link.
> 
> Almost every recipe is very simple to make, and all have step-by-step fail-proof instructions.
> 
> Her current front page recipe is for beef & bean burritos. And they look quite tasty.



God, I love Pioneer Woman. Seriously, I want her to have my babies... except she has enough of her own.


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## TraciJo67 (Jul 12, 2010)

If budget concerns aren't an issue, steaks on the grill, with an overnight marinade (really, really simple: Jack Daniels marinade-in-bag sauces are delicious - I just add fresh garlic and a pinch of chili sauce to the bag). Toss on some corn on the cob basted with a simple butter-garlic-squeeze of lime juice and add plenty of salt 'n pepper. Simple pre-made Dole salad - I love the caesar mix. Crusty dinner rolls. Chunky mashed potatoes mixed with cheddar cheese, sour cream, crispy bits of bacon, and lots of fresh pan-seared garlic. It makes for a very satisfying meal, and it's really easy to prepare (most of it in advance).


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## lalatx (Jul 13, 2010)

Christov said:


> Raw meat, BBQ sauce. The manliest meal there is.
> 
> And for pudding? *BULLETS*.



The bullets require some seasoning. So shoot the animal, and use those bullets for pudding... and by pudding I assume you mean dessert for us non British folks. 

Also whiskey & beer. No manly meal is complete without whiskey & beer.


Nah but really steak and potatoes are always good for a group of guys. I have a lot of guy friends and for the most part they will eat whatever you cook and be happy about it.


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## isamarie69 (Jul 13, 2010)

I think a hearty beef burgundy stew or yummy beef stroganoff.


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## Tad (Jul 13, 2010)

If heat is not too much of an issue, I'd go with a roast--lot's of meat will seldom go amiss with young men. Add in roasted potatoes and vegetables and it all cooks at once.

Then if you feel you want to put in a little more effort, invest that in dessert. Make a cake or pie, or they'll probably all be worshiping at your feet


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## lypeaches (Jul 13, 2010)

Sloppy Joes? Cheap and easy, go great with beer.

Agree with Tad...invest in the desert. For some reason guys seem to LOVE pies.


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## PamelaLois (Jul 13, 2010)

I think anything with meat is going to be a hit with guys. How about a nice meaty chili served with some fixin's so they can mix it up. Make the chili without beans, so it's just meat and sauce, then have a bar setup with bowls of beans, pasta, onion, cheese, corn, oyster crackers, etc so the guys can customize their chili. Serve with some good crusty bread and some quality brews.


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## goofy girl (Jul 13, 2010)

Sausage and peppers? And you can either do them as sandwiches or with rice on the side, or some kind of potato. 

Pulled pork is awesome, too. It can be somewhat expensive but it feeds TONS of people. Steve and I always end up eating it for days. It's wicked easy in a crock pot. 

Tacos? 

Home made mac and cheese, with bacon in it (I like mushrooms in mine too) ...baked with bread crumbs or ritz topping? It's pasta, but guys think it's amazing when someone makes home made mac and cheese which is funny because it's the easiest thing ever.

I'm trying to think of something a bunch of guys wouldn't normally cook for themselves...I'll be back with more ideas lol


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## Dromond (Jul 13, 2010)

I asked Jackie what she would do, and she said BBQ ribs and baked potatoes. Get a bunch of toppings so they could do up their own potatoes. She also suggested wings. A variety of flavorings and heat. Beer would go fine with both ideas.


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## mossystate (Jul 13, 2010)

It's real simple to pick up the phone and tell them to order whatever they want.


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## bigsexy920 (Jul 13, 2010)

For a bunch of guys - steak - on the grill - corn on the cob - sliced tomato's with blue cheese dressing. Yum - its a perfect summer meal.


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## goofy girl (Jul 17, 2010)

What did you decide on? (I'm nosey lol)


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## Saoirse (Jul 19, 2010)

oops forgot about this thread!

I ended up making jambalaya with turkey kielbasa and shrimp. Also made some garlic-cheddar biscuits and an Irish cream cake for dessert!

Unfortunately, only one of the guys was actually there! Everyone else bailed on me and didnt even let me know!  But the one guy that was there (amazing guy :wubu loved it and ate a ton.

But it wasn't a total bust, because later on some hungry, dirty hippies stopped over and ate the leftovers!

Thanks for all the suggestions! I know I'll be making them dinner again (and again and again)!


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## goofy girl (Jul 19, 2010)

Sounds like it was awesome!!


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## spiritangel (Jul 19, 2010)

wow definately puts you in the can cook catogry for sure

you will have to take pics of your cooking for us one day


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## D_A_Bunny (Jul 20, 2010)

Can you please elaborate about the Irish Cream cake? Sounds interesting. Thanks!


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## Tad (Jul 20, 2010)

Too bad you didn't take pictures of it all....so you could have sent them to the guys who bailed and added "This is what I cooked for you, and you missed it!" What they did totally sucks  I'm sure they didn't see things the same way you did, or they wouldn't have bailed without notice, but they need to learn to think through from more than one point of view.

Well, I hope next time you get ambitious with your cooking, it is for people who show up!


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## KuroBara (Jul 20, 2010)

toni said:


> Hashbrown Casserole
> 
> *It is fun and easy. I would love it!*
> 
> ...




I was going to suggest Potato Skins, but this is waaaaayyyyy cooler!!


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## Saoirse (Jul 20, 2010)

D_A_Bunny said:


> Can you please elaborate about the Irish Cream cake? Sounds interesting. Thanks!



omg its only the most foodgasmic cake EVER. Saw the recipe on tv, tried it and have been wowing people ever since!

here's the recipe!


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## Saoirse (Jul 20, 2010)

Tad said:


> Too bad you didn't take pictures of it all....so you could have sent them to the guys who bailed and added "This is what I cooked for you, and you missed it!" What they did totally sucks  I'm sure they didn't see things the same way you did, or they wouldn't have bailed without notice, but they need to learn to think through from more than one point of view.
> 
> Well, I hope next time you get ambitious with your cooking, it is for people who show up!



Haha, well Im glad that at least one guy was able to enjoy it, and from what I heard, the rest of them enjoyed the leftovers!

They didn't mean to bail, just didnt get around to calling me.  We've made up and Im making them dinner again on Thursday! They're such good friends, so I forgave them. I'd say they're pretty lucky to have me!


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## D_A_Bunny (Jul 21, 2010)

Saoirse said:


> omg its only the most foodgasmic cake EVER. Saw the recipe on tv, tried it and have been wowing people ever since!
> 
> here's the recipe!



Thank you for sharing the recipe. I love pecans and I love the taste of Bailey's Irish Cream, but can't drink it because it gives me instant agita. However, I do think that would not be a problem if it is baked into the cake. And since I already own a bundt pan, I really need to try this cake. Thanks again!


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## Yakatori (Jul 23, 2012)

Saoirse said:


> "_...jambalaya with turkey kielbasa and shrimp. garlic-cheddar biscuits...Irish cream cake for dessert!
> 
> ...only one of the guys was actually there! Everyone else bailed on me and didnt even let me know!  But the one guy that was there (amazing guy :wubu loved it and ate a ton.
> 
> ...



I'm thinking of a Lasagna or Moussaka. Or some sort of hybrid. This is mainly because virtually all of the work is in the preparation. And, yet still, you can break this into even more manageable increments without compromising quality. Also, it will tend to execute very well, even if serving is extended over a very long time period. i.e., Once organized, you can literally throw it together in under 15 minutes. Once assembled, you can even bake it a little, just to increase tightness/hold and get it to emulsify a bit, reducing your eventual cooking time. From there, you can refrigerate it, or even freeze it. Also, you can modulate the ratio of surface area to thickness such that a relatively large amount can be piping hot-ready in less than 15 minutes or so.

And you can customize it in what seems like an infinite number of ways to whatever effect you like. I mean, if these guys are likely to be happy to have anything hot & savory to eat, it could be an opportunity for you to begin to think about experimenting with some ingredient(s) (and not necessarily either local or exotic) that you may just happen to come across in some abundance or that you already have on hand, but just wouldn't normally think to use in quite this way: e.g., pumpkin or sweet potatoes or turnips or beets. But here, I would also try to remember to try to plan ahead a little in order to anticipate just what would go best with that particular ingredient. First, so that, when I really set down to working, I have on hand the other ancillary components that really best accentuates that flavor or idea (e.g. I always seem to associate either honey or fresh rosemary with sweet potatoes or fresh mint with lamb). But also so that I don't end up just throwing anything & everything in there, as tempting as it might become....:eat1:


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## EMH1701 (Jul 31, 2012)

For guys, generally anything involving meat works, at least with the guys I know. Jambalaya sure would work; don't most jambalaya recipes involve sausage of some sort?

I have also baked homemade bread for my gaming group, of which I am the only female member unless one guy's wife plays. It gets eaten up. We usually do a potluck lunch. One of our members is a former chef-turned-alcohol salesman because of the recession, and he always brings wine.


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## Ruby Ripples (Aug 3, 2012)

lol @ this two year old thread being resurrected.


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